Honduras has concluded its protracted presidential election with the official declaration of conservative candidate Nasry Asfura as victor, following weeks of electoral turmoil marked by technical failures and fraud allegations. The National Electoral Council (CNE) confirmed Asfura secured 40.3% of votes, narrowly defeating center-right Liberal Party contender Salvador Nasralla who obtained 39.5%.
The electoral process, initially conducted on November 30, encountered severe technical disruptions that twice halted vote counting operations. CNE President Ana Paola Hall characterized these interruptions as ‘inexcusable,’ attributing the delays to unauthorized maintenance performed by the private contractor responsible for result tabulation. These complications necessitated manual recounts of approximately 15% of tally sheets to determine the final outcome.
In his victory statement posted on social media platform X, Asfura pledged: ‘Honduras: I am ready to govern. I will not let you down.’ The declaration comes amid heightened political tensions that triggered nationwide protests last week, with supporters of the governing Libre party alleging electoral fraud in capital city Tegucigalpa.
Outgoing President Xiomara Castro, constitutionally barred from reelection, had previously denounced what she termed an ‘electoral coup’ and accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of interference. Trump had openly endorsed Asfura during the campaign, warning there would be ‘hell to pay’ if the narrow lead was overturned and threatening to withdraw U.S. financial support should Asfura lose.
In a surprising pre-election development, Trump granted presidential pardon to Juan Orlando Hernández, a National Party colleague of Asfura serving a 45-year U.S. prison sentence for drug and weapons offenses.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged all parties to respect the official results ‘so that Honduran authorities may ensure a peaceful transition of authority.’ Rubio further indicated American readiness to collaborate with the incoming administration on bilateral security cooperation and combating illegal immigration while strengthening economic relations.
Contrary to this call for unity, Luis Redondo, president of Honduras’s Congress, declared the election results ‘completely illegal,’ underscoring the deep political divisions that persist following this contentious electoral process.