The Honduran Minister of Defense and his father, a congressmanwhich are Nephew and brother-in-law of President Xiomara Castro, They resigned this Saturday amid a scandal over alleged links to drug trafficking, three days after the president cancelled the extradition treaty with the US.
Secretary of Congress Carlos Zelayawho is the brother of former president Manuel Zelaya (husband of Xiomara Castro) who was overthrown in a coup d’état in 2009, announced his resignation to face an investigation into ties to drug traffickers.
“I will submit my resignation to the National Congress as a deputy and as secretary of Congress. to strip me of any kind of shielding I may have and to investigate me“, the deputy told reporters.
Shortly afterwards, his son, José Manuel Zelaya, resigned from his post as head of the Ministry of Defense.
“In order for the investigation to be carried out freely, I have submitted my resignation as Minister of Defense to the President.“, wrote the senior official on the social network X, highlighting “the integrity and honor” of his father.
After giving statements to the prosecutor’s office, Carlos Zelaya said he had fallen “into a trap”recognizing that participated in a meeting in 2013 where was a known Honduran drug trafficker and offered a “campaign contribution” for the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre).
“That meeting never had the approval of President Zelayanever had the endorsement or support, much less knowledge of that meeting, nor President Castro, it was a unilateral meeting on my part,” he said outside the Technical Agency for Criminal Investigation, in Comayagüela, a city adjacent to Tegucigalpa.
Treaty cancelled
His statement before the prosecutor and the press It comes three days after Castro announced the cancellation of the extradition treaty with the United States, which led to the imprisonment and sending to that country of 50 Hondurans linked to drug trafficking, among them powerful politicians.
The next day, he said he did so to prevent the United States from using him against military personnel loyal to it and facilitating an attempted coup.
“A plan is being hatched against my government”the president said Thursday, implicitly referring to the United States.
The cancellation of the treaty with Washington leads one to think that there is Honduran government officials “linked” to drugs, sociologist Pablo Carías had warned on Friday.
Castro made his decision in response to the “interference” of the US ambassador in Tegucigalpa, Laura Dogu, who criticized a meeting between Minister Zelaya and the head of the Armed Forces, General Roosevelt Hernández, with the head of Defense of Venezuela, General Vladimir Padrino López.
“Sitting next to a drug trafficker in Venezuela,” Dogu criticized.
Mentioned in New York trial
Carlos Zelaya was mentioned last March in the trial in New York in which former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was sentenced to 45 years for drug trafficking.
“If tomorrow the United States government believes it has sufficient data or evidence to bring a case against me, I can present myself before the American justice system tomorrow,” added Congressman Zelaya.
Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya, who took office last November, sent a team to listen in on the hearings in Hernandez’s trial in New York and to investigate any Hondurans who were mentioned.
➡️ Join El Sol de México’s WhatsApp channel to not miss the most important information
“We will continue with our investigations, we will not rest until the truth prevails in Honduras. and justice is given to the Honduran people. Whoever it may be!” said the prosecutor after the statement by deputy Zelaya.
Last August, the official announced that he would call to testify some 36 people who were mentioned in the case, one of them Carlos Zelaya.