Most opinion polls show a close race among three of the five candidates in the upcoming Honduras election to succeed President Xiomara Castro. The candidates are Rixi Moncada of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation (LIBRE) party, Nasry Asfura of the National Party, and Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party.
Rixi Moncada, a 60-year-old teacher and lawyer, has been involved in public service since her youth. She has held various roles, including judge, adviser to the Attorney General, and head of several ministries since 2006. Moncada was born in Talanga and moved to Tegucigalpa to pursue her education. She began her political career as a congressional adviser and became a key figure in the LIBRE party after supporting the return of former president Manuel Zelaya post-coup. Although she faced corruption allegations in 2009, the case was dismissed. Moncada advocates for economic democratization and aims to reform the justice system.
Nasry Asfura, a 67-year-old businessman and politician, is running for president for the second time as the candidate of the National Party. Despite being linked to the controversial former president Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving a sentence in the U. S., Asfura has gained the support of U. S. President Donald Trump. Born in Tegucigalpa, Asfura entered politics in the 1990s and became mayor of the Central District, where he focused on infrastructure and public works. However, he is currently under investigation for alleged embezzlement and money laundering, claims he denies as politically motivated. His campaign emphasizes the need for balance in politics and the importance of private investment in jobs and education.
Salvador Nasralla, a 72-year-old television presenter, represents the Liberal Party. This centrist party previously governed Honduras alongside the National Party until 2022. Nasralla aims to restore the rule of law and combat corruption. He has run for president twice before, finishing fourth in 2013 and second in a disputed election in 2017. After serving as vice president under Castro, he has now decided to run again as the Liberal Party candidate. Nasralla has a lengthy background in media, studying engineering and business in Chile before returning to work in journalism and television. He is now seeking to lead the country with a fresh perspective as a committed member of the Liberal Party.
The election is significant as it includes candidates with diverse backgrounds and political agendas, all vying for the presidency in Honduras.
With information from Reuters