Nasry Asfura, the conservative candidate from Honduras' National Party and a vocal ally of US President Donald Trump, has been officially declared the winner of the country's presidential election by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on December 24, 2025. The announcement, coming nearly a month after the November 30 vote, caps a highly contentious process marred by technical delays, fraud accusations, and international scrutiny.
According to the CNE, Asfura secured approximately 40.3% of the vote, narrowly defeating center-right Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla, who received 39.5%. Ruling Liberty and Refoundation (LIBRE) Party candidate Rixi Moncada finished third with about 19.19%. The margin of victory was roughly 28,000 votes out of over 3.7 million cast, with over 98% of tally sheets processed, making a reversal "arithmetically impossible," per electoral officials.
Asfura, a 67-year-old construction magnate and former mayor of Tegucigalpa nicknamed "Papi a la Orden," celebrated the result on X: "Honduras: I am ready to govern. I will not let you down. God bless Honduras." Supporters gathered at National Party headquarters in the capital, chanting in jubilation. Asfura, the son of Palestinian Christian immigrants who arrived in Honduras in the 1940s, campaigned on promises of job creation, enhanced security, infrastructure development, and attracting foreign investment. His win marks him as the 12th president since democracy's restoration in 1981 and signals a potential shift in foreign policy, including possible realignment from Taiwan toward China.
The victory has been swiftly recognized by the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Asfura on his "clear electoral victory" and expressed eagerness for cooperation on security, migration control, and economic ties, while urging all parties to respect the results for a peaceful transition. Asfura is scheduled to take office on January 27, 2026, for a four-year term.
However, the declaration has intensified political turmoil, with both Nasralla and Moncada rejecting the outcome. Nasralla, a 72-year-old former television personality and four-time presidential contender, refused to concede, calling the results fraudulent and demanding a vote-by-vote recount of 10,000 ballot boxes representing 2 million votes. On X, he questioned international observers: "Did the members of the European Union’s election observation mission not see this fraud? And neither did the members of the Organization of American States (OAS) election observation mission?" He urged supporters to remain calm, describing the announcement as "the saddest Christmas for the Honduran people," but vowed to present evidence of tampering, including altered tally sheets.
Moncada labeled the victory an "electoral coup," accusing the CNE of refusing to review thousands of allegedly manipulated ballots during a special scrutiny process. Congress President Luis Redondo of LIBRE echoed this, declaring the results "completely outside the law" with "no value." Protests have occurred in recent weeks, though Nasralla and others have called for peace.
The election's credibility was undermined by prolonged delays due to system outages, technical glitches, and the need for manual recounts of about 15% of tally sheets. Preliminary results initially showed fluctuating leads, fueling suspicions. Earlier appeals by Nasralla to Trump for a full recount went unanswered.
Trump's overt support for Asfura added controversy, with critics labeling it foreign interference. Days before the vote, Trump endorsed Asfura as Honduras' "only real friend of Freedom," warned of consequences if he lost, and pardoned former National Party President Juan Orlando Hernández, serving a 45-year US sentence for drug trafficking. Opponents, including outgoing President Xiomara Castro, decried these actions as meddling.
International observers from the EU and OAS have noted concerns over transparency but stopped short of declaring widespread fraud. Some analysts view Asfura's win as part of a regional rightward shift in Latin America.
As Honduras navigates this polarized transition, potential legal challenges loom, testing the nation's democratic institutions amid ongoing economic challenges, migration pressures, and violence.
