Nasry Asfura, the conservative candidate for president of Honduras and backed by U. S. President Donald Trump, was declared the election winner more than three weeks after the November 30 vote, which faced several issues including delays and fraud allegations. The National Electoral Council (CNE) reported that Asfura received 40.3% of the votes, narrowly defeating Salvador Nasralla, the center-right Liberal Party candidate, who received 39.5%. Rixi Moncada, from the ruling LIBRE party, came third.
Asfura campaigned on a pro-business platform, emphasizing the need for private investment to boost jobs, education, and security in the country. He hinted at possibly shifting Honduras’ diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing. The election results were contentious, with about 15% of ballot sheets needing manual counting due to chaos in the tallying process. Protests erupted from LIBRE supporters, claiming an “electoral coup,” which disrupted the counting of votes.
The declaration of results was supported by two electoral council members, while a third member was absent during the announcement. In a response on social media, Asfura expressed readiness to govern and promised not to disappoint the citizens. He is set to take office on January 27 for the 2026–2030 term. Nasralla dismissed the CNE’s outcome, claiming it omitted ballots and cautioned his supporters against violence, calling the turn of events the “saddest Christmas for the Honduran people. ” This marks his third unsuccessful presidential bid.
Congress President Luis Redondo also rejected the electoral results, stating they lacked legal validity. Trump’s support for Asfura has been significant; he previously labeled Asfura as the “only real friend of Freedom in Honduras” and urged voters in his favor. Trump indicated he would reduce U. S. financial aid to Honduras if Asfura lost and controversially pardoned former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who faced serious charges in the U. S. Trump further alleged fraud during the election counting process without providing evidence and warned of repercussions if the preliminary vote results were altered.
Experts view Trump’s backing as part of a strategy to strengthen a conservative alliance in Latin America. Nasralla and the LIBRE party criticized Trump’s comments as interference in Honduras’ electoral process. Following the results, U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Asfura and emphasized the need for a peaceful transition, while the Organization of American States prepared to release a report regarding the election process.
Asfura, born on June 8, 1958, in Tegucigalpa, comes from a Palestinian family and worked his way up through politics, serving various roles including mayor of Tegucigalpa. He gained popularity through infrastructure projects and was known as “Papi, at your service. ” However, he is currently facing investigations for alleged embezzlement and money laundering, which he claims are politically motivated. Asfura’s campaign emphasized that he represents a balanced approach, stating that citizens seek solutions rather than political labels.
With information from Reuters
