In a closely contested election, Nasry Asfura, the conservative candidate from the National Party, has been declared the winner of the Honduran presidential election held on November 30, 2023. The country’s electoral authority, the CNE, confirmed Asfura’s victory with 40.3 percent of the vote, narrowly surpassing Salvador Nasralla of the centre-right Liberal Party, who received 39.5 percent. The ruling LIBRE party candidate, Rixi Moncada, finished in third place.
The announcement of the results followed weeks of delays, technical issues, and allegations of fraud that marred the electoral process. The ballot processing system faced significant challenges, leading to approximately 15 percent of the tally sheets, which included hundreds of thousands of ballots, being counted manually to confirm the outcome. Despite the declaration, disputes over the razor-thin margin persisted, with one member of the electoral council absent during the announcement.
Political Reactions and Allegations
Asfura took to social media platform X to express his readiness to govern, stating, “Honduras: I am ready to govern. I will not let you down.” However, the president of the Honduran Congress, Luis Redondo, who is affiliated with the LIBRE party, rejected the CNE’s declaration, labeling it an “electoral coup” and asserting that it lacked legal validity.
Asfura’s campaign received significant backing from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who characterized him as the “only real friend of Freedom in Honduras.” In a post on Truth Social prior to the election, Trump encouraged voters to support Asfura and indicated that U.S. financial assistance to Honduras could be jeopardized if Asfura did not win. Trump previously pardoned former president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is also from the National Party, serving a lengthy prison sentence in the U.S. for drug trafficking and weapons charges.
During the election period, Trump alleged election fraud without providing evidence and warned that there would be “hell to pay” if preliminary results were altered. Experts suggest that Trump’s support for Asfura is part of a broader strategy to strengthen a conservative alliance throughout Latin America, aligning with leaders such as Nayib Bukele in El Salvador and Javier Milei in Argentina.
Impact on Future Governance
The electoral controversies have prompted both Nasralla and representatives of the LIBRE party to criticize Trump’s involvement, claiming it undermined the electoral process. Nasralla remarked that Trump’s last-minute interference negatively impacted his campaign’s efforts.
The coming weeks will be crucial as Asfura prepares to assume office amidst ongoing disputes over the election’s legitimacy. The international community is now watching closely to see how Asfura’s administration will address the challenges facing Honduras, including economic recovery and governance amid political strife.
