Honduran President Xiomara Castro has issued a warning to the United States, stating that she may terminate military cooperation if President-elect Donald Trump proceeds with his plan for mass deportations of illegal immigrants, including those from Honduras.
This ultimatum sheds light on the evident hypocrisy of a leader who has not addressed the underlying issues prompting her citizens to seek refuge elsewhere.
One of the main objectives of Trump’s deportation plan is to eliminate individuals with criminal backgrounds who are residing in the country unlawfully.
By targeting these individuals, the Trump administration aims to decrease crime rates and bolster public safety.
Tom Homan, appointed as Trump’s “border czar,” has stressed that the deportation efforts will prioritize individuals who pose threats to public safety and national security.
However, Castro has expressed discontent with this approach.
“Faced with the hostile stance of mass expulsion of our compatriots, we may need to reconsider our cooperation policies with the United States, particularly in the military sector, where they have maintained military bases in our territory without cost for decades, which would lose its relevance in Honduras,” Xiomara Castro stated in a New Year’s Day announcement.
“We anticipate that the new U.S. administration under democratically elected President Donald Trump will engage in dialogue that is open, constructive, and amicable, without resorting to unnecessary retaliations against our migrants, who typically make significant contributions to the U.S. economy,” she added.
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The United States maintains a military presence in Honduras primarily through Soto Cano Air Base, also referred to as Palmerola Air Base, according to AP.
This base is a Honduran military installation that accommodates U.S. military personnel as part of Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-Bravo), a division of the U.S. Southern Command.
The base houses between 500 to 1,500 U.S. military personnel in conjunction with members of the Honduran Air Force.
JTF-Bravo conducts a range of operations, including humanitarian aid, disaster relief, counter-narcotics efforts, and regional security collaborations.
It is essential to recognize that Soto Cano Air Base is not a U.S.-owned base but a Honduran facility that allows U.S. military activities through bilateral agreements.
