U.S. calls for calm after clash in Honduras Congress

The lawmakers of the Liberty and Refoundation Party LIBRE protested after lawmakers of their party proposed Jorge Calix as the provisional president, which resulted in a brawl among lawmakers of the LIBRE party at the Congress building in Tegucigalpa, Honduras January 21, 2022. REUTERS Fredy Rodriguez

TEGUCIGALPA, Jan 22 Reuters - The United States embassy in Honduras called for calm and dialogue after lawmakers brawled in Congress a day earlier in the day, just days before President-elect Xiomara Castro takes office.

Due to the events of January 21, the United States calls for political actors to remain calm, engage in dialogue and refrain from violence and provocative rhetoric, and urges their supporters to express themselves peacefully while respecting the rule of law, according to the U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa.

On Friday, Castro's legislative plans suffered a blow when about 18 members of her Liberty and Refoundation Party Libre broke ranks and collaborated with the National Party to elect a Libre lawmaker as the president of Congress.

The dispute caused chaotic scenes in Congress as the vote broke an agreement between Partido Salvador de Honduras PSH, an allied party that helped her claim victory, to install a PSH figure as Congress president.

Castro, who called the move a betrayal, expelled the 18 lawmakers from her party. She called for Libre members from all over the country to converge in the capital Tegucigalpa for a vigil to prevent Sunday's election of a new board that would ratify Friday's vote. After its candidate, Salvador Nasralla stepped down from the race, Castro promised ally PSH leadership of Congress and pledged support to Castro, the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a coup in 2009.

Analysts say that Castro's ability to prevail in Congress will be affected by going against the deal with PSH.

Castro has threatened to be sworn in by the new president of Congress on January 27.