Honduras Election Tension Grows as Asfura Holds Narrow Lead in Preliminary Count

Honduras’ presidential race remains on edge as conservative candidate Nasry Asfura maintains a slim lead of just over 40,000 votes against centrist contender Salvador Nasralla, according to near-complete preliminary results from the November election. With 99.40% of tally sheets processed, Asfura, a 67-year-old former mayor of Tegucigalpa and openly backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, holds 40.52% of the vote. Nasralla, a well-known 72-year-old television personality running under the Liberal Party, follows closely with 39.20%. LIBRE Party candidate Rixi Moncada stands in third place with 19.29%.

The tight margin has deepened political uncertainty in the country, especially with about 14.5% of tally sheets showing inconsistencies. These disputed sheets—representing potentially hundreds of thousands of votes—will undergo a special review handled by electoral authorities, party representatives and independent observers. The National Electoral Council (CNE) paused the count for several hours on Tuesday and has until December 30 to certify the final results. The next president will serve from 2026 to 2030.

Both leading candidates have declared victory based on their internal tallies, intensifying tensions. Nasralla has accused authorities of irregularities, while the ruling LIBRE Party has called for protests and even an annulment of the vote, alleging an “electoral coup” linked to Trump’s influence. Memories of the deadly 2017 post-election unrest—when around 30 people were killed—continue to heighten public concern, though major cities remained calm on Tuesday.

Despite a peaceful Election Day, the slow and chaotic release of results has raised frustration. Officials blamed ASD, the Colombian firm managing the tabulation system, for delays. The firm faced scrutiny after a person linked to it allegedly requested printed passwords for the vote transmission system, prompting immediate security changes. Additional technical issues were reported but quickly resolved, according to CNE head Ana Paola Hall, who reiterated the council’s commitment to safeguarding the process.

The United States said it is closely monitoring the situation and warned it will respond to any proven irregularities. Trump, days before the vote, urged Hondurans to support Asfura and even suggested he would pardon former President Juan Orlando Hernández, currently serving a 45-year U.S. prison sentence for drug trafficking.