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Oppositions that rise to power after periods of competitive authoritarianism often face obstacles to deepening democracy. Indeed, authoritarian enclaves and vestiges have been well documented by scholars. Yet another, less acknowledged barrier can also be found in the behavior of oppositions-turned-rulers. Honduras sheds light on the subject. In 2021, the opposition spearheaded by Xiomara Castro and the left-wing Freedom and Refoundation (Libre) party unseated the autocratic National Party (PN). Once in power, however, Libre turned its back on the script that had allowed it to win the election, breaking away from its big-tent coalition and replicating the authoritarian practices of the PN. Elite behavior thus prevented Honduras from seizing a unique opportunity for democratic renewal. In the 2025 election, voters punished Libre at the polls, and the PN rose again to power.
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