More than three weeks after the presidential election Honduras
The country’s electoral authority declared the candidate Nasry Asfura, supported by US President Donald Trump, as the winner. Asfura was elected to a four-year term, said the president of the electoral authority, Ana Paola Hall. Shortly afterwards, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated the right-wing entrepreneur on his election victory.
According to the electoral authority, Asfura received 40.1 percent of the votes cast. The also right-wing television presenter Salvador Nasralla got 39.53 percent and the candidate from the left-wing ruling party Libre, Rixi Moncadato 19.19 percent. Only two of the three electoral council members approved the decision, which further fueled the dispute over the close result.
“Honduras – I am ready to govern,” Asfura wrote on the platform after the result was announced X. “I won’t disappoint you.” Whoever wins the most votes in the election becomes president of the Central American country; there are no runoff elections planned.
Voting slips had to be checked due to irregularities
A few minutes after the official results were announced, the US government welcomed them. Washington looks forward to working with the new Honduran government “to advance our bilateral and regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States and strengthen economic ties between our two countries,” said Rubio. Given the lengthy post-election counting process, the US Secretary of State called on all sides “to respect the certified results so that the Honduran authorities can quickly ensure a peaceful transition of power.”
The President of the Honduran Congress, Luis Redondo of the ruling LIBRE party, immediately rejected the electoral authority’s declaration as an electoral coup. “This is completely outside the law. It has no value,” he wrote on The ruling Left Party had accused the opposition of an electoral coup and called for protests.
The Central American country voted on November 30th. Before the ballot Trump called for the election of Asfura. After the vote, the US President attacked the electoral authorities after they were on the Based on initial results, there was a “technical tie” between Asfura and Nasralla. Nasralla called for a recount of votes due to alleged irregularities.
Trump pardoned convicted ex-president
US President Trump interfered massively in the election campaign. He described Asfura as the “only true friend of freedom in Honduras” and threatened to cut off US financial aid if he didn’t win. Trump also pardoned him former President Juan Orlando Hernándezwho was arrested for drug trafficking and weapons possession USA served a prison sentence. According to experts, Trump’s support is part of his effort to… conservative bloc in Latin America to form.
Honduras is considered one of the most unstable countries in Latin America; the last coup took place in 2009. Almost two thirds of the eleven million inhabitants live in poverty. The migration to the USA with remittances to families back home, which has been common for decades, is hardly possible anymore since Trump. Until now, remittances from migrants accounted for almost a third of the Central American country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
