Politics Honduras elects new president - Trump has a favorite
After a hard-fought election campaign and interference from US President Donald Trump in the form of an election endorsement, the presidential election has begun in Honduras. Around 6.5 million citizens of the Central American country have been called to vote on the successor to left-wing President Xiomara Castro. "The Honduran people will go to the polls despite adverse circumstances," said government candidate Rixi Moncada, from the Libre party, as she cast her vote.
30.11.2025, 17:38
SDA
A few days before the election, Trump called on people to vote for the right-wing opposition candidate Nasry "Tito" Asfura (67) from the National Party to fight against "narco-communism".
The former finance and defense minister Moncada (60), the ex-mayor of the capital Tegucigalpa, Asfura, and the conservative television presenter and ex-vice president Salvador Nasralla (72) from the Liberal Party are the three most promising of the five candidates in the race.
The election campaign was characterized by allegations of fraud
The political climate is tense: Representatives of the government and the opposition accuse each other of trying to manipulate the election results. In 2017, there were protests following allegations of electoral fraud, resulting in more than 20 deaths. In addition to the presidency, the parliament and local administrations are also being replaced. Poverty, drug violence and corruption are among the country's main problems.
Whoever receives the most votes wins - there is no run-off. Polls showed no clear favorite before the election. Government candidate Moncada announced that she would not recognize the preliminary electronic results on Monday night. She wanted to wait for the final count of all election protocols in paper form.
President Castro has ruled Honduras since 2022 as the first woman to head the state. She is the wife of ex-President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted from office in 2009. After the coup, the National Party - which is now supported by Trump - ruled for more than ten years. Former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the USA for involvement in drug trafficking, is also a member of the party. Trump has announced his pardon.
