Honduran Candidate Calls for Protests Amid Election Controversy

Rixie Moncada, a candidate for the ruling Libre Socialist Party in Honduras, has urged for protests against the still-unclear election results, accusing President Donald Trump of allegedly “coercing” the elections.

Speaking on behalf of the Socialist Party, Moncada labeled the recent presidential election an “electoral coup” and an act of “election terrorism.” According to early results, it seems Moncada has lost the election.

During a press conference, Moncada stated, “Libre does not recognize the elections that happened under the interference and coercion of President Donald Trump and the coalition of oligarchs who attacked the people with an electoral coup.” The Libre party has also claimed foreign interference by Trump.

Honduras has faced increasing electoral uncertainty since the presidential election on November 30. As of now, the National Electoral Council (CNE) has yet to tally all votes, attributing the delay to “technical issues” with the service provider responsible for vote transmission.

As of Sunday evening, reports indicate that conservative candidate Nasri Asfulura, backed by Trump, is leading by a slim margin of 0.7 percentage points over Liberal candidate and former vice president Salvador Nasrallah. Moncada, representing the current socialist government led by President Xiomara Castro, remains in third place with less than 20 percent of the vote, effectively eliminating her from contention, regardless of the final outcome between Asfullah and Nasrallah.

Throughout the last week, Moncada has alleged “election fraud and interference” surrounding Trump’s influence on the election. Asufura and Trump condemned Moncada for her public admiration of Fidel Castro, the former communist leader of Cuba.

In light of this, Moncada rejected the “communist imperialist narrative” used to attack her. She stated that the Libre party will renounce any official aligned with those orchestrating the electoral coup or willing to cooperate with a transitioning government.

“No one here has given up. No to an electoral coup, no to interference,” Moncada asserted, calling for protests, demonstrations, and sit-ins on December 13 to defend “the dignity of the nation.”

Liberal candidate Nasrallah has also expressed that Trump’s alleged “last-minute interference” has “damaged” his election prospects, arguing that Trump’s support shifted the race in favor of conservative candidates.

Additionally, Trump has criticized Moncada for her praise of Fidel Castro and referred to Nasrallah as a “marginal communist.” Nasrallah, who served as vice president under President Xiomara Castro—who is not related to the Cuban dictator—self-identifies as “centre-right.”