Maribel Espinoza: Libre Party Skirts Law to Appoint Attorney General (Spanish)

Impunity Observer

Maribel Espinoza—a Honduran congresswoman of the Salvador Party—contends that Xiomara Castro’s socialist Libre Party is on a mission to control every branch of the state. She explains that Libre congressmen have violated the Honduran Constitution and the Public Ministry Law with their appointment of a new attorney general. The decision has been in stalemate since August, so the past appointee, Daniel Sibrián, has remained in his position past his planned departure. Article 205 of the Constitution establishes that Congress must gather at least 86 votes out of 128 members (a two-thirds majority) to elect new Public Ministry authorities. However, only nine Libre congressmen appointed a new attorney general. Opposition congressmen are working to reverse the appointment of Johel Zelaya, who has no experience in criminal prosecution and appears to merely be the candidate most aligned with Libre. For Espinoza, Congress failed to appoint the new attorney general earlier because incumbent Libre refused to negotiate for votes during congressional sessions. She explains that the Castro administration will accept no one but an attorney general loyal to them, so they can politicize justice in the country: “The real motivation behind this appointment is not to fight corruption.” Show notes: https://impunityobserver.com/2023/11/06/maribel-espinoza-libre-party-skirts-law-to-appoint-attorney-general/