Honduras Awaits Final Election Results as Asfura Holds Slim Lead Amid U.S. Attention

Honduras’ presidential race tightened further on Friday as conservative candidate Nasry Asfura maintained a razor-thin lead while vote counting stretched into a sixth day. With 87.84% of ballots counted, the National Party contender held 40.20% of the vote, placing him roughly 20,000 ballots ahead of centrist rival Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, who stood at 39.48%. Rixi Moncada of the ruling LIBRE Party trailed with 19.31%.

Election officials reported that around 14% of ballots showed inconsistencies and will undergo a detailed review before final certification. The slow, tense process has drawn international attention, including from Washington. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau emphasized the global scrutiny on the election, noting that Hondurans "deserve to have their will respected and voices heard."

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has inserted himself into the race, strongly endorsing Asfura and alleging fraud without offering evidence. Nasralla, a three-time candidate who describes himself as center-right, told Reuters that Trump’s unexpected endorsement swung momentum toward Asfura. He rejected Trump’s characterization of him as a “borderline communist” and accused his opponents of planning to manipulate the results, though he admitted he has no proof.

Analysts say Trump’s support for Asfura aligns with his broader effort to bolster a conservative political network across Latin America, linking leaders such as El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei. Trump also issued a controversial pardon to former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, previously sentenced in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges. Hernández thanked Trump publicly on TikTok, calling the pardon an acknowledgement of “injustice” in his case.

Despite the nation’s history of unrest during disputed elections, including deadly protests in 2017, Tegucigalpa remained calm as citizens awaited final results. Honduras determines its president in a single-round system, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of margin. The electoral authority, the CNE, urged patience and pledged to deliver the final count by the December 30 legal deadline.