Voting began on the 30th local time in Central American Honduras to elect the next president for a four-year term. Of a population of 10 million, about 6.5 million are registered voters, and three candidates with similar support in polls are locked in a tight race.
Voting began simultaneously at 7 a.m. at polling stations nationwide. Of the six candidates running, one from each of the left, center, and right camps is seen as having a chance to win. Rixi Moncada, 60, of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre), served as finance and defense minister in the current administration and is pledging economic and social reforms. Salvador Nasralla, 72, of the Liberal Party, is a centrist and former TV host who split with President Castro and is making his fourth run for president. Nasry "Tito" Asfura, 67, of the right-wing National Party, is a businessman who served as mayor of the capital, Tegucigalpa.
The three candidates are neck and neck at around 20% to 30% in various polls, making it difficult to predict a winner before the count, analysts said. The fact that Honduran polls in recent years have often diverged significantly from actual results adds weight to that outlook.
On policy, Moncada emphasized economic democratization and reducing inequality, while Asfura stressed fighting corruption and pro-business policies, drawing a contrast. On crime-control measures, all pledged to strengthen military and police security and restore the rule of law. However, during the campaign, exchanges of accusations over alleged election fraud among the candidates drew more attention, the AP said.
International attention intensified late in the race when U.S. President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Asfura. On the 26th, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "I hope the people of Honduras vote for freedom and democracy and choose Tito Asfura," and stirred controversy by saying he would pardon former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking. Hernández is from the right-wing National Party, which cooperated with Trump during his first term.
Honduras is also electing 128 new members of Congress on the same day as the presidential election. The current Congress is structured with the opposition holding a majority, with the opposition alliance nearing two-thirds of the seats, which is expected to significantly affect the next administration's governance.