Unrest in Tegucigalpa has blocked a special recount of nearly 2,800 ballots after more than 99% of Honduras’s presidential vote was counted. Nasry Asfura holds a razor-thin lead over Salvador Nasralla, while both sides have accused each other of tampering. The OAS, with 101 observers, found no evidence of fraud and urged authorities to start the recount immediately. The vote has been marred by a scandal involving an alleged plot between a National Party member and a military officer, and a controversial US pardon for former president Juan Orlando Hernández.
Unrest Halts Honduras Recount as OAS Sees No Evidence of Fraud
A member of the Military Police stands guard at the entrance of the National Institute for Professional Training (INFOP) headquarters, where the electoral material of the presidential election is being counted in Tegucigalpa, Honduras [AFP]
The head of Honduras’s National Electoral Council (CNE) says disturbances in Tegucigalpa have prevented a planned special recount of nearly 2,800 ballots after more than 99% of votes were tallied in the presidential election.
Ana Paola Hall warned on the social platform X that the unrest has "prevented the necessary conditions for the special recount to begin." The recount was intended to resolve a razor-thin margin between right-wing businessman Nasry Asfura — publicly backed by US President Donald Trump — and his leading rival, Salvador Nasralla.
Observers Find No Evidence Of Fraud
The Organization of American States (OAS), which deployed 101 observers from 19 countries, said its mission found "no evidence that would cast doubt on the results." OAS official Eladio Loizaga urged electoral authorities to "immediately begin the special recount" and to publish official results as quickly as possible. A parallel European Union observation mission issued similar findings.
"The current delay in processing and publishing the results is not justifiable," the OAS report said.
Why The Delay?
Inside the CNE, infighting among its three-member leadership — each representative aligned with a major party — has contributed to the delay in declaring final results. Both Nasralla and outgoing left-wing President Xiomara Castro have alleged tampering, but multiple international missions have dismissed those claims.
The vote was clouded before election day by several scandals and controversies. Prosecutors investigated an alleged scheme in which a member of Asfura’s National Party discussed plans with a military officer to influence the vote. Rixi Moncada, the LIBRE party candidate supported by President Castro, labeled the allegations evidence that the election was "the most rigged in history."
Foreign interference and high-profile US involvement also stoked tensions: President Trump endorsed Asfura late in the campaign and publicly threatened to withhold aid if his favored candidate did not win. Two days before the vote, Trump pardoned former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who had been convicted in the United States on drug-trafficking charges; Honduran authorities subsequently issued a fresh arrest warrant for Hernández.
What Happens Next
With roughly 2,800 ballots set for special review, election officials face growing pressure from international observers and domestic opponents to resume the recount promptly. The delay deepens political uncertainty in a nation of about 11 million people and raises the stakes for stability in the coming days.
