Marco Rubio congratulates Honduran President-elect Nasry Asfura

Washington’s apical diplomat says helium thanked Asfura, who was backed by Trump, for ‘advocacy of US strategical objectives’.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has congratulated Honduran President-elect Nasry Asfura, whom President Donald Trump had endorsed, for his triumph successful the Central American country’s contentious election.

The Department of State said connected Friday that Rubio and Asfura successful a telephone telephone discussed collaboration connected issues specified arsenic commercialized and security.

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“Secretary Rubio commended President-Elect Asfura for his advocacy of US strategical objectives, including advancing our bilateral and determination information cooperation, and strengthening economical ties betwixt our 2 countries,” the State Department said successful a statement.

Asfura claimed a constrictive triumph connected Wednesday successful the November 30 election marked by Trump’s involution connected his behalf. Election authorities declared Asfura the victor aft weeks of counting amid high tensions and allegations of fraud and impropriety from different candidates.

The right-wing Asfura, representing the National Party, edged retired Salvador Nasralla of the centre-right Liberal Party with 40.27 percent of the ballot to Nasralla’s 39.53 percent.

“Today, with heavy gratitude, I judge the honour of being capable to enactment for you. I widen my manus truthful we tin locomotion unneurotic with determination to enactment tirelessly for Honduras. I volition not neglect you,” Asfura said successful a video connection released connected Wednesday night.

Both Nasralla and Rixi Moncada, the campaigner for existent President Xiomara Castro’s left-leaning LIBRE Party, who came successful a distant third, person disputed the results of the election.

Nasralla said connected Wednesday that predetermination authorities had “betrayed the Honduran people”. He besides took purpose astatine Trump, who said earlier the predetermination that a triumph for anyone but Asfura would enactment US economical ties with Honduras astatine risk.

“Mr President, your endorsed campaigner successful Honduras is complicit successful silencing the votes of our citizens,” Nasralla said successful a societal media post. “If helium is genuinely worthy of your backing, if his hands are clean, if helium has thing to fear, past wherefore doesn’t helium let for each ballot to beryllium counted?”

Honduras has experienced respective contested elections since a US-backed coup successful 2009. Protests implicit the November predetermination person frankincense acold remained peaceful.

Before the election, Trump besides issued a criticised pardon for right-wing erstwhile Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted of crimes linked to the trafficking of drugs to the US during his clip successful office.

The pardon came arsenic the US says it is shifting its overseas argumentation absorption to the Americas.

Asfura, the erstwhile politician of Honduras’s capital, Tegucigalpa, is of Palestinian descent. But his National Party is staunchly pro-Israel.

Under Hernandez successful 2021, Honduras became lone the 4th state to determination its embassy successful Israel to Jerusalem successful breach of planetary law.

Asfura has besides aligned himself with Trump and different right-wing leaders successful the Americas, including Argentina’s Javier Milei.