The head of an anti-corruption organization, Gabriela Castellanos, has called for Honduran President Xiomara Castro to resign following the release of a video implicating the president's brother-in-law in a drug money scandal. The footage from 2013, released by InsightCrime, shows drug traffickers offering over $525,000 to Carlos Zelaya, a congressional leader and Castro's brother-in-law. Castellanos cited "serious accusations of drug trafficking" involving family members appointed by Castro to state positions.
Castro, who rode an anti-corruption platform to victory, now faces mounting criticism. Zelaya admitted to meeting the drug trafficking group Los Cachiros but denied knowing their criminal links. He and other family members have since resigned. Zelaya said, "I fell into a trap, I take responsibility for my actions," although he denied accepting money. The scandal intensifies scrutiny on Castro's administration, already beleaguered by ongoing gang violence, economic woes, and high unemployment.
Recently, President Castro annulled a longstanding extradition treaty with the US, under which many Hondurans, including a former president, had been extradited for drug trafficking charges. This move, coupled with the scandal, has fueled speculation among analysts and Hondurans who feel their hope for a corruption-free leadership is waning. Castro, in response to the controversy, suggested on radio and TV that "dark forces" were plotting a coup to undermine her "socialist and democratic government," though she provided scant evidence for these claims. Former presidential candidate Olban Valladares labeled her accusations as "absurd."
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Word count: 237 (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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