Center for Economic and Policy Research

Q and A on Honduras’s 2025 General Elections A look at the key issues that have generated discussion and debate ahead of the election and background on the electoral process.

On Sunday, Hondurans will head to the polls to elect a new president amid claims from both the ruling LIBRE party and opposition candidates that the other side plans to commit fraud. We separate fact from fiction in a new Q&A:

The Cult of Affordability and the Labor Market Politicians have seized "affordability," but does it overlook some more fundamental truths about the state of the labor market?

3/3 Meanwhile, Americans are facing rising unemployment, slowing wage growth, and less leverage to leave their jobs. Trump’s tariff reversal won’t solve any of these issues.   

@deanbaker13.bsky.social explains why workers are worse off under Trump’s economy:

2/3 Trump is “focusing on affordability” by reversing grocery price hikes that HE caused.

1/3 Trump’s executive order will lower the prices of Brazilian agricultural imports like beef, coffee, and tropical fruits by removing the 40% tariff on Brazilian goods that he imposed back in July.

Rising U.S.–Venezuela tensions spark fears of war U.S. warships are patrolling off the coast of Venezuela. The stated purpose is to target drug-trafficking vessels and so-called “narco-terrorists.” President Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct le...

The US has bombed boats and deployed warships near Venezuela, claiming to fight a fabricated drug cartel. CEPR's Guillaume Long will discuss the gap between facts on the ground and Washington's regime change justifications. Tune in to @texaspublicradio.bsky.social: bit.ly/48eAn6N

3/3: Disabled adults already face structural barriers, isolation, and a lack of social support. Cutting SNAP will put both their nutrition and independence at risk. No policy should make it harder for people to keep food on the table.

2/3: When Republicans propose SNAP cuts, they rarely mention the disabled. Yet, disabled adults rely on SNAP at more than double the rate of others (20.4% vs 8.3%). Erasing them isn’t just negligent—it endangers their access to food.

SNAP benefits are a ‘lifeline’ — especially for people with disabilities For those with disabilities who rely on the aid, its uncertainty threatens not just nutrition, but independence.

🧵 Households with at least one disabled person experience food insecurity at 2X the rate of those without. And this is “a very conservative estimate,” says CEPR’s @hcbrown.bsky.social. #SNAP cuts would only compound this issue, leaving millions hungry. 

The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing today claiming Honduras’ upcoming election is at risk of being stolen by the left-wing LIBRE party, @ceprdc reports. The loudest voice is Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who is framing the vote as “democracy vs. socialism.” But the people raising alarms now are the same ones who backed Honduras’ real election fraud in 2017, when right-wing president Juan Orlando Hernández “won” despite evidence of rigging so serious the OAS refused to recognize the result. Trump recognized him anyway. Hernández is now in prison for drug trafficking. Today’s hearing includes Carlos Trujillo, Trump’s former OAS ambassador. After leaving government he opened a lobbying shop that exploded in business once Trump returned to power, including clients tied to Honduras such as Próspera — a libertarian “private city” fighting the current Honduran government over billions in claims.

Jake Johnston @JakobJohnston There is a hearing in Congress today to fear monger ahead of the upcoming vote in Honduras, part of a pattern of increasing US interventionism in the region. But one of the witnesses appears to have a massive conflict of interest. Latest on @ceprdc : https://cepr.net/publications/americas-live-updates/#nov20127pm

The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing today claiming Honduras’ upcoming election is at risk of being stolen by the left-wing LIBRE party, @ceprdc.bsky.social reports. The loudest voice is Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who is framing the vote as “democracy vs. socialism.”

But the people...

“The idea of generational warfare is pernicious tripe. It gets pushed endlessly in the media because rich people would rather see kids lashing out at their parents than at them.”
@deanbaker13.bsky.social @ceprdc.bsky.social www.patreon.com/posts/rich-p...

Zohran Mamdani’s win is more than historic, it’s a chance to rewrite the rules of the market to tackle decades of inequality and poor government policies in #NYC.

https://bit.ly/4oXJP55

Ecuador News Round-Up No. 24: Noboa Cracks Down on Protests While Pushing to Rewrite the Constitution After an unpopular decision to remove diesel subsidies, President Noboa is focused on winning a series of ballot measures in a November 16 referendum.

Noboa wants to overturn Ecuador's constitutional ban on foreign military bases to allow a US base—potentially in the ecologically fragile Galápagos. The US previously operated a base in Manta (1999-2009) that raised sovereignty and human rights concerns.

2/2: While a candidate, Paz rejected the IMF but now may strike a deal with the Fund by March. He declared that austerity is his “priority,” and has announced public sector cuts and structural reforms to “restore investor confidence.”

