Xiomara Castro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Xiomara Castro
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Castro in 2023
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| 39th President of Honduras | |
| In office 27 January 2022 – 27 January 2026 |
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| Vice President | Salvador Nasralla (until 2024) Doris Gutiérrez Renato Florentino |
| Preceded by | Juan Orlando Hernández |
| Succeeded by | Nasry Asfura |
| Minister of National Defense | |
| In office 27 May 2025 – 18 December 2025 |
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| President | Herself |
| Preceded by | Rixi Moncada |
| Succeeded by | Roosevelt Hernández Aguilar |
| 13th President pro tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States | |
| In office 4 March 2024 – 9 April 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Ralph Gonsalves |
| Succeeded by | Gustavo Petro |
| First Lady of Honduras | |
| In role 27 January 2006 – 28 June 2009 |
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| President | Manuel Zelaya |
| Preceded by | Aguas Ocaña |
| Succeeded by | Siomara Girón |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento
30 September 1959 Santa Bárbara, Honduras |
| Political party | Liberty and Refoundation (2011–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal Party (until 2011) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Xiomara |
Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento, born on September 30, 1959, is a Honduran politician and businesswoman. She has served as the 39th President of Honduras from 2022 to 2026. She made history as the country's first female president. Before becoming president, she was the First Lady when her husband, Manuel Zelaya, was president.
Xiomara Castro grew up in Tegucigalpa, the capital city. She married in 1976 and became active in politics, especially helping women in the Liberal Party of Honduras. She became First Lady in 2006. After a political crisis in 2009 led to her husband being removed from office, she became a leader in a movement that called for his return. This movement later formed the Liberty and Refoundation (LIBRE) political party.
Castro ran for president several times. In 2013, she was the candidate for the LIBRE party and came in second place. In 2017, she was the running mate for Salvador Nasralla, but they narrowly lost the election. Finally, in the 2021 Honduran general election, she won the presidency. She defeated Nasry Asfura and became the first president from outside the two main political parties since 1982. In 2023, Forbes magazine recognized her as one of the world's 100 most powerful women.
Contents
Early Life and Community Work
Xiomara Castro was born on September 30, 1959, in Santa Bárbara, Honduras. She was the second of five children. She attended primary and secondary school in Tegucigalpa. In January 1976, she married Manuel Zelaya. They made their home in Catacamas.
Castro was very active in her community. She helped the Rotary Club in Catacamas. She also worked to support children in need in the Olancho Department. She helped create the Children's Daily Care Center in Catacamas. This center aimed to help single-parent families, especially those led by women. It offered projects like basic cleaning, growing vegetables, and floriculture to help people find jobs.
Xiomara Castro's Political Journey
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In Catacamas, Xiomara Castro organized the women's section of the Liberal Party of Honduras. She campaigned for her husband in the 2005 elections. As the First Lady of Honduras, she led social development programs. She also worked with the United Nations and other first ladies to help women facing challenges.
After her husband was removed from office in 2009, Castro led a movement against this action. She joined thousands of Hondurans in the streets, calling for her husband's return. This movement grew into the National Popular Resistance Front (FNRP). It later became the basis for the Libre political party.
Presidential Campaigns and Elections
Running for President in 2013
On July 1, 2012, Castro officially started her campaign for president. She won her party's primary election. In June 2013, she was chosen to represent Libre in the 2013 Honduran general election. She spoke against certain economic policies and for a new constitution.
Before the election, she was a leading candidate. She finished second, behind Juan Orlando Hernández. However, her Libre party won the second-highest number of seats in Congress. This was a big achievement for a new party.
The 2017 Election Challenge
For the 2017 Honduran general election, Castro again sought to be Libre's candidate. She won the primary easily. However, Libre formed an alliance with another party. Castro agreed to step aside and let Salvador Nasralla lead their presidential ticket.
The alliance was ahead in early results. But after a delay in counting votes, the trend changed. President Juan Orlando Hernández was re-elected. This led to concerns about the election results and public protests.
Victory in the 2021 Election
Castro was chosen as Libre's presidential candidate for the 2021 Honduran general election. Salvador Nasralla later joined her as her running mate. Polls showed a close race between Castro and Nasry Asfura. During her campaign, she talked about recognizing the People's Republic of China. She also proposed creating an anti-corruption commission with the United Nations. She suggested updating the Constitution of Honduras.
