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| Image: Nasry Asfura by Ricardo Arduengo/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) |
The country’s electoral authority, the National Electoral Council, said Asfura secured 40.3% of the vote, narrowly defeating center-right Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla, who received 39.5%. Rixi Moncada, the candidate of the ruling LIBRE party, finished well behind the two frontrunners.
The outcome followed weeks of uncertainty after the Nov. 30 election, as problems with the vote-counting system forced officials to manually review about 15% of tally sheets, representing hundreds of thousands of ballots. The prolonged process fueled political tensions and sparked protests led by LIBRE supporters, who accused authorities of staging an “electoral coup.”
Demonstrations disrupted the manual count, at times blocking election officials from accessing facilities where ballots were stored. Despite the unrest, the final results were approved by two members of the electoral council and one deputy. A third council member, Marlon Ochoa, did not take part in the announcement.
Asfura, a conservative businessman and former mayor of Tegucigalpa, celebrated the declaration in a social media post, saying he was ready to govern and pledging not to disappoint voters. He is scheduled to take office on Jan. 27 for a four-year term running through 2030.
Nasralla rejected the electoral authority’s decision, arguing that ballots that should have been counted were excluded. He called the outcome illegitimate but urged his supporters to remain calm and avoid violence. Speaking at a news conference in the capital, he described the decision as a bitter moment for the country and confirmed it marked his third unsuccessful bid for the presidency.
The head of Honduras’ Congress, Luis Redondo of the LIBRE party, also rejected the results, saying they had no legal value.
Asfura campaigned on a pro-business platform, emphasizing private investment as a driver of economic growth, along with policies focused on employment, education and security. He has also indicated he may reconsider Honduras’ diplomatic stance toward Taiwan.
His candidacy received vocal backing from U.S. President Donald Trump, who publicly endorsed Asfura before the election and warned of consequences if the results were altered. Trump later alleged fraud without providing evidence as the count dragged on. Both Nasralla and LIBRE leaders criticized Trump’s comments as interference.
Following the announcement of the results, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Asfura and urged all parties to accept the outcome to ensure a peaceful transition of power.
The Organization of American States said it was taking note of the results and acknowledged difficulties during the electoral process, adding that a full recount of all votes had not yet been completed. The organization said it would release a report with findings and recommendations in the coming days.
Asfura, 67, was born in Tegucigalpa to a family of Palestinian descent and built his political career in municipal government before serving as mayor of the capital. Known for promoting infrastructure projects, he cultivated an image of practicality and accessibility during the campaign. He has denied wrongdoing in ongoing investigations related to alleged misuse of public funds, calling the cases politically motivated.
Despite the narrow margin and ongoing disputes, electoral authorities said the process had concluded, setting the stage for a tense transition as Honduras prepares for its next government.
