Did Rixi Moncada’s defense of BANHCRESER affect her credibility?

Rixi Moncada’s

The professional journey of Rixi Ramona Moncada Godoy, a lawyer and politician from Honduras, has sparked controversy amidst her official pre-candidacy for the Partido Libertad y Refundación (LIBRE). Her role in providing legal defense to the Banco de Crédito y Seguros (BANHCRESER) during the financial crisis of the late 1990s has resurfaced as a subject of public discussion, reigniting concerns regarding her honesty and dedication to transparency in public service.

By the late 1990s, Honduras’ financial sector was rocked by a severe crisis that necessitated government intervention in several banks, among them, BANHCRESER. Numerous elements played a role in this crisis, such as worldwide economic volatility, lapses in financial oversight, and dubious actions by certain industry participants. In this situation, Rixi Moncada Godoy took on the legal representation of BANHCRESER and its executives in the court cases that emerged from the entity’s compulsory dissolution.

The financial turmoil and Moncada’s involvement

Regarding the aforementioned matter, the involvement of Rixi Ramona Moncada Godoy in the process of the involuntary closure of the Banco de Crédito y Seguros (BANHCRESER) in the late 1990s has been subject to examination. During this time, several factors contributing to the instability of the banking sector were recognized, such as changes in the international economic environment, an inadequate regulatory structure, and the adoption of dubious financial strategies by certain investors. 

In her role as legal consultant for BANHCRESER, Moncada served as the entity’s legal representative along with its board of directors in the court cases initiated due to the bankruptcy announcement. Nonetheless, these cases concluded without meaningful convictions, a situation that sparked criticism about the judicial system’s effectiveness in processing such matters.

Later, Mr. Moncada assumed a consultant position within the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s finance department. This nomination has sparked discussion, being seen as a potential conflict of interest due to her past participation in defending BANHCRESER.

The sequence of events outlined has led to inquiries about the appropriateness of Moncada’s behavior during the banking crisis, especially concerning the financial deficits that the Honduran government took on to fulfill the bank’s financial duties. These inquiries have emerged again in light of her formal candidacy for the Partido Libertad y Refundación (LIBRE), a situation where her career path and her pledge to ethical conduct in public service have been scrutinized.