TEGUCIGALPA — Honduran electoral authorities resumed tallying results from the November 30 presidential polls on Monday after a three-day blackout that plunged the nation into uncertainty, with conservative candidate Nasry "Tito" Asfura maintaining a precarious lead in what has become one of the country's most contentious votes in decades. As of 2:09 p.m. local time (2009 GMT), more than 91% of ballots had been counted, showing Asfura of the National Party at 40.11%, edging out centrist Liberal Party contender Salvador Nasralla at 39.73%, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE). Rixi Moncada, the candidate of outgoing President Xiomara Castro's leftist Libre Party, languished in third place with 19.17%, a sharp rebuke to the ruling socialists amid widespread discontent over economic stagnation and corruption.
The resumption came after a weekend of silence that fueled accusations of tampering, with the CNE attributing the delay to a "third bout of technical problems" that crashed its online reporting system. CNE President Ana Paola Hall, in a statement on X, urged patience, noting that about 14% of tally sheets showed inconsistencies requiring manual review by special verification boards comprising party representatives, international observers, and auditors. "We must remain calm and allow the process to unfold transparently," Hall said, as military personnel guarded ballot trucks outside the CNE headquarters in Tegucigalpa, where tensions simmered under a heavy police presence.
Since Friday, Hondurans had been left in the dark during what experts describe as the nation's most disputed election since the 2017 polls marred by fraud allegations against then-President Juan Orlando Hernández. The outage, blamed on a Colombian firm contracted for the Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission System (TREP), marked the second such halt after initial glitches on election night. Opposition parties decried it as sabotage, with Nasralla alleging on X that "an algorithm changed the data" overnight, flipping his brief lead into a deficit. The CNE countered that the issues stemmed from server overload and cybersecurity probes into attempted breaches, including suspicious access from National Party-linked IP addresses, though no conclusive evidence of manipulation has emerged.
On Sunday, the Libre Party escalated the crisis by formally demanding annulment of the presidential results, citing "flagrant irregularities" in 95% of TREP records and Trump's overt meddling as violations of sovereignty. Moncada, flanked by Castro at a fiery Tegucigalpa rally, accused the U.S. president of engineering an "electoral coup" through his pre-vote endorsement of Asfura, threats to slash $193.5 million in annual U.S. aid if the conservative lost, and his December 2 pardon of Hernández—the National Party stalwart convicted in March 2024 of trafficking 400 tons of cocaine and sentenced to 45 years. "LIBRE does not recognize elections held under interference and coercion by Donald Trump and the allied oligarchy," Moncada declared, vowing nationwide protests and strikes starting Tuesday. Castro, whose approval ratings have plummeted to 28% amid 40% inflation and gang violence, echoed the call, labeling Trump's actions "imperialist aggression" reminiscent of the 2009 coup that ousted her husband, Manuel Zelaya.
Trump's intervention, which began with a November 26 Truth Social post hailing Asfura as a partner against "narcocommunists," has drawn rebukes from international observers. He branded Moncada a "communist" for her admiration of Fidel Castro and Nasralla a "borderline communist" vote-splitter, while pledging collaboration on drug interdiction and migration curbs. The pardon of Hernández, who left office in 2022 amid U.S. extradition, was timed just before polls closed, with the ex-leader emerging from a West Virginia prison to post a video thanking Trump and endorsing Asfura as his "successor." Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary-General Luis Almagro condemned the moves as "undue pressure," urging Washington to respect Honduras' democratic process. European Union observers, deploying 80 monitors, reported "systemic vulnerabilities" in TREP but no widespread fraud, though they flagged Trump's rhetoric as exacerbating polarization.
The race, pitting economic conservatives against Castro's democratic socialists, exposed deep fractures in a nation of 10.4 million grappling with 60% poverty and homicide rates triple the global average. Asfura, a 67-year-old former Tegucigalpa mayor and construction magnate, campaigned on infrastructure booms, foreign investment, and Taiwan ties—severed in 2023 under Castro—to lure U.S. remittances, which total $8 billion annually. Polls had him neck-and-neck with Nasralla, a 72-year-old TV host and perennial runner-up who broke from Libre in 2024 over policy rifts, promising anti-corruption purges and open markets. Moncada, 60, a former finance and defense minister, vowed to shield resources from "21st-century filibusters" and deepen alliances with Venezuela and Cuba, but her bid faltered amid Libre's scandals, including embezzlement probes.
Pre-election violence cast a long shadow: A November Libre rally shooting killed a 5-year-old, part of six political murders targeting leftists, per the Center for Democracy Studies. Leaked October audios allegedly captured National Party officials plotting vote rigging via AI-generated fakes, prompting Attorney General Johel Zelaya's fraud probe—though Asfura dismissed them as "fabrications." Turnout hit 68%, up from 2021's 53%, with urban youth—dubbing their push "Gen Z is Coming"—backing Nasralla's outsider vibe, per exit polls.
Asfura's lead, now about 25,000 votes with 9% left, teeters on rural strongholds where National Party machines hold sway. Nasralla, addressing supporters in San Pedro Sula, vowed challenges if margins shrink below 0.5%, triggering a full recount under law. Moncada's annulment bid, filed Sunday, cites 5,000 zeroed records and biometric mismatches, demanding OAS arbitration. Protests flared in La Ceiba, where 200 Libre activists clashed with police, injuring five, as Castro mobilized unions for a "people's defense."
The impasse ripples regionally: An Asfura win could pivot Honduras toward U.S. orbit, resuming Taiwan diplomacy and fentanyl crackdowns, per analyst Will Freeman of the Council on Foreign Relations. Nasralla's upset might temper shifts, blending anti-corruption with cautious left ties. Libre's collapse signals voter fatigue with Castro's unfulfilled pledges—poverty rose 5% since 2021—potentially fracturing her coalition. As the CNE's 30-day window ticks, Tegucigalpa braces for escalation. With ballots from remote Amazonian outposts still inbound by donkey, the presidency hangs on threads of code and conscience. In a land scarred by coups and cartels, this tally isn't just numbers—it's a referendum on redemption, where every vote whispers of stolen futures or hard-won hope.
