Honduras Declares Asfura Presidential Election Winner

Honduras's electoral authorities declared conservative candidate Nasry "Tito" Asfura the winner of the presidential election on Wednesday, more than three weeks after the November 30 vote, capping a contentious count marked by fraud allegations and international scrutiny.

Asfura, a 67-year-old construction magnate and former mayor of the capital, Tegucigalpa, secured 40.27 percent of the vote, according to the National Electoral Council, edging out center-right rival Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, who received 39.53 percent. The margin amounted to about 28,000 votes in a nation of roughly 11 million people. The leftist candidate from President Xiomara Castro's party, Rixi Moncada, finished third with 19.2 percent. Asfura's victory ushers in a four-year term starting January 27, 2026.

The announcement came amid delays that fueled doubts about the country's electoral process. A special review of inconsistent tally sheets began last week, but the council proclaimed the result before its completion, drawing criticism from Nasralla and Moncada. Nasralla, a television personality running for the fourth time, refused to concede, alleging forgery of documents and alterations to...