Walid Muallem vs Xiomara Castro

Walid Muallem was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria on February 11, 2006, replacing Farouk al-Sharaa. He served in this role until his death in 2020, making him one of the longest-serving foreign ministers in the region. He was a key figure in Syrian diplomacy, particularly regarding Lebanon and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Muallem served as the chief diplomat for the Syrian government throughout the Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011. He defended the Assad regime's actions at the United Nations and in international forums, denying allegations of war crimes and chemical weapons use. He was sanctioned by the US and EU for his role.

In September 2013, following a chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, Muallem played a key role in negotiating Syria's accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention. The agreement, brokered with Russia and the US, led to the destruction of Syria's declared chemical weapons stockpile, though allegations of continued use persisted.

Xiomara Castro won the Honduran presidential election as the candidate of the Liberty and Refoundation (Libre) party, defeating the National Party candidate. She became the first female president of Honduras, ending 12 years of National Party rule.

Castro's government declared a state of emergency and suspended constitutional rights in response to rising gang violence. The measure allowed for mass arrests without warrants and was criticized by human rights groups but supported by many Hondurans.

Castro's government severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established formal relations with the People's Republic of China. This shift aligned Honduras with the One-China policy and opened new economic agreements with China.