REDSTATE | Published January 5, 2025
American troops, when stationed abroad, spend a lot of money. They buy local merchandise, they eat at local dining establishments, and believe you me, in nations where it’s a thing, they drink in local watering holes. Locals may approve or disapprove of the presence of American service members, but they will surely take their money.
So when the President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, warns that the incoming Trump administration’s deportation plans could cause her to order American troops out of Honduras, that warning rings a little hollow.
The president of Honduras has threatened to force the U.S. military out of the country if President-elect Donald Trump carries out his forthcoming mass deportation.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro warned in a television broadcast message this week that she could decide to have the United States haul out its service members from the Central American country if Trump tries to deport Hondurans with criminal histories back to their home country.
“Faced with a hostile attitude of mass expulsion of our brothers, we would have to consider a change in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in the military arena,” Castro said during the Wednesday broadcast.
The U.S., Castro said, maintains military bases in Honduras “without paying a cent for decades,” though the country receives significant foreign aid from the U.S.
Take note of that last sentence quoted here: “…though the country receives significant foreign aid from the U.S.,” as I’ll be revisiting that.
Now, let’s take a stab at constructing the incoming Trump administration’s response:
“Fine, fine, President Castro. Go ahead and decree that all American forces should withdraw from your country, and we’ll pull them out. We will close the 10 bases we have in Honduras and bring home our 600+ service members. We’ll pull out all the money they spend in your economy. There will be no more American service members buying local merchandise, dining in local restaurants, or spending any of their pay in any way in Honduras. Oh, and we will be cutting off the roughly $175 million annually in foreign aid to Honduras, as well. We are deporting people who are in the country illegally, and who have committed crimes in our nation or their nation of origin, including Honduras. We are sending these criminals back to you, where they belong, in your country, not ours. Your terms are acceptable; we will remove our people, we will cut off American aid to your nation, and regardless of what else happens, we will return your people to your country.”
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SOURCE: www.redstate.com
RELATED: Honduras Threatens US Military Bases Over Trump’s Mass Deportations
NEWSWEEK | Published January 5, 2025
Honduras has threatened to shut down rent-free United States military bases in the country if President-elect Donald Trump carries out his mass deportation policy.
President Xiomara Castro said officials would consider “a change in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in the military arena,” in the face of “unnecessary reprisals against our migrants.”
Newsweek has contacted the Trump transition team for comment via email outside of normal office hours.
Why It Matters
This move marks one of the first signs of international pushback and diplomacy in response to Trump’s flagship immigration policy.
What To Know
Honduran President Xiomara Castro has cautioned that she could consider ending military cooperation with the United States if President-elect Trump follows through on his proposals for mass deportations, rejecting asylum claims, and separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Castro issued the warning in a New Year’s Day message, in which she emphasized the need for constructive dialogue with the incoming administration.
She highlighted the fact that the U.S. does not pay rent for military bases in Honduras.
The U.S. has managed the Palmerola military base (also known as Soto Cano Air Base) in Comayagua, central Honduras, since the 1980s.
Mass deportation is a core component of the GOP’s platform, with Trump promising that millions of migrants in the country illegally would be removed from the country starting on “Day One” of his presidency to tackle crime.
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SOURCE: www.newsweek.com
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