On Tuesday, Honduran Foreign Affairs Minister Enrique Reina demanded respect for national sovereignty and rejected criticism of its internal affairs after a U.S. senator claimed President Xiomara Castro governed with a “heavy hand.”
“We completely reject these false, unfounded accusations,” Reina said regarding the statements of U.S. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who said that the Honduran president failed to respect the separation of powers in the country.
Rubio, who is from the U.S. state of Florida and has Cuban roots, also condemned what he called acts of “violence” against opposition lawmakers in Honduras’ National Congress.
The dispute arises from the fact that on Nov. 1, the Permanent Commission of Honduras’ National Congress elected Johel Zelaya to serve as acting attorney general, and Mario Morazan as deputy attorney general.
The move aimed to overcome a deadlock, since the Honduran Congress failed earlier in the year to reach consensus to elect the attorneys general to head the Public Ministry. However, it angered the main opposition parties, and has led to accusations and confrontations.
Reina also announced on social media that the Central American country is working closely with friendly governments such as Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela to “combat the trafficking of migrants and people, which is an inhumane crime.”
Diplomatic tensions deepened even more due to the statements made by the United States Ambassador in Honduras, which also forced another statement from FM Reina.
“Given the statements on Honduras’ internal issues made in recent days by some U.S. officials, and in particular by Ambassador Laura Dogu, I have summoned her to my office tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., to express the disagreement of the administration of President Xiomara Castro for positions that we consider interference in sovereign affairs,” he said.