Vote counting in Honduras initiated to choose new president in tight race following Trump's involvement.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras On Sunday evening, election officials began counting votes as Hondurans cast ballots to select a new president, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly endorsed a candidate and announced a pardon for a former Honduran leader. Many polling stations extended voting by an hour to accommodate late arrivals. Electoral authorities reported no major issues during the voting process.

Alongside the presidential election, voters were choosing representatives for the national Congress and numerous local offices.

Three Leading Presidential Contenders

Among the five candidates, polls showed three were in close competition:

• Rixi Moncada: Former finance and defense minister under President Xiomara Castro, representing the social democratic LIBRE party. Moncada aims to reform an economy marked by inequality and extreme poverty.
• Salvador Nasralla: Making his fourth presidential bid, representing the conservative Liberal Party. He positions himself as a reformer capable of tackling endemic corruption.
• Nasry Tito Asfura: Former mayor of Tegucigalpa, seeking to revive the conservative National Party following corruption scandals that affected previous party leaders, including one jailed in the U.S.

Hondurans cited security and employment as their top concerns, despite improvements in the economy under Castro. While homicide rates have declined in recent years, the country still faces the highest murder rate in Central America.

Trump's Intervention

Earlier this week, Trump endorsed Asfura, criticizing other candidates and signaling renewed U.S. interest in the region. He also announced a pardon for ex-President Juan Orlando Hernndez, who was serving a 45-year prison sentence in the U.S. for drug trafficking.

Trump stated the pardon responded to Hondurans who believed Hernndez's prosecution was politically motivated, describing it as a setup orchestrated by the Biden administration. The announcement left many Hondurans unsettled, though voters remained focused on a peaceful election.

Voter Perspectives

Cristian Zelaya, a 42-year-old engineer, expressed concern over the countrys future, citing the desire to prevent a Venezuela-like situation. While he supported Trumps pardon decision, it did not influence his vote.

Carlos Alberto Figueroa, 71, hoped Moncada would continue Castros policies, praising improvements in the economy and security. He noted the election outcome would be determined by Hondurans, not external influence.

First-time voter Nancy Serrano, 20, emphasized ending corruption as her primary motivation, highlighting how it affects youth opportunities and the economy.

Election Monitoring and Preliminary Results

National Electoral Council President Ana Paola Hall urged candidates to respect rules prohibiting early declarations of victory. Some polling stations opened late, but overall voting proceeded smoothly. Preliminary results were expected by 9 p.m., while the official outcome could take up to 30 days. More than 4,000 domestic and international observers monitored nearly 6,000 polling locations nationwide.

Author: Sophia Brooks