TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – Honduran President Xiomara Castro accused Washington of interfering in local politics on Wednesday and ordered her foreign minister to “denounce” a bilateral extradition treaty after comments from the U.S. ambassador drew government criticism.
“The interference and interventionism of the United States, as well as its intention to direct the politics of Honduras through its embassy and other representatives, is intolerable,” the leftist leader said in a post on social media.
Castro’s post comes after U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Laura Dogu told local TV reporters about U.S. concerns stemming from a meeting last week between Honduran military leaders and Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.
Dogu said she was “surprised” to see Honduras’ defense minister and the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces meet with “drug traffickers.”
The United States indicted Padrino on drug trafficking charges in 2020.
(Reporting by Orfa Mejia; Writing by Brendan O’Boyle; Editing by Kylie Madry)