1/2: Today marks 6 years since the Sacaba massacre that followed the 2019 coup that ousted Evo Morales. New President Rodrigo Paz Pereira's rise ends nearly 20 years of progressive rule under the Movement Toward Socialism, marking a hard right turn for Bolivia. https://bit.ly/3LOTvAF

3/3: This isn't just undemocratic—it's dangerous. Noboa has attacked judicial independence, violently repressed protests (3 killed, 206 arrested), and is timing cash handouts to sway voters. Ecuador's future hangs in the balance. The world needs to be watching.

2/3: The referendum asks voters to rewrite the constitution, allow US military bases, cut the legislature, and end political party funding. But here's the problem: Noboa is using the power of the presidency to tilt the election in his favor.

🚨 🧵:ECUADOR VOTES IN 3 DAYS. What happens on Sunday, November 16th could permanently reshape one of #LatAm’s most progressive constitutions. President Noboa is pushing through measures that may threaten fundamental rights—and the campaign has been anything but fair. https://bit.ly/49eeiYb

🔴 HAPPENING IN 1 HOUR! Join us NOW for urgent discussion on US military attacks in the Caribbean that killed 60+ civilians. Hear directly from former Colombian Justice Minister & human rights experts on what's happening & how to fight back. https://bit.ly/47PmUlP

CEPR Sanctions Watch October 2025 The Trump administration imposes its first Russia sanctions while snapback measures on Iran begin to bite.

The Senate voted to repeal the Caesar Act as Syria struggles to rebuild. Years of crushing sanctions have blocked reconstruction and humanitarian aid. Lifting these restrictions is essential for Syria's recovery and its people's survival.

When a president calls US military actions "murder" and gets hit with tariffs for it, we should all be paying attention. 60+ civilians killed off the coasts of Colombia & Venezuela. Join the conversation that US media isn't having. https://bit.ly/47PmUlP

CEPR Sanctions Watch October 2025 The Trump administration imposes its first Russia sanctions while snapback measures on Iran begin to bite.

Economic sanctions are now a defining tool of US foreign policy. Their impact on civilian populations demands greater scrutiny and accountability. Follow for monthly updates on sanctions and their human costs.

Trump's attacking small boats in the Caribbean with no justification.

Regional leaders are calling it "murder." Join us LIVE Nov 12th @ 8PM ET/5PM PT with former Colombian Justice Minister & more. https://bit.ly/47PmUlP

New York Times Pushes Blatant Lies About Neoliberalism The notion that economic policy over recent decades was about leaving things to the market is a sick lie that obscures the real drivers of inequality.

Don’t let the @svenbeckert.bsky.social’s @nytimes.com column fool you into thinking we live in a free market economy—we don't. The market may be at work, but only for those at the top.

🚨60+ civilians killed with ZERO evidence provided. US military attacking boats off Venezuela & Colombia—and now aircraft carriers are moving in. What's really happening? Get answers from top #LatAm experts. Nov 12 @ 8PM ET/5PM PT. Don't miss this. https://bit.ly/47PmUlP

Why Is Healthcare Expensive? Americans overpay for healthcare due to drug patents, private insurance waste, and inflated medical salaries—despite Obamacare slowing cost growth.

The American healthcare system is built for profit, not patients. 

@deanbaker13.bsky.social demystifies how #BigPharma, private insurers, and overpaid specialists are inflating healthcare costs.

New York Times Pushes Blatant Lies About Neoliberalism The notion that economic policy over recent decades was about leaving things to the market is a sick lie that obscures the real drivers of inequality.

The US will spend $700 billion this year on prescription drugs and pharma products, all thanks to gov-granted monopolies.

That’s not the workings of a free market, that’s a system of inequality funneling wealth to the top.

Why Is Healthcare Expensive? Americans overpay for healthcare due to drug patents, private insurance waste, and inflated medical salaries—despite Obamacare slowing cost growth.

Meet the “Costly Trinity” of US healthcare: 

💊 Drug monopolies
💰 Insurance waste
🩺 Overpaid specialists

Rising healthcare costs aren’t a mystery, they’re manufactured.

4/4: Nearly 12% of employed disabled adults need SNAP vs 6% without disabilities. Even work doesn't close the gap. Using food as political leverage to push work requirements? That's cruelty disguised as policy.

3/4: Disabled adults rely on SNAP at more than double the rate of others (20.4% vs 8.3%). Restricting benefits during a shutdown isn't governing—it's weaponizing hunger against vulnerable people.

2/4: Disabled people make up 25% of SNAP recipients but only 13% of the population. Cutting SNAP isn't about fiscal responsibility—it's about denying disabled people access to basic necessities.

cc: @RepPressley @PattyMurray @SenDuckworth @SenSanders