Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Sunday appointed a lawyer close to her family to head the Ministry of Defense, following the resignation of her nephew, along with her brother-in-law, who resigned as a member of Congress amid a scandal over ties to drug trafficking and the end of the extradition treaty with the United States. “I want to announce the appointment of Rixi Moncada,” a 59-year-old lawyer, to the post of Secretary of Defense, Castro announced in a speech inaugurating the month of the independence celebrations in Central America.
“In this month in which we celebrate our independence, today is an opportune time for the Honduran people to pay homage to our national symbols, our heroes, our martyrs and our flag, a symbol of greatness, history and the values that define our nation,” Castro emphasized at the ceremony held at the Monument to Peace, located on Juana Laínez Hill in Tegucigalpa.
An appointment preceded by controversy
Castro’s nephew, José Manuel Zelaya, resigned as head of the Ministry of Defense on Saturday, after his father, Carlos Zelaya, resigned as a deputy and secretary of Congress after accepting that in 2013 he met with drug lords. Castro said he trusts that “the truth and justice will be investigated and discovered, which is a sacred asset for society; no one, not even the operators of Justice, are above the law.”
“We are working with love and dedication to ensure peace and national security and achieve true independence,” stressed Castro, who expressed his “support” for the Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate criminal and corruption networks “operating with impunity in Honduras.”
The cabinet changes come days after Castro announced the cancellation of an extradition treaty with the United States that allowed the imprisonment and return to that country of 50 Hondurans linked to drug trafficking, including powerful politicians. She said she did so to prevent the United States from using it against military personnel loyal to her and facilitating a coup attempt.
The first woman to head the Ministry of Defense
Moncada, who is close to the presidential family, was minister of labor and energy in the government of Castro’s husband, Manuel Zelaya, who was overthrown in a coup in 2009. She is also seen as a favorite to be the ruling party’s presidential candidate in the 2025 elections.
The new defense secretary is a well-known politician who resigned from her position as finance minister in January to run for president of the country on the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre) ticket. She will be the first woman to hold the position.
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