However, the people that the population identifies as responsible for the existence of drug trafficking within the state are also the ones with the lowest levels of trust. For example, deputies are those most frequently cited (17.5 percent), and more than 70 percent of the surveyed population has “no” or “little” confidence in the National Congress. More than 84 percent do not trust political parties.
These data show disappointment in institutions. In the trial of Juan Orlando Hernández, beyond judging a man, it a trial of the state in which congressmen, mayors, businessmen, police and military officers cooperated and made use of public resources to enrich themselves by trafficking cocaine to the United States.
Citizens also point to the police, the military, judges, magistrates, businessmen and prosecutors among those responsible for the continued presence of drug trafficking in state institutions. Two security forces are among the institutions perceived as the most permeable to organized crime, so it is not surprising that when asked “In which of the armed forces of the state do you have more confidence?” 33 percent of the population answered “none.”
In contrast, the most trusted institutions are religious or welfare institutions. According to the survey, the first place is held by the Evangelical Church, followed by the Ministry of Education and then by the Catholic Church. Public schools offer daily school meals and churches are often the only place of sociability and support in communities abandoned by the state.
In regions controlled by drug traffickers, the capos (drug lords) also carry out social work to win over the population. This could explain why, even though the ERIC poll took place during Juan Orlando Hernández's trial in February and March 2024, 21.4 percent of those surveyed think the former president did not do any harm to the country.
“The trial of Juan Orlando revealed the mechanisms of public corruption and how organized crime operated at all levels of power. It is a warning that people believe is still there,” said ERIC-SJ researcher Mercy Ayala.
Lack of employment and opportunities are the main concerns of the population, and also the reasons why almost half of the people surveyed thought about or wished to leave the country. 55.9 percent mention the lack of employment to generate income and 29.6 percent point to the country's economic situation.
Such concerns that have not been resolved by the current government lead to low satisfaction with the administration of President Xiomara Castro. Almost 46 percent consider that the country is doing worse, and this year's score was even lower than the previous year. On a rating scale ranging from 0 to 10, Castro's government got a score of 4.23 in 2024, in contrast to the 4.46 it got in 2023.
Now in its 13th year of publication, the ERIC national survey, which covers 16 of the 18 provinces of Honduras, shows broad trends, such as the strengthening of the Evangelical Church and the loss of faith in state institutions. For Ismael Moreno, the results show an “anxious, fragile and polarized society” where anti-democratic political projects could have room, as long as they present political offers that embrace people's needs.
“The danger of last-minute preachers, such as a Milei (the current president of Argentina), in a fragile society like Honduras, is possible,” he predicted.