Trump-Backed Asfura Wins Honduras Election by 0.8% Amid Fraud Allegations

A winner has been declared in Honduras, but the election is far from over. After weeks of delays and fraud allegations, conservative National Party candidate Nasry Asfura, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, has been named the winner of the country's presidential race. However, a razor-thin 0.8% margin and a chaotic counting process have pushed political tensions to a breaking point.

A Count Mired in Glitches and Controversy

According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), Asfura secured 40.3% of the vote, narrowly defeating Salvador Nasralla of the centre-right Liberal Party, who received 39.5%. The vote, held on November 30, was plagued by technical outages that halted the count twice. The CNE president blamed a private firm for conducting maintenance without warning, but the explanation did little to quell the turmoil. The situation required around 15% of the tally sheets to be counted by hand before a final result could be determined.

Trump's Intervention, a Nation Divided

The delays sparked protests across Honduras. Outgoing President Xiomara Castro alleged an "electoral coup" was underway and criticized what she called "interference" from Trump. President Trump had endorsed Asfura, warning there would be "hell to pay" if his lead was overturned and threatening to withdraw U.S. financial support. In a move that fueled further controversy, Trump also pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, a fellow National Party member and former president, who was serving a 45 year prison sentence in the United States on drug and weapons charges.

U.S. Acknowledges Result, but Tensions Remain

Following the announcement, Asfura posted on social media, "I will not let you down." Yet, the backlash was immediate. The president of the country's Congress, Luis Redondo, declared the result "completely illegal." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged all parties to respect the outcome to ensure a peaceful transition. He added that the U.S. looks forward to working with the new administration to "end illegal immigration" and strengthen economic ties. Despite Washington's official recognition, the deep social divisions and the opposition's refusal to concede suggest Honduras is headed for a period of profound political instability.