The electoral body of Honduras resumed the counting of votes for the presidential election this Monday (8), after a three-day break to verify the process.
With 89% of the votes counted, right-wing businessman Nasry Asfura, 67 years old and supported by US President Donald Trump, appears in the lead with 40.21% of the votes. He maintains a slight lead over television presenter Salvador Nasralla, 72, of the Liberal Party (PL), with 39.5%. A little more than 20,000 votes separate the two candidates.
In third position, we find the candidate of the Government of the Book, Rixi Moncada, with 19.28%. The party’s leadership said in a statement that it “does not recognize” the elections because it considers that they took place under the “interference and coercion” of President Trump and the local “oligarchy.”
The party called for the “total nullity” of the elections and said it would demand “an investigation into acts of electoral terrorism”, which the party said were reflected in the results transmission system.
Livre called for protests and asked public officials not to cooperate with the transitional government. President Xiomara Castro did not comment on her party’s statement.
Trump played an active role in the election, even declaring that he would end cooperation with the country if Asfura did not emerge victorious. After the CNE interrupted the release of the data in the early hours of last Monday (1st), the US president threatened “serious consequences” for Honduras, suggesting that there was a risk of fraud, without presenting evidence.
The same day, Trump pardoned former President Juan Orlando Hernández (2014-2022). He was released without serving the 45 years in prison for drug trafficking to which he had been sentenced.
About 15 percent of the ballot boxes had inconsistencies and would be revised, according to Honduran authorities, putting more strain on elections in the Central American country, which has a history of fraud and coups, in addition to facing serious problems with violence linked to drug trafficking.
Marlon Ochoa, member of the Book and member of the National Electoral Council (CNE), said that several failures generate a “lack of updating of results.” The electoral body is made up of representatives of the three majority parties in Honduras.
Nasralla, who has previously run for president three times and identifies as center-right, said the CNE was “irresponsible towards the country and keeping the population in suspense.”
Contested elections in Honduras, like that of 2017, have given rise to street protests and state repression. The country elects its president in a single round. The presidential candidate with the greatest number of votes wins, even if the margin is small or the candidate does not reach a majority.
The CNE asked for calm and patience. The body’s president, Ana Paola Hall, said the process would take time, but would be completed by the legal deadline of December 30.
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