LatinNews Daily - 13 December 2024

*The government of Honduras led by President Xiomara Castro has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China, which it says marks an “historic step” in Honduras’ energy transition. The project was signed in the framework of China’s flagship infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), by Honduras along with Chinese construction engineering firm Power China International Group Limited, and advisory platform the BRI International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC). According to state-owned TV network Canal 8, it sets the foundation for Honduras to transition its energy matrix to renewable sources such as hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, and wind and seeks to create a competitive energy market in rural and poorer communities. At the signing ceremony, which was also attended by China’s deputy environment minister, Zhao Yingmin, Honduras’ ambassador to China, Salvador Moncada said that the energy master plan “not only guarantees clean and accessible energy but also will become a model of international development, promoting technology transfer, technical training, and the creation of quality jobs for Hondurans”. This is the latest sign of strengthening ties between the two countries which forged bilateral relations in March 2023, after Honduras severed ties with its long-time ally Taiwan in search of Chinese trade and investment.