Trump complains about 'technical draw' in Honduras presidential election

President Donald Trump has strongly criticized Honduras after the country announced a manual tally of votes from the November 30 presidential election. The National Electoral Council (CNE) urged citizens to stay calm on Tuesday as the count commenced. Previously, a partial digital count had indicated a technical tie between the two leading candidates.

On Monday night, Trump posted on social media accusing election authorities of attempting to alter the election outcome. He also suggested unspecified consequences if his endorsed candidate did not win the closely contested race, which has been plagued by issues with the results website.

According to CNE head Ana Paola Hall, Trump-supported right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura was ahead of centrist Salvador Nasralla by just 515 votes after 57 percent of ballots had been tallied. In light of this technical tie, we must remain calm, exercise patience, and allow the CNE to complete the counting process, Hall stated. Afterward, a special verification procedure will be conducted to finalize the results.

During a news conference in Tegucigalpa, presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla addressed the press, emphasizing transparency in the ongoing count.

Trump, who had previously threatened to cut U.S. aid if Asfura was not elected, responded on his Truth Social account, claiming the CNE had abruptly stopped counting and stressing that completing the vote tally was imperative for democracy. It appears Honduras is attempting to alter the results of their Presidential Election, he wrote. If that happens, there will be serious consequences.

Trumps endorsement of Asfura, the former mayor of Tegucigalpa, highlighted cooperation on anti-drug initiatives. This intervention mirrored his actions during Argentinas October legislative elections, where he also pressured for a specific outcome, which eventually resulted in a victory for President Javier Mileis party.

Despite praising Asfuras potential role in combating drugs, Trump recently announced plans to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug and firearms offenses. Hernandez was the last National Party president in a country typically dominated by left-wing leadership.

Nasralla, a former television host, reported on X that internal calculations suggested he was leading with 44.6 percent of the vote. We are not declaring victory, only projecting results for the CNE, he said, prompting criticism from Asfuras National Party for commenting before the final tally.

Regardless of the final result, the election marks a significant setback for the countrys ruling left-wing party, whose candidate, Rixi Moncada, trailed in third place with just 19 percent of the vote.

Author: Sophia Brooks