After the initial results were released, Castro declared victory. International media also reported her as the likely winner. The next day, her opponent, Nasry Asfura, accepted defeat and congratulated her. Xiomara Castro became Honduras' first female president on January 27, 2022.
Working with Congress: A Challenge in 2022
Before the 2021 election, Castro had promised Salvador Nasralla that his party would lead the National Congress of Honduras if they won. This promise helped Nasralla join her campaign. However, in January 2022, some members of her own party disagreed. They voted for a different person to be the congressional president.
This led to a disagreement in Congress. Castro said these members were "traitors" and removed some of them from her party. She also held a gathering with her supporters outside Congress. The dispute ended when the dissenting members agreed to support the original plan. Their party membership was then restored.
Leading Honduras: Xiomara Castro's Presidency (2022-2026)
Xiomara Castro became president on January 27, 2022. Her inauguration ceremony took place at the Tegucigalpa National Soccer Stadium. Thousands of people attended, including leaders from other countries. She was the first female President of Honduras. She was also the first president not from the two traditional main parties since 1982.
In her first speech, President Castro promised to fight corruption and inequality. She said these issues were widespread under the previous government. Her government asked the United Nations for help in setting up an international commission to fight corruption. She also worked to hold former leaders accountable, including sending a former president to face justice in another country.
The Supreme Court of Honduras, whose members were appointed by previous governments, sometimes disagreed with her reform plans.
Economic Goals and Actions
President Castro aimed to create a fair economic system. She wanted a system based on openness, efficient production, and social justice. Her vision focused on people's well-being over market rules.
In February 2022, she helped protect indigenous communities in land disputes. She stopped an eviction plan that would have removed indigenous people from their land. In March 2022, she banned open-pit mining. This was done to protect the environment from extensive damage. Her government also promised to protect areas with high environmental value.
In May 2022, her government began to end special economic zones. The previous government had created these zones. In May 2023, a new law called Ley de Justicia Tributaria (Tax Justice Law) was introduced. This law aimed to remove tax loopholes and special benefits for some businesses.
In June 2023, President Castro visited China. She applied for Honduras to join the New Development Bank. This bank, also known as the BRICS Development Bank, aims to boost economic growth and improve living standards.
During her time in office, Honduras saw some economic growth. Inflation was also brought under control. One of her biggest achievements was reducing poverty by 13.5 percentage points.
Making Electricity Affordable
To help fight poverty, President Castro announced a plan for electricity. The poorest families, who use less than 150kWh of electricity per month, would no longer pay electricity bills. The cost for this would be covered by larger electricity users. She also promised to stop new permits for exploiting rivers and national parks.
Managing Government Spending
In her first speech, President Castro said a large part of her budget would go to salaries and wages. She also directed her finance minister and the Central Bank to work on reducing interest rates for businesses and production.
Improving Public Safety
On November 25, 2022, a state of emergency was declared to deal with crime. This measure was first put in place for 45 days in two major cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. It was later renewed and expanded to many more cities. The government increased police resources and built new high-security prisons. Military forces were also deployed to support the police in the streets. As a result, the crime rate decreased significantly.
Connecting with Other Nations: Foreign Policy
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Relations with Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
In February 2022, Honduras restored and strengthened diplomatic relations with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Honduras and China Relations
During her campaign, Castro promised to switch Honduras' official recognition from Taiwan to the People's Republic of China. In March 2023, she instructed her foreign minister to establish formal relations with the People's Republic of China. This meant recognizing Beijing as the sole Chinese state. By the end of March, Honduras and China officially established diplomatic ties and exchanged ambassadors.
Reconnecting with Venezuela
Soon after Castro became president, Honduras restored diplomatic relations with Venezuela. These relations had been cut in 2009. This move showed Honduras' commitment to Latin American unity. In January 2026, President Castro spoke out against a military action in Venezuela that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Stance on Israeli–Palestinian Conflict
On November 4, 2023, President Castro recalled the Honduran ambassador from Israel. This decision came after Honduras' foreign ministry strongly condemned actions against the civilian Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.
See also
In Spanish: Xiomara Castro para niños
- List of current heads of state and government
- List of heads of the executive by approval rating
- List of presidents of Honduras
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