TEGUCIGALPA (Realist English). Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla has expanded a narrow lead over his conservative opponent Nasry Asfura, who is backed by US President Donald Trump, as the country’s prolonged vote count stretched into a fourth day.
With 80.29% of ballots counted on Wednesday, the National Electoral Council (CNE) reported Nasralla of the centrist Liberal Party at 40.23%, just ahead of the National Party’s Asfura on 39.69% — a difference of fewer than 14,000 votes. Rixi Moncada, candidate of the ruling leftist LIBRE party, trailed in third place with 19.01%.
The CNE cautioned that the result remains too close to call. Honduras decides its presidency in a single round, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of margin.
Counting setbacks fuel political strain
Sunday’s fiercely contested election has been marred by technical failures. The CNE suspended the vote count for the second time on Wednesday, blaming the company managing the tabulation platform for unannounced system maintenance. CNE official Cossette Lopez-Osorio described the interruption as “inexcusable.”
Despite the disruptions, Nasralla — a 72-year-old television presenter — projected confidence, writing on X: “Either way, we’re going to win.”
Election observers from the EU and OAS urged calm as ballots continue to arrive from remote regions accessible only by donkey or riverboat. A final declaration could still be days away. After an initial “technical tie” declared Monday, hand counts were ordered. Updated tallies on Tuesday showed Nasralla overtaking Asfura.
Trump alleges fraud, threatens aid suspension
President Trump, without providing evidence, claimed on Monday that Honduras was “trying to change the results” of the election and warned: “If they do, there will be hell to pay.” He has threatened to cut US aid if Asfura does not win. The US provided $193.5m to Honduras in 2024.
LIBRE candidate Moncada criticised Trump’s comments as a “direct intervention” that violated international norms and said the vote-transmission system lacked transparency.
Trump also reignited controversy by pardoning former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, a National Party figure who had been serving a 45-year US sentence for drug trafficking. Hernández was released Monday and praised Trump in his first social-media post, saying the former US president had “changed my life.” His family says he will not return to Honduras immediately due to security concerns.
Under Honduran law, the CNE has up to one month to formally announce a winner.