As a conviction is secured for trying to kill the current president, Honduras looks to elect the next one

Honduras convicts Mexican, two Hondurans for plotting to kill president: A Honduran court found three men guilty of conspiring to assassinate President Juan Orlando Hernandez in 2014

“They were planning to attack the president as a result of the war (on drug gangs) that he launched since he took office in 2014,” said a security official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. At least 13 drug lords have been extradited to the United States since Hernandez came to power.

Honduras probes cartel links to public contracts: Honduran authorities will launch an investigation into whether the Cachiros laundered money through public contracts. Fabio Lobo, the former president's son, was arrested and convicted on drug trafficking-related charges. The new allegations implicate the former president himself, Porfirio Lobo.

MACCIH: An Early Progress Report: Chuck Call argues that we should be patient with the OAS “Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras” (MACCIH). It has had some wins and losses in its first year of activity, much like the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) did. For many people (not me), CICIG was a relative failure until it took down the former president and vice president.

Finally, Honduras held primary elections ten days ago. Lucas Perelló survey's the damage for Latin America Goes Global with Honduras: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

What is more perplexing is the extent to which this year’s general election parallels the previous one. Two candidates from the 2013 election—sitting president Hernández and Castro de Zelaya—are back again, having already won their parties’ ticket. Furthermore, if the Alianza Opositora fails in nominating a single candidate, then Nasralla could also run in November. Likewise, Luis Zelaya was supported by Mauricio Villeda, the party’s candidate in 2013, pointing to little change in a party that lost heavily in the previous election. In other words, it is possible that the same candidates or party factions (as is the case of the Liberals) that competed in 2013 will do so again in 2017.

More continuity than change is taking place in this election cycle, especially since the incumbent Hernández seems lock to win the November vote. The possibility of change hinges on negotiations among opposition parties and their ability to overcome personal rivalries and factional divisions to offer a viable alternative that can govern Honduras.

While Hondurans might not be as enthusiastic about Hernandez as they used to be, he is the favorite heading into November's presidential election.