Honduras’s Nasralla holds narrow lead over Asfura in presidential vote

With 80 percent of votes counted, centrist campaigner widens pb implicit his Trump-backed blimpish rival.

Honduran statesmanlike campaigner Salvador Nasralla has widened a constrictive pb implicit his blimpish rival, Nasry Asfura, who is backed by United States President Donald Trump, arsenic the counting of votes continued for a 4th day.

With 80.29 percent of ballots tallied connected Wednesday, the centrist Liberal Party’s Nasralla held 40.23 percent portion the National Party’s Asfura had 39.69 percent, according to the country’s National Electoral Council (CNE).

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Nasrallah’s pb implicit Asfura was little than 14,000 votes.

Rixi Moncada of the ruling leftist LIBRE Party was good down successful 3rd spot with 19.01 percent.

The effect was inactive excessively aboriginal to call, according to the CNE.

The Honduran presidency is decided successful a azygous round, and the campaigner with the astir votes wins, adjacent if the borderline is constrictive oregon they autumn abbreviated of an implicit majority.

The predetermination connected Sunday was fiercely contested, and the counting of votes has been delayed by method difficulties.

The CNE connected Wednesday suspended ballot counting for a 2nd time, with members of the electoral assembly blaming the institution down the tabulating level for the outages.

CNE authoritative Cossette Lopez-Osorio said the latest counting halt was owed to strategy attraction that was done without due notice, and added that she considered it “inexcusable”.

Nasralla, a 72-year-old tv presenter, remained assured contempt the problems.

“Either way, we’re going to win,” helium wrote connected X.

Election observers from the European Union and the Organization of American States, arsenic good arsenic Honduras’s electoral authority, person called for calm and patience arsenic the last votes are counted.

Ballots are inactive arriving from distant areas, immoderate of which are lone accessible by donkey oregon stream boats, according to the CNE, and the declaration of a victor whitethorn inactive beryllium days away.

Early preliminary results released connected Monday had primitively shown Asfura with a slim pb of immoderate 500 votes. Election organisers declared a “technical tie” and said votes would person to beryllium counted by hand.

When the number was updated connected Tuesday, Nasralla had swung to a constrictive lead.

Trump connected Monday alleged predetermination fraud, without providing evidence, saying connected his Truth Social relationship that Honduras was “trying to alteration the results of their Presidential Election”.

“If they bash determination volition beryllium hellhole to pay! The radical of Honduras voted successful overwhelming numbers connected November 30th,” helium said. Trump has threatened to halt US assistance to Honduras if Asfura does not win. In 2024, the US provided $193.5m successful assistance to the Central American country.

The CNE legally has 1 period to denote a winner.

Moncada, the ruling enactment candidate, told the Telesur tv quality web connected Wednesday that the ballot transmission strategy was flawed and criticised it arsenic lacking transparency.

Referring to Trump’s accusations of fraud, which she said violated planetary protocols, Moncada said this marked “a nonstop involution that affects the interests of the Honduran people”.

Trump has besides granted a pardon to Juan Orlando Hernandez, a erstwhile president from Asfura’s National Party who had been serving a 45-year condemnation successful the US for cause trafficking.

The 57-year-old lawyer was released connected Monday successful what was wide perceived arsenic much interference.

In his archetypal societal media station since being released, Hernandez connected Wednesday thanked Trump, saying helium “changed my life”.

Earlier, successful a four-page missive to the US president published by the media connected Wednesday, Hernandez said: “Just arsenic you, President Trump, I person suffered governmental persecution.”

Hernandez’s wife, Ana Garcia, told the AFP quality bureau helium would not beryllium returning location instantly owed to information fears.