LatinNews Daily - 29 November 2021

Honduras: On 21 November US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols began a three-day visit to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he met with Honduran government leaders, the leadership of the national electoral council (CNE), as well as representatives of Honduran civil society and the business community. According to a US State Department press release, through these engagements Nichols will “relay support for Honduras’ democratic institutions and encourage the peaceful, transparent conduct of free and fair national elections” which are scheduled for 28 November. The US State Department press release notes that Mileydi Guilarte, US Agency for International Development (USAID) deputy assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, was due to join Nichols on the trip. Nicholas trip takes place amid renewed US concerns about political violence ahead of the election following recent instances of deadly electoral violence. On 16 November, he tweeted that the US “condemns the violence against political candidates” and “all forms of electoral violence”. “We urge Honduran candidates and political parties to commit to a non-violence pact for peaceful elections. The Honduran people deserve a safe electoral process”. A letter dated 15 November by over 20 US congress members addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concerns about “increased potential for violence” ahead of the vote.

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