Gabriela Castellanos criticizes Honduran poverty and public spending

Gabriela Castellanos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Council (CNA), has criticized the Honduran government's management of public funds following reports from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) indicating that 61.1% of Honduran households live in poverty.

Castellanos characterized the situation as the result of “the worst practices of a failed state,” arguing that poverty in the country is a direct consequence of structural issues rather than geographic circumstances. She accused the ruling political class of fiscal waste, citing inflated payrolls, excessive travel expenses, and the use of public resources for propaganda to mask economic realities.

Furthermore, Castellanos highlighted a disconnect between government spending priorities and the urgent needs of the citizenry. She linked the high poverty rates to systemic problems including insecurity, extortion affecting small entrepreneurs, corruption in essential services such as medicine supply, and an obsolete public education system.