At the macroeconomic level, Honduras projects a façade of stability. Our podcast guest, Humberto Macías—a US attorney who moved to Honduras in pursuit of the ZEDE vision—argues that this stability rests largely on a surge in remittances, fiscal-policy tweaks, and rising coffee exports. On the ground, he warns that many Hondurans are struggling day to day. That is one reason why he believes Libre will not win the November 30 election.
However, not everyone shares that confidence. Business leaders and members of the aristocracy, for instance, have reportedly made plans to relocate abroad if Libre prevails. The lack of trust in the current administration has dwindled both domestic and foreign investment. While fewer people are attempting to reach the United States under Donald Trump’s policies, many are instead heading to Spain and more prosperous Central American nations.
Macías warns that another Libre administration could push Honduras toward outcomes seen in Nicaragua and other left-wing dictatorships in the region. He points to the government’s withdrawal from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) as evidence of that trajectory. This has left 11 arbitration cases up in the air, including a multimillion-dollar claim by the Próspera and Morazán ZEDEs, which invested in a governance model that has since been dismantled.
Recommended Links
- Follow Humberto Macías on X.
- Buy the book USA versus China: The Geoeconomics Strategy.
- “Daniel Cruz: How to Avert Feudalism in Honduras,” by Fergus Hodgson.
- “Five Reasons Why Cortés Should Be Its Own Nation,” by Fergus Hodgson.
- “Dollarization Can Be a Game-Changer for Honduras,” by Paz Gómez.
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