Nasry Asfura, a conservative supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, was declared the winner in Honduras's presidential election on Wednesday, following controversies surrounding the electoral process marred by technical glitches, protests, and accusations of impropriety.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) said Asfura, with 40.3 percent of the vote, defeated center-right Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla, who secured 39.5 percent. Ruling LIBRE party candidate Rixi Moncada placed third with 19.28 percent of the vote.
Asfura’s victory comes after weeks of delays following the Nov. 30 vote, with about 15 percent of tally sheets necessitating manual counts due to technical issues. Protests by LIBRE supporters exacerbated the counting process by blocking access to stored ballots during protests.
Asfura, a 67-year-old former Tegucigalpa mayor and businessman of Palestinian descent, ran on pro-business policies, promising jobs, education, and security. He has hinted at shifting diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China.
The results were approved by two council members and a deputy; a third member, Marlon Ochoa, did not appear in the declaration video.
During the delays to announce the election’s winner, Trump alleged fraud, warning of “hell to pay” if early leads favoring Asfura changed.
Experts view Trump’s actions as developing a Latin American conservative alliance, including El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei.
Nasralla and LIBRE criticized Trump’s involvement, calling it interference. Nasralla said in early December that Trump’s comments hurt his chances at election victory.
He urged acceptance of the results for a peaceful transition.
“The General Secretariat is aware of the difficulties experienced during the electoral process, recognizes the work carried out by Honduran institutions, and regrets that the full recount of the votes cast by citizens has not yet been completed,” he posted on X.
Asfura, nicknamed “Papi, at your service” for spearheading infrastructure work as mayor, faces investigations for alleged embezzlement and money laundering, which he has decried as politically motivated while denying wrongdoing.
“Extremes don't work,” Asfura said in the campaign. “We must seek a balance. ... People don’t care if you’re ugly or beautiful, left or right, green, red or blue; what they want are solutions.”
His 2026–2030 term begins Jan. 27.