She said that, as the pro tempore president of CELAC, she would convene a summit of leaders to support the nation.

The president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, rejected on Wednesday foreign interference in the Latin American region and denounced that behind it are the interests of elites who have no other purpose than to increase their capital.

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During her speech at the 79th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), the head of state said that colonial practices, interference and economic, media and political domains continue to be imposed on Honduras.

He pointed out that it is threatened by a coup d’état that the same political forces who propelled the gorilazo against former president Manuel Zelaya in 2009 want to perpetrate. He recalled that on 14 and 15 September he denounced the attempted coup during massive popular demonstrations in the streets, held in defense of democracy.

I am being threatened because I have pushed for structural changes in the economic model and denounced the tax system, which perpetuates inequalities, feeds the powerful and exploits the poor, he said.

“Peace, freedom, justice and democracy are essential values of our country. We do not accept their kidnapping by ten powerful families who oppose the changes we promote for the benefit of the people”, he said.

The Representative sued the US Government. The lifting of its economic blockades against the peoples of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, as well as the removal of this nation from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism prepared by the State Department.

He reported that neoliberal governments approved the Special Economic Development Zones (ZEDE) project in Honduras, which was unconstitutional. He recalled that these were prohibited during his term, a decision which was later endorsed by the Congress and the Supreme Court.

Explained that during two years of mandate it cancelled a scheme of corruption built from the trusts. He pointed out that the funds previously stolen from corrupt politicians are now being invested in providing free tuition and school meals for children in school.

He detailed that his government rescues strategic companies for the country, which were privatized and abandoned. Among various public policies, he mentioned subsidies for fuel, the construction of eight hospitals, the repair of thousands of schools, roads, national airports, productive roads and others, among them the one he rated as the most important project: Construction of a transoceanic railway between Puerto Castilla (Atlantic) and Puerto Amapala (Pacific). He said that the investment in infrastructure made by his government is the highest in Honduran history.

He said that during his administration, poverty was reduced by 12 percent and the number of homicides has decreased by 15 percentage points, the largest reduction in the last 20 years. Explained that these and other actions benefit the Honduran people.

Repudiated the assassination of social and political leader Juan López, who denounced the model of extractivist exploitation. He noted that he had given instructions to investigate the crime thoroughly and bring those responsible to justice.

In her role as president pro tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), she recalled that her first action was to demand an end to the genocide against Gaza, where Israel has already killed more than 41,400 civilians. Lebanon must not become another Palestine, he urged.

In referring to the crisis in the poorest nation of the hemisphere, Haiti, he said it deserves all possible attention. He announced that he would convene a summit of CELAC leaders to convey to the country and its people their commitment to development.

Xiomara Castro criticized global capitalism as the main destroyer of global resources and the deterioration of human living conditions. He denounced that the neoliberal policies continue to hinder people’s access to health, education, work, social security, energy and other basic services.

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