Salvador Nasralla Challenges Honduras Election Results Amid Fraud Allegations

Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla has formally challenged the results of Honduras’ recent presidential election, intensifying political tensions following a narrowly decided and controversial vote. Nasralla, a centrist politician and former presidential contender, finished second behind conservative candidate Nasry Asfura, who was officially declared the winner by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on Christmas Eve, more than three weeks after Election Day on November 30.

According to the CNE, fewer than 1% of votes separated the two candidates, a margin that has fueled allegations of irregularities, delays, and technical failures throughout the electoral process. Nasralla’s legal team filed an appeal on Monday with the Electoral Justice Tribunal (TJE), Honduras’ top electoral court, requesting a comprehensive review and recount of presidential ballots in at least 12 of the country’s 18 departments.

Late Monday night, the TJE issued a resolution requesting additional documentation before deciding whether the challenge will be formally admitted. The tribunal has also given the CNE a 48-hour deadline to submit paperwork related to the recount requests. Nasralla’s lawyer, Karla Romero, said the appeal was prompted by “too many inconsistencies” in the election, claiming that votes for Asfura were “inflated” in multiple regions.

While Nasralla’s legal team has not made public the evidence submitted in the appeal, Asfura’s party has firmly denied all allegations of fraud. Asfura, who was reportedly backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, is scheduled to take office on January 27 for the 2026–2030 presidential term.

The dispute has unfolded amid growing public mistrust in Honduras’ electoral institutions. Honduras’ Attorney General, Johel Zelaya, warned on Tuesday that legal action could follow, emphasizing the need to prevent “shameful practices that undermine democracy and the rule of law.” Adding to the unrest, the head of the Honduran Congress from the ruling Libre party has also rejected the election results, while Libre supporters staged protests outside the CNE headquarters in Tegucigalpa.

Nasralla, who previously contested his loss in the 2017 general election, has reiterated that valid ballots were improperly excluded, setting the stage for a potentially prolonged legal and political battle over Honduras’ presidential election outcome.