In Honduras, leftist presidential candidate Xiomara Castro has claimed victory as preliminary results showed her leading the runner-up by nearly 20%, with 40% of ballots counted. The historic election saw a record voter turnout. Thousands of Castro’s supporters took to the streets of Tegucigalpa to celebrate what could be the end of the 12-year brutal regime under the conservative National Party, which rose to power after a U.S.-backed coup in 2009 overthrew democratically elected leftist President Manuel Zelaya. Xiomara Castro is Zelaya’s wife. If her victory is confirmed, Castro would become the first woman ever elected as president of Honduras.

Xiomara Castro: “We are going to build a new era. Out with the death squads. Out with corruption. Out with drug trafficking and organized crime. No more poverty and misery. To victory. The people will always be united. Together, we are going to transform this country.”