# Yani Rosenthal

Yani Benjamin Rosenthal Hidalgo (born 14 July 1965) is a businessman and politician affiliated with the Liberal Party of Honduras.
He was the Minister of the Presidency under President Manuel Zelaya from 2006 to 2008, and a deputy in the National Congress representing the Cortés Department from 2010 to 2014. In 2012, he was a presidential pre-candidate and currently presides over the Central Executive Council of the Liberal Party, having secured this position in the internal elections of March 2021.

## Early life and education

Yani Benjamin Rosenthal Hidalgo was born on July 14, 1965, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, into the prominent Rosenthal family. He completed his primary and secondary education at the Escuela Internacional Sampedrana in San Pedro Sula. Rosenthal earned a law degree from the UNAH-Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (Honduras National Autonomous University) in 1987. He later pursued a Master’s in Business Administration at INCAE Business School, where he graduated at the top of his class with summa cum laude honors in 2000. In 1998 the Honduras Supreme Court of Justice granted him the title of Notary public.
His parents are Jaime Rosenthal and Miriam Marina Hidalgo de Rosenthal. He has a sister, Patricia, and three brothers: Jaime (deceased), Carlos José and César Augusto. He is married to Claudia Madrid. They have four daughters: Isabella, Victoria, Elissa and Alexandra.
In 1993 his house suffered damage from a bomb attack. Rosenthal was Director of Diario Tiempo, part of the Grupo Continental business conglomerate, (Honduras Times Newspaper) and published a series of articles about military abuses, and, as his home was the temporary shelter for a witness to a military-performed killing, it has been alleged that the military was involved in the bomb attack.

## Political Career

Rosenthal began his political involvement as an activist for the Liberal Party (Honduras) at a young age. He served as an alternate member of the Liberal Party's Central Executive Committee from 2001 to 2005 and later became a full member, holding the position of Secretary of International Relations from 2005 to 2009.
In 2006, following the election of Manuel Zelaya as President of Honduras, Rosenthal was appointed Minister of the Presidency. Rosenthal became a central figure in the administration and gained public recognition. A 2006 Diario La Tribuna poll indicated he had the highest favorable opinion among Zelaya’s ministers.
On 31 December 2007, Rosenthal resigned as Minister of the Presidency to pursue the Liberal Party's 2009 presidential nomination. He initially ran in the party’s primary elections but later allied with Roberto Micheletti. His movement was ultimately unsuccessful in the 2008 internal elections. Despite this, Rosenthal remained politically active and was elected as a congressman for the 2010–2014 term.
During his tenure in Congress, Rosenthal was a vocal critic of President Porfirio Lobo’s 2010 tax reform package, arguing that the new taxes disproportionately affected Honduras’ poorest citizens.
In 2012, he ran as a presidential pre-candidate but did not secure the nomination. After a period of political inactivity due to legal challenges in the United States, Rosenthal returned to Honduras in 2020, where he revived his Yanista Movement and won the Liberal Party (Honduras)'s 2021 presidential nomination. He placed third in the November 2021 general elections, but remained an influential figure within the party.
Rosenthal is credited with revitalizing the Liberal Party of Honduras by promoting party unity and broadening its political base. In 2024, he played a key role in welcoming prominent political figures Salvador Nasralla and Jorge Cálix into the party ahead of the 2025 internal elections. This move led to the largest turnout for the party in years, reinforcing its position as a major political force. His efforts have been widely recognized for fostering unity within the party and strengthening its electoral prospects.

## Legal Issues and Political Indictment

In 2015, Yani Rosenthal, along with his cousin Yankel Rosenthal and his father Jaime Rosenthal, was indicted under the Kingpin Act by U.S. authorities. However, many observers and political analysts have argued that the case was highly politically motivated, given the Rosenthal family's prominence in Honduran politics and media.
Rosenthal ultimately pled guilty to a charge related to financial transactions and was sentenced to three years in prison on 15 December 2017. The U.S. government sought to extradite Jaime Rosenthal, but the request was unsuccessful. Jaime remained in Honduras, where he passed away on 12 January 2018.
Following his sentence, Yani Rosenthal returned to Honduras in 2020, where he re-entered politics and played a crucial role in revitalizing the Liberal Party of Honduras. His political resurgence demonstrated significant public support, with many viewing his case as a reflection of broader geopolitical and legal complexities rather than a straightforward criminal proceeding.

## Business Career

Yani Rosenthal was an active participant in Grupo Continental, a major Honduran business conglomerate founded by his family. The group operated across multiple sectors, including banking, media, insurance, agriculture, and real estate, and was one of the most influential economic forces in Honduras.
In 2015, following the U.S. indictment of members of the Rosenthal family, the Honduran government ordered the closure of Banco Continental, as well as several other companies within the group. This decision resulted in the loss of approximately 40,000 jobs, significantly impacting the country's economy.

## 2021 Presidential campaign

After his return to Honduras Yani Rosenthal started a presidential campaign with the Liberal Party. He won the party-internal primaries, held on 14 March 2021, against his competitors Luis Zelaya, then Chairman of the Liberal Party, and Ángel Darío Banegas Darío Banegas, a Member of Congress and TV-Show host. Yani Rosenthal gained 49.97% of votes, Luis Zelaya gained 33.94% and Darío Banegas 16.09%. Following the primaries he entered the second round of campaigning. Together with Nasry Asfura (National Party) and Xiomara Castro (LIBRE) he was considered to be among the top-three contenders for the presidential elections held on 28 November 2021. Yani lost the presidential election, coming in third place with just 170,638 or 9.21% of the vote.