The right-wing candidate endorsed by former US President Donald Trump, Nasry 'Tito' Asfura, has been officially declared the winner of Honduras's presidential election, concluding a protracted and contentious vote count that lasted nearly a month.
A Narrow Victory Mired in Dispute
The National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that Asfura secured 40.27% of the vote, narrowly defeating his main rival, centre-right candidate Salvador Nasralla, who received 39.53%. This translates to a winning margin of just 28,000 votes. The declaration came before the completion of a 'special scrutiny' process intended to review all tally sheets flagged as inconsistent, a move that has drawn significant criticism.
The 67-year-old construction magnate and former mayor of the capital, Tegucigalpa, swiftly declared himself president-elect on social media. "Honduras: I am ready to govern. I will not let you down," Asfura wrote.
Allegations of Fraud and an 'Electoral Coup'
His opponent, Salvador Nasralla, has refused to concede, alleging serious irregularities in the counting process. He has accused authorities of "forgery of public documents" and claimed that "the data from the original tally sheets were altered."
The electoral council itself became a site of division. It is composed of three councillors aligned with the three main parties. Only the councillors linked to Asfura's and Nasralla's parties endorsed the result. The representative from the party of leftist President Xiomara Castro, whose candidate finished third, refused to recognise the outcome, labelling it an "electoral coup" and filing a formal complaint with the public prosecutor's office. This action raises the prospect of a legal challenge to the election result.
The Organization of American States, which had an observation mission for the 30 November election, lamented the decision to proclaim a winner before the recount was finished.
Trump's Controversial Role in the Race
The election was marked by what many observers saw as overt interference from the United States. Days before the vote, Donald Trump publicly endorsed Asfura, stating that the US would only support the next Honduran government if he won. Trump also attacked other leading candidates, calling them communists or allies of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
In a highly controversial move on the eve of the election, Trump announced a pardon for former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, a key Asfura ally. Hernández had been sentenced to 45 years in a US prison for drug trafficking, accused of creating "a cocaine superhighway to the United States."
Following the CNE's declaration, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Asfura, stating, "The people of Honduras have spoken." Rubio added that the United States looks forward to working with the new administration "to advance prosperity and security in our hemisphere."
The CNE's statement formally declared Asfura as constitutional president for a term beginning on 27 January 2026 and ending on 27 January 2030. However, with defeated candidates alleging fraud and a councillor filing a legal complaint, the political turmoil in Honduras appears far from over.
