Honduras Threatens US Military Bases Over Trump's Mass Deportations

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published Jan 03, 2025 at 6:37 AM EST


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.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/honduras-threatens-shut-down-us-military-bases-mass-deportations-2009110

[Omnipresent]

1. Trump really knows how to stir shit up, doesn't he?

Maybe if he didn’t play so much golf during his first term, he would know not to fuck with other countries, because other countries are going to fuck with him!

[yardwork]

12. Putin and other chaos agents are calling the shots.

Trump just ties what he's told. The goal is global destabilization. Breakdowns of cooperation.

[lark]

2. There is no "constructive" dialogue with tsf, none.

There are only threats and bribes, that is all he understands with his very limited brain.

[dutch777]

3. Trump et. al. are fools if they think countries he wants to ding in some way have nothing to hit back with

Plus, some of these countries are barely making it and marginally keeping drug cartels and other illicit operations at bay. Whether it is cutting off the safety valve that is emigration, where those that emigrate frequently send large amounts of $$$ back home and help prop up weak economies, or otherwise weaken already strained governments, we could be looking at multiple de facto failed states in Central America and beyond. Mexico is already close to a failed state and if Trump/MAGA thinks its a problem now, wait until it is just drug warlords and their fiefdoms. We really going to invade and occupy and nation build? Could easily take bad and make it worse.

[bronxiteforever]

6. This!!!

I am convinced Mexico could collapse and if Trumplicans want problems they will get problems. yes just imagine if we invade or have to invade Mexico how do we occupy and try to restore democratic institutions in another country when we tear these apart in this country?

Do the Trumplicans think then the rest of the world would just stop to admire the US issues with Mexico? Other countries compete with us. Some friendly, several hostile. They would jump on our idiocy should this come to pass.

[DBoon]

7. If Trump invades a Latin American country

I assure you he will have no interest in restoring democratic institutions in that country

[dutch777]

14. Yep, and anyplace we don't jump in to "save", China will. And maybe worse, leave a power vaccuum for warlords to fill

Going at the world like its a game of checkers, when it really is a game of 3D chess, is very dangerous.

[IronLionZion]

4. MAGA are dumb enough to believe punishment goes only one way

Like the dumbest schoolyard bullies, they don't expect anyone to fight back.

[Cherokee100]

5. Just remember

Just remember, ' trump/benedict donald', works for Putin/Musk.

[Paladin]

8. Yet another Latino country with a female head of state.

Wonder how many years---or decades---it'll take for the U.S. to catch up with Honduras or Mexico?

[LeftInTX]

11. Tanna, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan all had female heads of state way before Latin America.

See what's going on in Tanna, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan, I don't know if it's a measure of progress or not. India's got their own Trump now.
Pakistan isn't exactly women friendly. Tanna no longer exists and is now part of Russia.

[tornado34jh]

9. Even before Trump, we didn't have really good relations with Latin America, especially Central and South America

If I am understanding it right, in the past we supported right-wing juntas in El Salvador, Chile, and others, so we don't have really good standing with them. The last thing we need is to give them more reason to dislike.

[LeftInTX]

10. The base in Honduras is used by the US for hurricane relief efforts, hurricane rescue missions and forecasting.

It's a Hondurian base, it's not a US base. They allow us on the site, so we can provide humanitarian relief. I don't think Trump gives a shit and he would gladly pull out. He prefers that more people die from hurricanes and mud slides in Central America.

Guatemala said they would take Hondurian deportees anyway. I think this is bravado/posturing on Honduras' part for their own pride. I don't read much into it.

[Igel]

13. It comes across strangely, though.

"Yes, we have a human rights and economic crisis. But we don't want these people--they're running problems that we can't or won't solve."

Of course then there's the pesky economic argument: Remittances from the US to Honduras constitute a large portion of the country's GDP, one that political stability of the ruling party relies on.