Tegucigalpa, Dec 25 (V7N) – Nasry Asfura, the conservative candidate backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, has been declared the winner of Honduras’ November 30 presidential election, over three weeks after voting, amid delays, technical problems, and allegations of fraud.

Honduran electoral authorities, the National Electoral Council (CNE), confirmed that Nasry Asfura secured 40.3% of the vote, narrowly defeating center-right Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla, who received 39.5%. The ruling LIBRE party candidate, Rixi Moncada, finished a distant third.

The election was highly contested, with around 15% of tally sheets, comprising hundreds of thousands of ballots, requiring manual counting due to chaotic processing. Protests organized by the LIBRE party disrupted the manual count, blocking access to stored ballots.

Following the official announcement, Asfura posted on X: “Honduras: I am ready to govern. I will not let you down.” He is set to take office on January 27, beginning his 2026‑2030 term.

Salvador Nasralla rejected the results, citing excluded ballots, but urged supporters to remain calm. “I will not accept a result based on omissions. Democracy does not shut down because of exhaustion, nor because today is the 24th — this is the saddest Christmas for the Honduran people,” he said at a press conference in Tegucigalpa. The head of Congress, Luis Redondo of the ruling LIBRE party, also called the results “completely outside the law.”

Trump had publicly supported Asfura before the election, calling him the “only real friend of Freedom in Honduras” and warning that U.S. financial support could be withheld if he did not win. Trump also pardoned former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who had been serving a 45-year sentence in the U.S. on drug trafficking and weapons charges. Analysts say Trump’s backing is part of a broader effort to strengthen conservative influence across Latin America, from Nayib Bukele in El Salvador to Javier Milei in Argentina.

The United States congratulated Asfura following the announcement. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged all parties to accept the outcome to ensure a peaceful transition. The Organization of American States also acknowledged the election results while noting that a full recount has not yet been completed.

Nasry Asfura, born June 8, 1958, in Tegucigalpa to a family of Palestinian descent, studied civil engineering but did not graduate. He held various administrative roles, including congressman and minister for social investment, before becoming mayor of Tegucigalpa in 2013. Known for infrastructure projects and earning the nickname “Papi, at your service,” Asfura campaigned on a pro-business platform emphasizing jobs, education, and security. He has hinted at possibly switching Honduras’ diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing.

Despite his public image as a modest, hardworking leader, Asfura is under investigation, along with former city officials, for alleged involvement in embezzlement and money laundering. He denies wrongdoing, calling the accusations politically motivated.

During his campaign, Asfura said: “Extremes don’t work. 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.”

This result marks a narrow victory in one of Honduras’ most controversial and tightly contested elections, highlighting ongoing political tensions and concerns over electoral integrity.

END/WD/SMA/