The counting of votes in Honduras’ presidential election began early Monday, showing around 43% of polling stations reporting preliminary results that put two conservative candidates in the lead.
This election came shortly after US President Donald Trump announced his support for a candidate and a pardon for the former president, impacting the race significantly.
According to the National Election Commission, the National Party’s Nasri “Tito” Asfullah secured 40.54% of the votes, while Salvador Nasrallah from the Conservative Liberal Party garnered about 38.99%. Rixie Moncada from the LIBRE party was trailing behind with 19.49%.
Despite the results, Asfullah and Nasrallah refrained from claiming victory, emphasizing that it was premature to make such statements. Initially, there was excitement at their respective election headquarters, but the streets of Tegucigalpa were relatively calm as the vote counting continued.
Asufura, who previously served as the mayor of Tegucigalpa, campaigned on a platform of pragmatic infrastructure improvements.
Before the election, Trump endorsed him, stating that he would collaborate with the US against “narco-communists” and labeled him the only candidate his administration would support.
Nasrallah, a veteran sportscaster who has shifted through various political affiliations, was an outsider, despite being in the presidential race for the fourth time. His campaign centered on anti-corruption efforts.
When the initial results were shared, Nasrallah mentioned that the race was still tightly contested. He expressed hope that the uncounted votes would favor him.
President Trump stirred reactions by announcing plans to pardon former Nationalist President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is currently serving a 45-year sentence in a US prison related to drug trafficking.
Many Hondurans from various backgrounds suggested that this news wouldn’t sway their voting choices.
In the days leading up to the election, Trump criticized both Nasrallah and Moncada, warning that their leadership could steer Honduras toward a similar fate as Venezuela. Some voters echoed these sentiments regarding Moncada, concerned about the influence of current President Castro, who has established a congenial relationship with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, while also engaging with the Trump administration on security and immigration matters.
As the election campaign wound down, leading candidates accused each other of election fraud, raising concerns among both domestic and international observers about the integrity of the electoral process.
Moncada, the chosen successor of President Castro, made it clear he would challenge the provisional results, suspecting they had been manipulated. Before the preliminary count was made public, he urged his supporters to prepare for a fight until they had definitive results and indicated he wouldn’t comment on the election commission’s findings until Monday.
There are tensions within the opposition, with fears that the ruling Libre party might exploit governmental resources to benefit Moncada in the election.
For many voters, jobs and safety were significant concerns. Honduras continues to struggle with the highest homicide rates in Central America, contributing to general dissatisfaction over job opportunities, although there have been slight improvements in both murder and unemployment statistics during Castro’s tenure. International Monetary Fund reports have acknowledged the fiscal discipline displayed by Castro’s government.
Supporters of Castro often point to the challenging scenario she faced from former President Hernández, who was extradited to the US after leaving office due to drug trafficking allegations.
On the same day, Hondurans also voted for a new parliament, selecting hundreds of local representatives.
