Honduran Vote Dispute Escalates: Castro Alleges Tampering and U.S. Interference as Count Continues

Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Tuesday condemned what she described as manipulation of the results of the Nov. 30 presidential election and accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of intervening in the vote.

The count remains incomplete after repeated computer failures slowed the tally, intensifying suspicions about the integrity of the process. According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), provisional results published on Monday showed Trump-backed conservative Nasry Asfura with 40.53 percent and right‑wing candidate Salvador Nasralla with 39.16 percent of the counted vote; both lead the Libre party candidate Rixi Moncada by a wide margin in the current tallies.

Castro said voters had acted with “courage and determination†but alleged the process was marred by “threats, coercion, manipulation of the TREP†— Honduras’s preliminary results system — and by what she called “tampering with the popular will.â€

“There were threats and manipulation of the TREP. There was tampering with the popular will,†Castro told supporters at a rally in the country’s interior.

Nasralla has publicly accused election authorities of corruption, calling the published results “theft†and asserting he was actually leading by about 20 percentage points. He has demanded a vote‑by‑vote recount, alleging a pattern of irregularities including failure to use biometric checks and arbitrary drafting of tallies.

Election officials say thousands of voting records still show “inconsistencies†and require review more than a week after voting. The Libre party has demanded the total annulment of the election, urged protests and strikes, and called on officials to refuse cooperation with any government transition until concerns are addressed.

The U.S. administration said Monday it found the election to be fair and saw “no credible evidence†to justify annulling the results. Under Honduran law the electoral council has until Dec. 30 to declare an official winner.

Meanwhile, amid the political uncertainty, Attorney General Johel Zelaya asked Interpol on Tuesday to execute a 2023 arrest warrant for former president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was already in U.S. custody when the warrant was issued and had faced charges linked to money laundering and fraud. Hernandez had been serving a 45‑year sentence in the United States on drug‑trafficking related convictions; President Trump issued a surprise pardon for Hernandez during the campaign period.

Hernandez’s lawyer, Renato Stabile, dismissed the prosecutor’s request as a “desperate and shameful attempt†by the Honduran left to remain in power, according to a statement to AFP. The former president has said he does not plan to return to Honduras, citing fears for his safety, his wife Ana Garcia told reporters.

What Happens Next

The electoral council has until Dec. 30 to certify a winner. In the coming days Honduran authorities must decide whether to pursue a full recount, address the Libre party’s annulment demands, and respond to international scrutiny as protests and political pressure mount.