From the "First Lady" of Honduras to the "First President", Castro, she Castro | female | Honduras

On March 26th this year, China and Honduras officially announced the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Less than three months later, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced that at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the Republic of Honduras Elias Theomara Castro Sarmiento will pay a state visit to China from June 9 to 14.

One of the actions that Hiomara Castro paid most attention to by the international community was to announce that he would sever "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan despite long-standing pressure from the United States.

A signature dark brown long hair comb at the back of her head, revealing her forehead generously. She was the first female president of Honduras and also the country's first lady. In order to seek revenge for her husband who was ousted in a coup, she took 13 years to ascend to the presidency. This is a legendary woman.

From the First Lady to the First President

Castro was born in 1959 into a middle-class family in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras and the largest city in the country. This city is the center of gold and silver mining in the country, meaning "silver mountains" in Spanish.

Castro's father was an advisor to an agricultural businessman. She completed high school in her hometown and later obtained a degree in business administration through self-study. In 1976, at the age of 17, Castro married the wealthy second-generation Selaya, who was 7 years older than her, and had four children.

In 2006, as Zelaya gradually embarked on the path of politics, Castro became the First Lady. She devoted herself to charity to assist her husband, participated in the establishment of a children's daily care center, aimed at helping single mother families, and also cooperated with the first ladies of many countries in the United Nations to help women with AIDS.

The reason why Castro came to the center of the political stage was that her husband Zelaya was forced to step down in a military coup in 2009, and subsequently stepped down from her role as the First Lady. She organized multiple large-scale marches in the capital to protest against the military's use of force to seize power, demanding permission for her husband Zelaya to return to her home country and restore her presidential power. Due to Zelaya's constitutional ban from running for president again, Castro decided to take his own initiative.

In 2013, Castro ran for president for the first time and became Hernandez's main competitor.

In 2017, Castro ran for president again and failed again.

In 2021, Castro launched her third assault on the presidency, promising the people to lead them out of the abyss and free the country from corruption and drug lords. She ultimately won with 51.12% of the vote, the highest number of votes in the country's previous elections. As a result, she became the first female president in Honduras, serving a four-year term, and the first president from outside the country's two party system since democracy was restored in 1982.

Honduras is one of the more conservative countries in Latin America, with very few female officials. After being elected, Castro said in an interview with Agence France Presse, "After 200 years of male rule, a woman serves as the President of the Republic for the first time... I will be committed to respecting women's rights."

As a feminist, Castro has a strong and decisive personality in politics, with clear positions on controversial issues. Honduran historian Suyapa Portillo pointed out that it was the struggle of women at the international level that ultimately led to Theomara's victory, as she played a vital role in defending women's rights in social movements. "Castro's election was part of the women's struggle in the second half of the 20th century. Many women fought not only for voting rights, but also for human rights and ending patriarchy," said Portillo.

International "Iron Lady" Creating Her Own Era

Castro's rise to power is also a microcosm of the increasing influence of women in today's world politics. With the progress of society and the deepening of gender equality concepts, women have begun to occupy a place in the political arena and have created their own era legends.

Italian President Mattarella and new Prime Minister Giorgia Merloni attended the swearing-in ceremony. Photo taken by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Ma Mengni

On October 22, 2022, Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as the first female Prime Minister of Italy. She once worked as a waitress in one of the most famous nightclubs in Rome. Later, she completed her studies with excellent grades and worked as a journalist for a period of time. In 2006, she successfully represented the post fascist party "National Alliance" and entered the House of Representatives. In 2008, she served as the Youth Minister in the fourth cabinet of Berlusconi, becoming the youngest ministerial level official in Italian history.

Ursula Vondrein, the current president of the European Commission, is one of the most influential women leaders in the international political arena and the first female defense minister in German history. She has worked as a gynecologist and was also a housewife, having seven children. On December 13, 2019, Forbes released the 2019 list of the most influential women in the world, with von der Leyen ranking fourth.

Photo taken by Shan Yuqi, reporter of German Chancellor Angela Merkel Xinhua News Agency

The well-known German Chancellor Angela Merkel has held the highest power in Germany for 11 consecutive years, and she is one of the main leaders who cannot avoid making decisions such as resolving financial crises and receiving refugees. She was elected as the Chancellor of Germany in 2005, becoming the first female Chancellor in German history. This former physics PhD has been recognized by Forbes magazine as the most powerful woman in the world.

Margaret Thatcher, known as the "Iron Lady", was the first female head of government in contemporary Western European political history. Her accession to power greatly changed the trajectory of Britain and even the world. Now that she has passed away, her political legacy will still have a profound impact in today's tumultuous times in the UK, Europe, and globally.

Hillary Clinton is a pivotal figure in American politics. Over the decades of her life, she underwent various identity changes, including being a lawyer, First Lady, Secretary of State, and so on.