Ask Onix
Conservative candidate declared winner in tight Honduran election
Honduras' National Electoral Council (CNE) has officially named Nasry Asfura, the conservative National Party candidate, as the country's next president following a protracted and contentious vote count. Asfura secured 40.3% of the ballots, narrowly defeating Salvador Nasralla of the centre-right Liberal Party, who garnered 39.5%. The announcement comes after weeks of delays triggered by technical failures and allegations of electoral fraud.
Technical failures and fraud claims mar election process
The presidential vote, held on 30 November, faced significant disruptions when the real-time results portal crashed the following day. The CNE later attributed the delay to a private contractor that performed unannounced maintenance without consulting electoral authorities. As a result, approximately 15% of tally sheets required manual counting to finalise the outcome.
CNE President Ana Paola Hall described the technical issues as "inexcusable," while outgoing President Xiomara Castro accused the process of being marred by "interference" from former US President Donald Trump. Castro, who was constitutionally barred from seeking re-election, had previously alleged an "electoral coup" was underway.
Opposition rejects results, protests erupt nationwide
Salvador Nasralla, who had led in early vote tallies, refused to concede, stating at a press conference, "I will not accept a result built on omissions." However, he called on his supporters to remain calm. Meanwhile, thousands of backers of Castro's governing Libre party demonstrated in the capital, Tegucigalpa, last week, denouncing what they described as fraudulent practices in the vote count.
Nasralla later accused "corrupt individuals" of manipulating the results and claimed Trump's endorsement of Asfura had undermined his campaign. Nine days after the election, he asserted that the former US president's remarks had damaged his prospects.
International reactions and US involvement
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged all parties to respect the electoral outcome, stating, "It is essential that Honduran authorities ensure a peaceful transition of power." Rubio added that Washington looked forward to collaborating with Asfura's incoming administration to bolster bilateral and regional security cooperation, curb illegal immigration, and strengthen economic ties.
"Honduras: I am ready to govern. I will not let you down,"
Nasry Asfura, via X
In a controversial move, Trump pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, a National Party figure serving a 45-year US prison sentence for drug and weapons trafficking, shortly before endorsing Asfura. Trump had warned there would be "hell to pay" if Asfura's slim lead was overturned and threatened to withdraw US financial support if the conservative candidate did not prevail.
Congressional leader disputes legality of results
Luis Redondo, the president of Honduras' Congress, rejected the election outcome, labelling it "completely illegal" in a social media post. The declaration adds to the political uncertainty as Asfura prepares to assume office amid heightened tensions.
