Honduras gets its first woman President

Xiomara Castro took the oath at a massive ceremony attended by international dignitaries after an embarrassing week of fighting within her party that challenged her authority.

Leftist Xiomara Castro was sworn in on Thursday as the first woman President of Honduras, vowing to reform the crime-and poverty-stricken nation into a “socialist and democratic state.”

Ms. Castro, 62, took the oath at a massive ceremony attended by international dignitaries after an embarrassing week of fighting within her party that challenged her authority.

In her address at the Tegucigalpa National Stadium, Ms. Castro denounced “social and economic tragedy confronting Honduras” and vowed to improve education, healthcare, security and employment.