Congressman Eliot Engel on Elections in Central America and Implications for U.S. Policy

The Council of the Americas hosted a discussion on U.S. policy in Central America and the upcoming Honduran and Salvadoran presidential elections with Congressman Eliot Engel, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Hondurans will go to the polls on November 24 in a tight contest between Juan Hernández—the candidate of the ruling National Party and president of the Honduran Congress—and Xiomara Castro, the candidate of the Libre party and the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya, whose removal from office in 2009 sparked a major political crisis. El Salvador’s elections are not far behind, with three main candidates contesting a first round on February 2, 2014. In the context of drug-related violence and significant economic challenges, both elections are critical for Central America’s democratic future and provide an opportunity to address the implications for U.S. policy priorities.