In brief
Honduras is prepared to reevaluate its military cooperation with the U.S. if President-elect Donald J. Trump proceeds with plans for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, as President Xiomara Castro threatens to remove U.S. troops from the Soto Cano air base.
In an announcement delivered through various media outlets, President Xiomara Castro outlined her tough stance against the prospective deportation strategy of President-elect Donald J. Trump. She indicated that the potential mass deportations of Honduran nationals would compel the government to reconsider its military partnership with the United States. The warning marks a significant pushback from Central American leadership against proposed immigration policies that could affect millions.The impending meeting of foreign ministers from Central America and Mexico, called by Castro and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, will further discuss the potential repercussions of a deportation strategy. In her address, Castro stated, “Faced with a hostile attitude of mass expulsion of our brothers, changes in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in military matters, would become imperative."Castro also emphasized that the U.S. has maintained military bases in Honduras without financial contribution for decades, suggesting such arrangements could lose their justification if relations sour. Enrique Reina, Honduras’ foreign minister, noted that President Castro holds the authority to annul the long-standing agreement that permitted the establishment of the Soto Cano air base, which is instrumental for the U.S. military's operations in the region.This rising tension exemplifies the broader concern among Latin American leaders regarding the potential impact of the incoming U.S. administration's immigration policies, as various nations vocalize solidarity with citizens at risk of deportation.
