Former US President-Endorsed Contender Asfura Declared New Head of State of Honduras

Former President Trump-endorsed hopeful Nasry “Tito” Asfura has been declared the winner of Honduras’s race for the presidency following a vote count that dragged on for almost a month and was overshadowed by fraud allegations and criticism of meddling from the US president.

The rightwing Asfura, 67, a construction magnate and ex-mayor of the capital, Tegucigalpa, secured 40.27% of the vote, against 39.53% for the centre-right Salvador Nasralla, a margin of just 28,000 ballots.

The electoral council declared a victor prior to finishing the examination of all tally sheets under a “special scrutiny” launched last week to re-tally votes marked as “irregular”. The decision was criticised by unsuccessful contenders and deplored by the Organization of American States, which deployed an monitoring team to the poll held on 30 November.

Asfura has already declared himself the elected president. “The nation, we now have the official declaration from the CNE [supreme electoral tribunal]. I acknowledge the great work carried out by the members and the whole staff that administered the election. Honduras: I am ready to govern. I will not fail you. God bless Honduras,” he wrote.

Nasralla declined to accept defeat and posted a series of statements claiming manipulation in the counting process, including “tampering with official records”, asserting that “the figures from the initial count sheets were altered”.

The election board is made up of three members: one affiliated with Asfura’s party, one with Nasralla’s, and one with the party of the progressive president, Xiomara Castro, whose candidate finished third. Asfura’s victory was announced only by the first two councillors.

The member linked to the president’s party rejected the result, alleged that an “stolen election” was under way and filed a legal challenge with the attorney general, opening the possibility that the result will be challenged in court.

In its statement, the council declared: “By the sovereign choice of the people of Honduras, expressed freely at the polls, the full council of the CNE declares Nasry Juan Asfura Zablah legitimate president of the Republic of Honduras for the presidential term beginning on 27 January 2026 and concluding on 27 January 2030.”

The declaration before the end of the recount was the latest in a string of disputes that marked the Central American country’s election campaign, starting with what many saw as blatant meddling by the US president.

Shortly prior to the vote, Trump openly endorsed Asfura, stated the US would support the next government only if he won, and attacked the other main contenders, calling them socialists or associates of Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro.

On the night of the election, the US president also announced a pardon for the ex-leader of Honduras and Asfura ally Juan Orlando Hernández, who had been sentenced 45 years in prison for reportedly establishing “a major drug trafficking route to the United States”.

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, offered congratulations to Asfura on social media. “The people of Honduras have made their choice: Nasry Asfura is Honduras’ next president,” stated Rubio. “The United States congratulates president-elect Asfura and looks forward to collaborating with his government to advance prosperity and security in our region.”