No drastic measures

last updated 8 January 2015

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Logging magnate Manuel Zelaya claimed an upset victory in this week’s presidential election in Honduras, although the count was incomplete and his rival refused to admit defeat. The main campaign issue was how to crack down on gangs that have been terrorizing the country with a wave of rapes, eye-gougings, and beheadings. The ruling party candidate, Porfirio Lobo, promised to introduce the death penalty. Zelaya pledged to double the police force and mete out lifetime prison sentences to the Central American country’s most dangerous criminals. “Reason has beaten force,” Zelaya said.