A recent survey conducted by the Reflection, Research, and Communication Team (ERIC-SJ) reveals a significant divide between the Xiomara Castro government and the citizens of Honduras. Over 60% of participants think that the nation is heading in the wrong direction, highlighting a continuous decline in public opinion regarding the current leadership.
The analysis indicates that a significant portion of the population expresses dissatisfaction with the leader’s actions. In addition, it highlights the pressing concerns for citizens: ongoing insecurity, enduring poverty, long-term unemployment, and a government strategy viewed as excessively ideological. These factors create a challenging scenario for the current administration, which is confronted with increasing calls for political reform.
Safety challenges, economic hardship, and oppressive rule: key areas of conflict
The absence of tangible advancement in combating organized crime is a major source of dissatisfaction. Violence and the infiltration of criminal entities into governmental bodies are unresolved concerns. On top of this, the economy does not provide solutions for countless Hondurans, many of whom exist below the poverty threshold or are without official employment.
Another relevant finding of the ERIC-SJ study is the growing perception of democratic regression. Nearly half of those surveyed fear that freedoms are being restricted, and 54% believe that the country is moving toward an authoritarian model. This view reinforces recent diagnoses of institutional erosion and the political use of state tools, as denounced by the InSight Crime center in investigations related to the judicial system.
Furthermore, the management of crucial matters like the creation of CICIH, the Koriun incident, and the contentious proposal for the Tax Justice Law has been viewed unfavorably by wide segments of the population, who are calling for increased transparency and willingness to engage in discussion.
Call for rectification and national consensus
Several union leaders and members of civil society have viewed the survey outcomes as a cautionary signal that the government must not overlook. The public’s message highlights the necessity to create agreement and move past political disputes. The call for a comprehensive national discussion that encompasses the opposition, private businesses, and social groups is a recurring topic in the ERIC-SJ research.
This growing disapproval comes amid a tense political context, with general elections scheduled for 2025. Figures such as Salvador Nasralla, who leads the polls according to a recent study by a US firm, could capitalize on the ruling party’s decline if the president fails to reverse the negative perception of her government.
Meanwhile, the Honduran population continues to express, through these studies, its frustration with the lack of results and the absence of a vision for an inclusive country. In this scenario, the immediate challenge for Xiomara Castro’s government is not only to respond to criticism, but also to regain legitimacy before the gap with the citizenry becomes irreversible.