Trump-backed candidate Nasry Asfura wins Honduras presidential election

Nasry Asfura has been declared the winner of Honduras’ presidential election, after weeks of delays due to technical problems and allegations of fraud.

The conservative National Party candidate, supported by US President Donald Trump, won 40.3% of the vote, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE), ahead of Salvador Nasralla of the center-right Liberal Party, who received 39.5%.

In an article on X, Asfura said: “Honduras: I am ready to govern. I won’t let you down. »

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged all parties to respect the outcome “so that Honduran authorities can ensure a peaceful transition of power.”

But the country’s congressional president, Luis Redondo, said the result was “completely illegal.”

Voting took place on November 30, but the count was delayed twice due to technical failures, which election officials called “inexcusable.”

The president of the CNE, Ana Paola Hall, blamed the delay on the private company responsible for compiling the results.

She specified that the company had carried out maintenance work without warning or consulting the CNE.

The shutdown came a day after the portal displaying real-time results crashed.

The election results were close, and due to the tumultuous nature of the processing system, approximately 15% of the tally sheets had to be counted by hand for the winner to be determined.

There have been tensions in Honduras due to the delay of protests across the country last week.

Thousands of supporters of the ruling Free Party demonstrated in the capital Tegucigalpa against what they saw as electoral fraud.

Outgoing President Xiomara Castro had claimed an “electoral coup” was taking place and said earlier this month that the election had been spoiled by Trump’s “interference.”

When he endorsed Asfura for president, Trump said there would be “hell to pay” if his very narrow lead was overturned in the count.

He also threatened to withdraw financial support from the United States if Asfura did not win.

In a surprise move, the US president also pardoned Asfura National Party member Juan Orlando Hernández, who was serving a 45-year prison sentence in the US on drug and weapons charges.

The Constitution prohibits Xiomara Castro from seeking a second term.

Nine days after the vote, Nasralla accused “corrupt people” of manipulating the vote count in the Central American country. He also said Trump’s comments hurt his chances of victory.

In his statement following the announcement of the results, Rubio said the United States “looks forward to working with his new administration to advance our bilateral and regional security cooperation,” adding that the two countries would “end illegal immigration to the United States” while strengthening economic ties.