The margin of difference between Salvador Nasrallah and Nasri Asfoura reached 16,886 votes in the scrutiny of the presidential elections in Honduras after 77% of the records were prepared, which left the nation in a state of anticipation and tension before determining the next president. According to La Prensa media, the Liberal Party candidate, Salvador Nasrallah, received 987,546 votes, equivalent to 40.29%, while Nasri Asfoura, representative of the National Party, received 970,660 votes, a number representing 39.60%. Rexy Moncada, from the Liberal Party, came in third place with 466,558 votes, equivalent to 19.03% of the total votes counted.
According to information published by La Prensa, the absence of a second round in the Honduran electoral system turns every update of the counting process into a decisive event, as the presidency is determined by a simple majority. This circumstance has generated an environment of constant anticipation and monitoring, where the attention of citizens, political parties, the media and international monitoring organizations is focused on the official transmission of the results. The presidency will be in the hands of whoever receives the largest number of votes in the final count, without further voting.
The official count issued by the National Electoral Council has become the central hub for information and transparency throughout the process. According to La Prensa, the National Electoral Council provided official platforms for the update, and parties, along with the media, enabled their own channels to disseminate news about the census. This continuous flow of data reflects the speed and intensity of the census process in the country, where each number affects the social and political environment.
The electoral process was affected during the first hours of the counting process by technical malfunctions that led to a delay in transmitting the results. La Prensa newspaper reported that the National Electoral Commission was barely able to process nearly 40% of the opening night records, prolonging the uncertainty and increasing pressure on the electoral authority. The situation raised questions about the efficiency of the system and revived demands for transparency and institutional credibility.
The President of the National Electoral Council, Ana Paula Hall, issued a general call for political actors and citizens to remain calm and trust institutional procedures. According to statements reported by La Prensa newspaper, Hall asked to avoid prior comments and emphasized waiting for the official results to be announced, stressing the importance of respecting all stages and preserving the integrity of the democratic process.
La Prensa newspaper reported an increase in complaints and accusations of fraud among campaign teams, exacerbating a climate of distrust that recalls previous operations characterized by corruption investigations and links to drug trafficking. These circumstances led to increased media and social interest in the behavior of the National Elections Commission, which assumed the task of maintaining the legitimacy of the process in the face of skeptical public opinion.
On the international scene, statements by former US President Donald Trump added an additional element to pressure on the audit. According to what was reported by La Prensa newspaper, Trump expressed his support for Asfoura, and expressed his intention to pardon former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, convicted in the United States on drug smuggling charges, if the nationalist candidate wins the elections. This support has influenced voter perception and increased the international influence of the Honduran race.
The National Electoral Council repeatedly insisted on the need to avoid premature speculation, warning that this could raise the level of uncertainty and negatively affect the stability of the process, according to Honduran media. The Electoral Commission urged political leaders and journalists to maintain discipline and wait for the official closure of the counting process, to prevent incidents of disinformation or conflicts.
To strengthen public confidence and transparency, the National Electoral Council created real-time update systems on accountability progress, accessible to parties and civil society, a measure highlighted by La Prensa. This open access to information seeks to discourage rumors and enhance the legitimacy of auditing under national and international supervision.
The existence of a single electoral round increases the importance of each number sent and places the country in a scenario where citizen participation and monitoring, party controls and consideration of the international community gain maximum importance, according to La Prensa newspaper. The current context reveals the importance of transparent and institutionally strong governance at a critical stage for the democratic system in Honduras, the development of which remains at the center of public attention until the moment the next person to occupy the position of head of state is announced.