President Trump has turned his attention to Honduras as voters head to the polls. The options include the leftist party in power and the candidate supported by Trump.
Voters in Honduras vote on Sunday for a new president in an election that many fear will be volatile, in part because President Donald Trump intervened by endorsing a candidate and announcing a pardon for an unpopular former president of the same party who was convicted on drug trafficking charges in a US federal court last year.
The two right-wing candidates vying for president — including a former mayor who was endorsed by Trump — have raised fears that the country could become the next Venezuela, a crisis-plagued authoritarian state run by socialists, and accused the leftist party of conspiring to stay in power.
The accusations and warnings reminded Hondurans of the violence that erupted after close elections in 2017. That year, Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president whom Trump had promised to pardon, declared himself the winner, sparking protests and a military crackdown. Nearly twenty people died.
In the capital, Tegucigalpa, Honduran residents were feeling nervous this weekend. Shop windows were boarded up, and people were taking home plenty of supplies for what many feared would be days of uncertainty, if not unrest.
Who are the candidates?
Rexy Moncada, a lawyer and former Minister of Finance and Defense, is the candidate chosen by the ruling leftist Free Party.
Libre won decisively in 2021. But Moncada faces deep frustration among Hondurans, who say the party has not kept its promises, such as fighting corruption.
It appears that some former supporters have defected to the opposition.
The candidate chosen by Trump is Nasri Asfoura, a construction businessman and former mayor who is running for the conservative National Party. Asfoura, known as “Tito” and “Papi”, ran because of his differences with Libre, and said that the party and the army could “steal” the elections.
The other right-wing candidate is Salvador Nasrallah, the sports broadcaster who defected from the Libre party to the right-wing Liberal Party, in his fourth presidential candidacy. Nasrallah presented himself as an anti-corruption candidate who would end the regime of President Xiomara Castro and her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya.
When he supported Asfoura on his social network, “Truth Social,” Trump claimed that Nasrallah was secretly allied with the leftist party, which he called “communists.”
Libre official Enrique Reyna denied that his party was communist.
What is at stake?
For many Hondurans, domestic problems come first: corruption, persistent crime, and the cost of living.
The country’s homicide rate declined significantly during Castro’s rule, but it remains the highest in Central America.
Post-pandemic inflation and rising costs have also become major issues. Many Hondurans, juggling multiple jobs, say they earn only enough for food and face extortion from criminal gangs.
Voters are also disappointed by accusations that ruling party officials appear to have the same kind of criminal ties that landed Castro’s predecessor, Juan Orlando Hernandez, in prison in the United States on drug charges.
“According to the news, there are many people involved in the same thing, in corruption and drug trafficking,” said Anibal Garcia, 45, a rural resident.
The elections also affect Honduras’ foreign relations. The country has built ties with China, even as it cooperates with the Trump administration on deportations.
Why does the United States care?
The new Trump administration has taken a keen interest in Latin American policy, rewarding leaders who align with its goals and punishing those who do not.
Experts say that right-wing candidates in Honduras, taking advantage of this interest, have courted Washington’s leaders by comparing the ruling party, Libre, to Venezuela and Cuba.
In a speech to Congress, Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar this month told the people of Honduras: “I’m not telling anyone how to vote. All I’m telling them is not to vote for a communist.”
The Liberal Party’s cooperation on deportations has earned it points with the Trump administration, though it has alienated some voters.
Castro began the year by threatening to expel the US military from a base in Honduras over President Trump’s deportation plans. But his government changed course and began helping the United States.
Nearly 30,000 Hondurans have been deported so far this year, about 13,000 more than at the same time last year.
Fraud accusations?
Analysts expect controversial results. Lieber has said his rivals are planning to rig the vote, while his opponents say Lieber could influence electoral authorities and the military.
Reyna said Lieber had the support needed to win cleanly. Both Nasrallah and Asfoura have warned their supporters that Hizb ut-Tahrir will attempt to cling to power through fraud or force.
“Instead of discussing their proposals for the country, the candidates focused on attacking each other,” said Ana María Méndez, Central America director at the Washington Office on Latin American Affairs.
The European Union and the Organization of American States have expressed their concerns about the integrity of the elections. Christopher Landau, US Deputy Secretary of State, promised that the Trump administration would respond “quickly and decisively” to any attempt to undermine the electoral process.
Emiliano Rodriguez Mega collaborated with reports from Mexico City.
Emiliano Rodriguez Mega collaborated with reports from Mexico City.