Presidential elections in Honduras They left behind an ambiguous scenario characterized by polarization and allegations of fraud. After resuming the chaotic scrutiny, the TV broadcaster… Salvador Nasrallah This Wednesday, he increased his superiority over the businessman Nasri Asfoura, Approved by the US President donald trump, In a country where there is no voting and one vote can determine the winner.
Although both candidates maintained a technical tie, three days after the elections and in light of delayed vote counting, technical problems and growing suspicions of fraud, the race to determine who will succeed Xiomara Castro still continues on the margin of uncertainty and represents a shift towards the right in the Central American country.
How vote counting continues in Honduras
After counting 79% of the reports, Nasrallah, the candidate of the Liberal Party, obtained 40.34% of the votes, compared to 39.57% for Asfoura for the National Party, according to the National Elections Council. However, the vote counting process continues intermittently, leaving citizens in a state of anticipation.
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Honduras: Freeze the vote count with a difference of only 515 votes between the right-wing candidates and a count of 57%
Since last Monday, when the disclosure of the results was temporarily suspended, the process has been characterized by a climate of mistrust and speculation. That early morning, Asfora had a slight advantage, prompting a reaction from the US president, who again became openly involved in Honduran domestic politics and threatened to ““Severe consequences” If the results are changed.
On Tuesday afternoon, data transmission resumed, and Nasrallah regained a slight lead. In an electoral system like the Honduran system, where presidential elections are decided one cycle, The winner may be declared by a margin One vote. The situation, clearly tense, has become the subject of ongoing debate, both inside and outside the country, in a similarly ideologically driven regional context.
“It’s disrespectful to all the Hondurans who went to vote and found that there were problems with the (results) system. For me, something strange is happening,” Katherine Matias, 21, who studies law at the National Autonomous University of Honduras in Tegucigalpa, told AFP.
On the other hand, the National Election Center explained that the delay in vote counting, which amounted to 57% of the vote counting report on Monday, was due to “technical problems” with the Colombian company ADS, which is contracted to process and publish the results. From that moment on, the recount is done manually, while possible discrepancies in the records are reviewed and votes from remote regions of the country are added, explained Ana Paula Hall, head of the National Election Commission. Hall promised that “there will be final and legitimate results,” although he acknowledged that the process could take more days. By law, the National Electoral Commission has one month to announce the final result, which has increased popular distrust.
Turn right
The outcome of these elections will be extremely important not only for the presidency, but also for politics in Honduras for years to come. In addition to the election of the new president, representatives and mayors were voted on, and the process represents the return of the right to power, after four years of a leftist government headed by President Xiomara Castro.
to support Donald Trump Asfoura, a 67-year-old businessman who works in the construction sector, was one of the most controversial factors in this final stage of the electoral race. In his ideological campaign across the region, Trump praised Asfoura, whom he considers one of his followers “Friend of freedom” While Nasrallah was described as a “semi-communist” because of his participation in Castro’s government.
Nasrallah, 72, known for his career as a sports commentator, has broken with the ruling party and recently declared that he admires right-wing presidents such as Argentina’s. Javier Miley And El Salvadorian Nayeb Bukele. Political polarization is a deep-rooted phenomenon in the country, which has worsened since the 2009 coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya, who then moved closer to Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela.
current president, Xiomara CastroZelaya’s wife was criticized for not keeping promises of employment, austerity and anti-nepotism. In fact, many of his relatives hold important positions in his government, which has generated increasing unrest among the population. “We are living this process with a lot of uncertainty,” said Irvin Zuniga, a 29-year-old nurse. “But the important thing is that whoever wins will get the ‘family’ out of there.”
Rexy MoncadaHe was the official nominee Third place with 19.02% of the votesmuch less than the main contenders.
Honduras, Venezuela, and the hour that begins for Trump
Trump pardons former Honduran President Hernandez
In addition to supporting Asfora, Donald Trump played an important role in Honduran politics through the pardon he granted to the leader of the political party to which he belongs: the former president. Juan Orlando HernandezHe was sentenced in 2022 to 45 years in prison for drug smuggling, and has been imprisoned in the United States since then.
This amnesty, which was issued last Monday, increased the tension in the electoral climate. Hernandez, the historic leader of the National Party and a former close ally of Trump, has been released from prison, although his situation remains sensitive due to threats to his life. In a letter sent to Trump, Hernandez denounced that his conviction was unfair and that he was a victim of political persecution orchestrated by the country’s government. Joe Biden.
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