In brief
Honduran President Xiomara Castro has made it clear that her country will reconsider its military agreements with the United States in response to President-elect Donald Trump's potential mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
Honduras's president has taken a firm stand against waves of deportations proposed by President-elect Donald J. Trump, vowing to remove U.S. military presence if such actions are executed. Her remarks were made during a broadcast to the nation and signal a notable pushback against American immigration policies.On January 3, 2025, in a televised address, Castro warned that the continued operation of U.S. military bases in Honduras could become untenable if Trump moves forward with plans to deport millions of undocumented Latin Americans residing in the U.S. "Faced with a hostile attitude of mass expulsion of our brothers, we would have to consider a change in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in the military arena," said Castro. This statement marks a shift in diplomatic relations as it addresses the historical context where U.S. military presence has been maintained without significant financial contribution. Castro remarked, "Without paying a cent for decades," these bases would "lose all reason to exist." Honduras' Foreign Minister, Enrique Reina, further supported this line of reasoning by emphasizing that President Castro has the authority to terminate a longstanding agreement with the U.S. concerning the Soto Cano air base. This base has served as a hub for U.S. military operations in Central America, making the stakes in the diplomatic relationship even higher.In an effort to coordinate a regional response, Castro has also reached out to Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, scheduling a meeting of foreign ministers later this month to discuss the implications of possible mass deportations on Central American nations.
