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A30 world news
Diamars 30 November 2021

Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, Honduras’ 1st female president?

Since then, Castro de Ze- Luis León, the director of
By the time Zelaya formed laya’s movement has focused the Netherlands Institute for
the Libre, or Free Party, Cas- laser-like on getting Hernán- Multiparty Democracy in
tro de Zelaya’s popularity was dez out of office. Honduras, said despite the
evident among followers of bad blood between Libre and
the movement. Besides, the Hernández became a nation- the long-dominant National
country’s Constitution pro- al embarrassment with U.S. and Liberal parties, Castro de
hibited her husband from federal prosecutors in New Zelaya and her husband will
running for re-election. York accusing him of run- have to be open to listening
ning a narco state and fuel- to others.
Since 2013, the first time she ing his own political rise with
ran, Castro de Zelaya has been drug money. Hernández has “It seems to me that the Libre
the principal thorn in the side denied it all and has not been party is clear that they should
of Juan Orlando Hernández, formally charged, but that co-govern, because if they act
the current president who could change once he leaves autocratically, there would be
won elections in 2013, and office. a high level of ungovernabil-
(AP) — Xiomara Cas- She grew up in the capital, then gained the blessings of ity,” León said.
tro de Zelaya, the wife of Tegucigalpa, but moved to the country’s supreme court Castro de Zelaya sees it as a
ousted former president her husband’s rural prov- to run for re-election in 2017. campaign to free her country. The Libre party “would not
Mel Zelaya, has taken a ince of Olancho, known for risk closing the doors to dia-
commanding lead in Hon- its cattle ranches, when the Castro de Zelaya ceded her “Honduras has been de- logue and giving other parties
duras’ elections, capping a couple wed. candidacy in 2017 to Salva- scribed as a narco-state be- a piece of the pie, in its first
12-year effort. dor Nasralla, a TV person- cause of the mafia that gov- administration,” León said.
Together they raised four ality who ran at the head of erns us, and we have also been “It will be a flexible govern-
If preliminary tallies from children, and during her an opposition coalition, and described as the most corrupt ment, so that it can survive its
the election Sunday are con- husband’s 2006-2009 tenure, claimed to have narrowly de- country in Latin America,” first four years and go on to
firmed, Castro de Zelaya she played a relatively minor feated Hernández. Castro de Zelaya said at a re- be a viable option in 2025.”
would become the Central role, overseeing programs for cent campaign event. “People
American country’s first fe- women and children. After a protracted election of Honduras, now is the time Late Sunday, Castro prom-
male president. filled with irregularities in to say enough of the misery, ised a permanent dialogue
But it was after the 2009 2017, protesters filled the poverty and exclusion that with the Honduran people
Her victory would also mark coup, which forced her hus- streets and the government our country suffers.” and said beginning Monday
the return of her family to band into exile, that Castro imposed a curfew. Three she wanted to open conversa-
the presidential residence de Zelaya came to the fore- weeks later, Hernández was But Castro de Zelaya will tions with all sectors of soci-
that they were ousted from in front. With Mel Zelaya run- declared the winner despite also have to overcome dis- ety and international organi-
a 2009 coup. ning a sort of government in the Organization of Ameri- trust caused by Mel Zelaya’s zations to seek solutions for
exile in Costa Rica and later can States observation mis- sometimes headstrong and the Central American coun-
The 62-year-old, three-time in Nicaragua, it was up to his sion calling for an election erratic governing style during try, which is recovering from
candidate has long said, “the wife to lead the string of pro- re-do. At least 23 people were his 2006-2009 administra- two major hurricanes, trou-
third try is the charm.” tests demanding his return killed. tion. bled by gangs and enduring
and re-instatement. corruption and high poverty.

Food, gas prices pinch families as inflation surges globally

(AP) — From appliance COVID-19 pandemic, the where countries have some bage collection fee nearly tri- II. Central banks also slashed
stores in the United States economic impact of the cri- of the highest inflation rates pling to 88 zlotys ($21). She interest rates in a bid to revive
to food markets in Hun- sis is still being felt even after in the 27-nation European also lamented that the cook- economic activity.
gary and gas stations in countries raced out of debili- Union and people are strug- ing oil she uses has gone up
Poland, rising consumer tating lockdowns and con- gling to buy food or fill their by a third of its price, to 10 But those efforts to jump-
prices fueled by high ener- sumer demand rebounded. fuel tanks. zlotys ($2.40). start economies have had
gy costs and supply chain Now, another surge of infec- unintended consequences:
disruptions are putting a tions and a new coronavirus A butcher at the Budapest “That’s a real difference,” she as consumers felt more em-
pinch on households and variant, omicron, are lead- food market, Ildiko Vardos said. boldened to spend the money
businesses worldwide. ing countries to tighten their Serfozo, said she’s seen a they had received through
borders and impose other drop in business as custom- The recent pickup in infla- government assistance or
Rising inflation is leading to restrictions, threatening the ers head to multinational tion has caught business lead- low-interest borrowing, and
price increases for food, gas global economic recovery. grocery chains that can offer ers and economists around vaccine rollouts encouraged
and other products and push- discounts by buying in large the world by surprise. people to return to restau-
ing many people to choose Omicron has raised new wholesale quantities. rants, bars and shops, the
between digging deeper into fears that factories, ports and In spring 2020, the coronavi- surge in demand tested the
their pockets or tighten- freight yards could be forced “Buyers are price sensitive rus crushed the global econ- capacity of suppliers to keep
ing their belts. In develop- to close temporarily, putting and therefore often leave us omy: governments ordered pace.
ing economies, it’s especially more strain on global com- behind, even if our prod- lockdowns, businesses closed
dire. merce and sending prices ucts are high quality. Money or slashed hours and fami-
even higher. talks,” she said. “We notice lies stayed home. Companies
“We’ve noticed that we’re that inflation is not good for braced for the worst, cancel-
consuming less,” Gabor Par- “A new round of infections us. ... I’m just glad my kids ing orders and putting off in-
di, a shopper at an open-air could further aggravate sup- don’t want to continue this vestments.
food market in Hungary’s ply chains, putting even more family business, I don’t see
capital, Budapest, said after upward pressure on infla- much future in it.” In an attempt to stave off eco-
buying a sack of fresh vegeta- tion,” said Rubeela Farooqi, nomic catastrophe, wealthy
bles recently. “We try to shop chief U.S. economist at High In nearby Poland, Barbara countries — most notably
for the cheapest and most Frequency Economics. Grotowska, a 71-year-old the United States — intro-
economical things, even if pensioner, said outside a dis- duced trillions of dollars
they don’t look as good.” The economic reverberations count supermarket in the worth of government aid, an
are hitting central and East- capital of Warsaw that she’s economic mobilization on a
Nearly two years into the ern Europe especially hard, been hit hardest by her gar- scale unseen since World War