HONDURAS
ASFURA TOWARDS THE PRESIDENCY
(December 11, 2025)
TEGUCIGALPA. Even though the counting of ballots from the November 30 presidential elections isn’t yet complete, the balance is increasingly tipping in favor of Nasry Asfura, nominated by the National Party, who, according to the latest data, has a lead of approximately 40,000 votes over the second-place candidate, the liberal Salvador Nasralla.
The current electoral law says that the candidate most voted become is elected for four year term.
A run-off is only possible if the two candidates obtain the same number of votes.
In the same time, the hondurans elect the new National Congress (128 seats), 298 municipalities, and twenty Parlacen MPs, the assembly of the all Central American States.
LibRe, the left-wing political party that won in 2021, is defeated: Rixi Moncada, the candidate supported by outgoing President, Xiomara Castro, reach only 20% of the ballots.
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INTERFERENCES
As already happened in Argentina, where the United States heavily intervened to support La Libertad Avanza during the October 26 midterm elections, Donald J. Trump has also intervened in the electoral process in Honduras, openly supporting his preferred candidate, Nasry Asfura.
In a series of posts on Truth, he wrote that Asfura will be a great president with whom the United States looks forward to working to combat “narcocommunism.”
If the Hondurans elect him—he says—they will receive significant aid from Washington, which will not arrive if Nasralla wins, whom he accuses of being almost communist and a friend of the left.
The Republican’s heavy-handed intervention has already had an effect: Asfura, who according to polls was in third position before the polls, is now in the lead.
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POISONED FRUIT
Supposing to give a gift to his protégé, Trump pardoned the former Honduran President, also ex leader of the Nationals, Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado, who was imprisoned in a US jail after being found guilty of drug trafficking.
Hernández, now free, is at risk of being investigated by the judiciary in Tegucigalpa: the country’s Attorney General has issued an arrest warrant for him.
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THE CANDIDATES
NASRY ASFURA
Nasry Juan Asfura Zablah, also known as “Papi a la Orden” or “Tito,” was born in Tegucigalpa on June 8, 1958.
The incumbent President of the Nationals, a construction entrepreneur of Palestinian origin, he’s a long-time politician.
He served as Mayor of Tegucigalpa (2014 – 2022) and member of Congress (2010 – 2014) and ran for president in 2021, when was defeated by Xiomara Castro, LibRe.
In 2020, he was accused of misappropriation of public funds and money laundering: specifically, he allegedly diverted public funds amounting to 28 million Lempiras ($1.1 million) for his personal benefit (2017 – 2018).
The judiciary seized nine real estate properties and three businesses; however, the investigation was ultimately dismissed.
Involved in the Pandora Papers (October 2021) by an international journalistic investigation, he rejected all accusations.
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SALVADOR NASRALLA
Salvador Alejandro César Nasralla Salum is also a long-time politician, but he’s
also a well-known television presenter and an engineer.
Born in Tegucigalpa on January 30, 1953, of Palestinian origin, this is his fourth presidential candidacy. He served as Number Two in the Castro administration until he resigned due to a dispute with the President over her weak anti-corruption policy.
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LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
Although Honduras is accustomed to long waits after every election, there is widespread fear that popular anger against the authorities could erupt, as it did in 2017 when at least 20 people died in the riots that broke out after that year’s vote.
This time the climate doesn’t seem as tense, but rumors are circulating of manipulations in the vote verification process, inconsistencies between tally sheets and ballots in different polling stations, intrusions into the computer system, and so on.
LibRe has called for the nullification of the vote, while Nasralla wants all votes to be counted until the very last, including those from the Honduran diaspora.
Thus, the uncertainty over who will govern this Central American country continues, and no one dares to bet on how it will end.
PIER LUIGI GIACOMONI
