Honduras Congress Removes Attorney General In Purge

(MENAFN- The Rio Times) Key Points

- Honduras Congress removed Attorney General Johel Zelaya by a 93-to-128 vote, accusing him of abusing his office to favor the previous left-wing government

- Hours later, the chief justice of the Supreme Court resigned before her own impeachment proceedings could begin, deepening the institutional purge

- Congress immediately installed a pro-government replacement as attorney general, consolidating the right-wing alliance's control over the judiciary

- Zelaya had previously reopened a criminal case against President Asfura and sought to arrest Trump-pardoned ex-president Juan Orlando Hernández

Honduras's right-wing congressional majority removed the country's attorney general on Wednesday in the first move of a sweeping institutional purge that also forced the chief justice off the Supreme Court within hours. The Rio Times, the Latin American financial news outlet, examines how the Honduras Congress removal fits into a broader power consolidation by President Nasry Asfura's conservative alliance less than two months after he took office.

How the Honduras Congress Removal Unfolded

Attorney General Johel Zelaya was removed by 93 of 128 legislators in a session that descended into pushing and shouting between ruling coalition deputies and opposition lawmakers. The vote came just two days after Congress opened impeachment proceedings against him, a timeline Zelaya called a violation of due process.

Zelaya refused to attend the final session, writing on social media that he had been judged and condemned in advance. Congress immediately swore in Pablo Reyes, an ally of the governing coalition, to serve the remainder of the attorney general's term through February 2029.

Supreme Court Chief Falls Next

Within hours of Zelaya's removal, Supreme Court Chief Justice Rebeca Ráquel resigned before Congress could open her own impeachment trial. Ráquel had been aligned with the Libre party of former President Xiomara Castro, and her departure consolidates the right-wing coalition's control across Honduras's judicial institutions.

The double removal represents the most significant institutional shift since Asfura took office on January 27 after winning a bitterly contested election by less than one percentage point. The conservative National Party and the centrist Liberal Party have formed a parliamentary alliance that now controls both the legislature and, effectively, the prosecutors' office.

Why Zelaya Was a Target

Zelaya's appointment had been controversial from the start. He was installed in late 2023 through a procedural maneuver by Castro's Libre party, with loyalist crowds storming Congress to pressure his confirmation. Once in office, he reopened a criminal case against Asfura and issued an arrest warrant for former president Juan Orlando Hernández after Trump pardoned the convicted drug trafficker in December 2025.

Congress accused Zelaya of weaponizing his office during the 2025 election campaign by publicly releasing unverified audio recordings and prosecuting opposition figures selectively. A legislative commission concluded its investigation and recommended removal after analyzing testimony and documentary evidence, though critics noted the entire process from opening to vote took less than 48 hours.

Zelaya's defenders argue the impeachment is political retaliation by the same parties whose members face corruption investigations. The Journal of Democracy noted that Zelaya's original appointment in 2023 was itself controversial, with Libre supporters storming Congress to pressure his confirmation - meaning both his installation and his removal involved legislative force rather than institutional consensus.

A Pattern Across the Region

Honduras is not alone in seeing new governments move to replace judicial officials appointed by their predecessors. But the speed and scope of Asfura's institutional overhaul - removing both the attorney general and the Supreme Court president within hours - sets it apart. The fragile state of Honduran democracy has been a concern for international observers since the disputed election.

For a country that has cycled through coups, narco-state scandals, and institutional capture by both left and right, the question now is whether the new attorney general will pursue accountability across political lines or serve as an instrument of the governing coalition. The answer will shape whether Honduras's already damaged institutions can regain credibility before the next test arrives.

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