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Honduras set for first woman president

Honduran presidential candidate Xiomara Castro looks set to be the nation's first woman president and but the country's left back in power.

On Monday, one of her supporters was elated, and expressed hope in Castro's campaign promises.

"This woman is worth more than seven men. She fought and won, thank God. We hope that she’ll improve what she said: jobs, health, and education. As Hondurans, we have a right to our health."

Castro has promised big changes in Honduras, including a constitutional overhaul, fighting corruption alongside the UN and loosening restrictions on abortion.

With just over half the ballots counted, a preliminary tally had Castro at a nearly 20-point lead over conservative Nasry Asfura.

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Celebrations broke out at Castro’s campaign headquarters Sunday night.

Supporters danced, waved flags and chanted “JOH out!” referring to two-term conservative president Juan Orlando Hernandez, but the tally's unexpected delay Monday afternoon put some on edge.

Four years ago, a close outcome and delays with the count led to deadly protests after widespread allegations of cheating.

Chief of an election observer mission and former Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis said he saw nothing unusual with the delay and expected the electoral council to clear up the results soon.

Critics have painted Castro as a dangerous radical, but if she delivers on campaign pledges, she could begin to reverse the weakening of the country’s justice system, which has benefited corrupt and criminal groups in Honduras and Central America.