A recent poll by the Reflection, Research, and Communication Team (ERIC-SJ) has yielded results that reflect a marked rift between the Xiomara Castro administration and the Honduran people. With more than 60% of those surveyed believing that the country is on the wrong track, the poll illustrates a sustained deterioration in the public’s perception of the current administration.
The analysis highlights that most people are dissatisfied with the president’s actions and points out the main concerns of the citizens: ongoing lack of safety, entrenched poverty, long-term joblessness, and a governmental stance seen as excessively ideological. These factors create a challenging scenario for the current administration, which is under increasing pressure for political reform.
Safety challenges, economic hardship, and oppressive rule: key areas of conflict
The absence of tangible advancements in combating organized crime is a primary source of dissatisfaction. Ongoing violence and the infiltration of criminal groups into government bodies are issues that still lack definitive solutions. Additionally, the economy does not provide alternatives for countless Hondurans, many of whom live in poverty or are without stable 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.
Additionally, the management of important matters like the formation of the CICIH, the Koriun scandal, and the debated Tax Justice Law proposal has been poorly assessed by large segments of the community, who are calling for increased transparency and willingness for discussion.
Appeal for correction and national agreement
Various union leaders and civil society representatives have interpreted the poll results as a warning that the government cannot ignore. The message from the public points to the need to build consensus and leave political confrontation behind. The demand for a broad national dialogue that includes the opposition, private enterprise, and social organizations is a constant theme in the ERIC-SJ study.
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 people of Honduras keep showing their discontent through these surveys, frustrated by the absence of outcomes and a comprehensive vision for an inclusive nation. In this context, the urgent task for Xiomara Castro’s administration is not simply to address the criticisms but also to restore its credibility before the divide with the public becomes unbridgeable.
