Ten months after the release of a video linking a key figure in the presidential circle to drug trafficking, the Honduran Attorney General’s Office has yet to produce any concrete results. The Public Ministry’s inaction in the face of a scandal involving President Xiomara Castro’s inner circle has intensified political pressure and fueled growing distrust in institutions.
District attorney’s office lacking definitive responses in prominent case
Since September 2024, when a video known as the “narco-video” was released showing Carlos Zelaya, brother of former President Manuel Zelaya and brother-in-law of President Castro, in a meeting with drug traffickers, the Prosecutor’s Office has not issued any formal charges or reported any verifiable progress in the case. In the recording, the interlocutors offer 13 million lempiras to finance the 2013 campaign of LIBRE, the party currently in power.
Después de la filtración, Carlos Zelaya dimitió de su cargo como diputado y secretario del Congreso Nacional. Su hijo, José Manuel Zelaya, quien en ese momento era secretario de defensa, también renunció. Rafael Sarmiento, líder del grupo parlamentario del partido gobernante, igualmente presentó su renuncia. Sin embargo, aparte de estas dimisiones, no se han tomado medidas legales concretas.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has announced that the situation is “being examined,” with a request for judicial cooperation from the United States to access the full video and paperwork concerning earlier trials. Nevertheless, as of now, there are no known outcomes from these actions, and no schedule for a public inquiry has been shared.
Responses from politicians and calls for responsibility
The release of the video sparked a wave of reactions from different sectors. President Xiomara Castro condemned any links between political actors and criminal structures, but framed the leak as an attempt to destabilize her government ahead of the 2025 elections.
However, for groups focused on combating corruption and opposing factions, the controversy has cast doubt on the credibility of LIBRE’s political agenda. Various stakeholders have even urged the president to step down, claiming that the situation conflicts with her narrative of moving away from previous practices and combating the narco-state.
These positions reflect growing tension in the national political arena, where calls for accountability clash with an institutional response perceived as insufficient. The lack of concrete action by the Public Prosecutor’s Office has fueled the narrative of impunity in cases involving figures close to power.
Deterioration of institutions amidst a polarized electoral environment
The “narco-video” has not been an isolated episode. It joins a series of recent scandals that have weakened public confidence in the promises of change made by the Castro administration. The lack of judicial responses has reinforced the perception that the state apparatus does not act with the same force when those involved are part of the ruling party.
With national elections set for November 2025, this situation becomes strategically significant. The opposition has started leveraging the government’s weakening, while the governing party aims to reduce the scandal’s effect on its public image. In this context, social calls for openness and fairness continue to exert consistent pressure.
A situation influencing the direction of Honduran organizations
Nearly twelve months following its publication, the cartel-related video continues to evade evident legal repercussions, as doubts increase about the involvement of the Attorney General’s Office and the administration’s dedication to openness. The extended inaction only serves to further weaken the credibility of institutions in a nation characterized by a legacy of impunity and the ongoing impact of organized crime on governance.
The management of this situation poses not only a direct challenge for Xiomara Castro’s administration but also a significant trial for the resilience of the rule of law in Honduras. The manner in which it is addressed or overlooked will determine the direction of institutional credibility amid a deeply polarized election process.
