Maira Theresa

Victory for Honduras: A Reflection on the 2021 Elections from an Indigenous Hondureña in the Diaspora

Maira Theresa
Victory for Honduras: A Reflection on the 2021 Elections from an Indigenous Hondureña in the Diaspora

Being of Pech descent in the diaspora is not easy, especially considering that we are taught our colonizers “saved us.” This narrative has created generational trauma for my family, who feels constantly unheard and alienated from our land. However, I know we are seeds of resistance and our spirits cannot be taken away. On November 28, 2021,  Xiomara Castro and the Libre Party won the presidential elections in Honduras—a victory that represents hope and trust for a better country and for our people.

One of the primary reasons for that hope is that Xiomara opposes las ZEDEs (Zones for Employment and Economic Development), a scheme that aims to sell parts of Honduras to transnational corporations which already overexploit the people of Honduras and their common goods. Las ZEDEs are otherwise known as “model cities” where private corporations can control everything, from the administration, management, and use of the natural resources in that region to establishing their own courts and police forces. It is shameful, yet also unsurprising, to know that the Partido Nacional de Honduras—the right-wing party—was so willing to sell parts of Honduras, particularly Indigenous territories, for these so-called model cities. This is a form of modern-day colonization. We must remember our beloved warrior Lempira who in the 1530’s led a struggle against colonial attempts to conquer and incorporate the western Lenca region into what is now known as Honduras. It is unconscionable that now the Partido Nacional willingly sells our ancestral land for greed and power. Honduras and the people of Honduras should not and will not be a pawn in corporations’ games. 

Another reason why the Libre Party’s win is significant is because Xiomara had the support of Berta Cáceres, an Indigenous Lenca environmental activist and founder of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). Berta Cáceres was assassinated in 2016 by hitmen hired by David Castillo, a US-trained former Honduran army intelligence officer who was the president of the internationally financed Desarrollos Energéticos S.A. (DESA) company and in charge of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project, which Berta opposed. Berta Cáceres may have been killed, but her legacy lives on in her children. Bertha Zúñiga Cáceres, Laura Zúñiga Cáceres, Olivia Marcela Zúñiga Cáceres, and Salvador Zúniga Cáceres have taken up the responsibility and legacy of their mother. Each one of them is creating their own legacy by continuing to fight for the Indigenous people of Honduras.

Moreover, Xiomara has the support of Miriam Miranda, leader of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH), an organization established in 1976 to protect the legal, economic, social, and cultural rights of Garífuna communities. Xiomara has said she will remove the military-police from its “public security role.” This is a major win because the police forces have constantly attacked el pueblo, particularly the Garífuna communities, and have been complicit in kidnappings, such as those of Milton Joel Martínez, Suami Aparicio, Gerardo Mizael Rochez, Junior Rafael Juárez, and Alberth Sneider Centeno on July 18th, 2020. Their abductors were reported to be wearing police uniforms. When protests erupted in response to their kidnappings, the Honduran police shot at community members. Yet, while the militarized police of Honduras constantly participate in repression using scare tactics, they will never defeat a resilient community.

Finally, Xiomara openly supports the LGBTQI+ community and respects their social movement, while Nasry Asfura, the presidential candidate for the Partido Nacional, does not. The Partido Nacional has taken part in the erasure of the LGBTQI+ community in Honduras and ignored hate crimes for far too long. Xiomara has promised to repeal laws against gay marriage. It is clear that the time for change has come. 

Activists, organizers, and the rest of el pueblo de Honduras have constantly put their lives on the line for a more humane society. Xiomara’s victory in the 2021 elections is not simply to beat the Partido Nacional. This victory is for all the oppressed people in Honduras—a step towards a hopeful and bright new direction. However, even with Xiomara’s victory, we cannot forget that the way to move forward has been and will continue to be led by Black and Indigenous activists and communities in Honduras.

¡Se fueron!

Maira Theresa was born in Maryland to a Honduran mother and a Romani father. She grew up spending a lot of time with her mother's side of the family, who are part Pech, in Olancho, Honduras. Her dreams include the liberation of Central America. Maira feels a strong connection to the resilience of her ancestors, and it is something she explores through food and music. She will soon start her first semester of college and hopes to become a hospital social worker.


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