In the presidential election in Honduras, held at the end of November, the candidate supported by U.S. President Donald Trump — construction magnate and former mayor of the capital Tegucigalpa, Nasry Asfura, won, the National Electoral Commission reported on Wednesday after a partial recount of votes, LETA reported citing DPA.
Asfura, representing the National Party, received 40.27% of the votes, while his closest opponent — television host Salvador Nasralla from the Liberal Party — received 39.54% of the votes.
Due to the narrow margin in the results, Nasralla demanded a recount of all votes; however, the National Electoral Commission agreed to conduct only a partial recount.
In the presidential election held on November 30, there were a total of five candidates. The winner is the candidate who receives the most votes, and a second round is not provided for.
Thus, the left-wing forces that had been in power until now suffered defeat, and Honduras's shift to the right will strengthen the influence of the United States in this country, which has increasingly oriented itself towards China in recent years.
In the final days of the election campaign, Trump expressed support for Asfura. He stated that U.S. support for one of the poorest countries in Latin America would continue if Asfura won.
67-year-old Asfura, born to Palestinian Christian immigrant parents, promised to implement major infrastructure projects, strengthen ties with the U.S., and restore diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which were severed less than three years ago, meaning a cessation of diplomatic relations with communist-controlled China.
At the end of January, Asfura will replace the current president, Xiomara Castro from the left-wing LIBRE party, as head of state. The presidential term lasts four years.
