Thousands Rally in Support of President Castro

Thousands of supporters rallied in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to show solidarity with President Xiomara Castro and protest against an alleged coup plot. The demonstration, which included LIBRE party members, government employees, and army personnel, was held in response to recent anti-government protests and accusations against Castro's administration.

President Castro addressed the crowd, urging them to prevent a coup similar to the one that ousted her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya, in 2009. The rally comes a week after opposition protesters demanded Castro's resignation and expressed support for maintaining an extradition treaty with the United States, which Castro plans to terminate.

The political tension escalated following the emergence of a video allegedly showing Castro's brother-in-law, Carlos Zelaya, seeking funding from drug traffickers for her 2013 campaign. This revelation came shortly after Castro's surprise announcement on August 28 to end the extradition treaty with the US, citing fears it could be used to stage a coup.

Castro reiterated these concerns during her address to supporters, stating, "I will not allow them to stage a new coup." The opposition, however, accuses Castro of inventing conspiracies and ending the extradition treaty to protect members of her government and family.

In the wake of the video's release, Carlos Zelaya resigned as a lawmaker, and Castro's nephew, Jose Manuel Zelaya, stepped down as defense minister. These events have intensified the political divide in Honduras.

The controversy surrounding the extradition treaty has become a focal point of the current political crisis. Under this agreement, 50 Hondurans accused of drug trafficking have been extradited to the United States over the past decade, including former president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was recently sentenced to 45 years in prison in New York.

As tensions continue to rise, the country faces a period of uncertainty and potential instability.