As Honduras Elects First Female President, Legacy of Extreme Violence Prevails

Xiomara Castro, presidential candidate for the leftist opposition Libre Party, addresses supporters during the closing rally of her electoral campaign in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Nov. 20, 2021. Yoseph Amaya/Reuters

SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia—The new president of Honduras is a woman—the first one elected to that position in a country ranked second in the world in murders of women.

Democratic socialist Xiomara Castro won the presidency on Nov. 30, after which the candidate for the National Party, Nasry Asfura, conceded defeat and congratulated her for her victory.