Turmoil in Honduras Presidential Election!
Tegucigalpa, Nov 23 (EFE).-
Honduras’ top presidential candidates and electoral authorities enter the final week of campaigning amid tensions and fraud accusations, ahead of the Nov. 30 general elections nationwide, with voting places across 18 departments.
Hondurans show concerns that transparency, political violence, and institutional disputes have intensified ahead of the vote.
More than six million Hondurans will cast ballots next Sunday to elect a successor to Honduran President Xiomara Castro, the country’s first female leader, who ends her four-year term on Jan. 27.
Camps divided as candidates trade accusations
Of the five presidential hopefuls, three dominate the race: Rixi Moncada of the ruling Libre party; Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party; and Nasry Asfura of the National Party.
Moncada promotes what she calls “democratic socialism,” vowing to continue the agenda of Castro and her husband, former president Manuel Zelaya.
Nasralla, an industrial civil engineer, and Asfura, a construction businessman, represent conservative parties with more than a century of political history.
The campaign, which began on Sep. 1, has been marked by inflammatory rhetoric and few policy proposals.
Candidates have exchanged accusations of corruption, mismanagement, and plans to commit electoral fraud.
“The issue of fraud allegations is not new in the country,” former electoral councilor Denis Gómez told EFE. “What is new is denouncing fraud before the election.”
He noted that such claims usually come after the vote and often from the ruling party. “If there is something unprecedented in the 2025 process, it is this early accusation of electoral fraud,” he said.
Political violence and institutional clashes
Internal disputes among members of the National Electoral Council (CNE) disrupted parts of the electoral calendar, though the Armed Forces began distributing voting materials on Thursday as required by law.
The electoral process, which started with primaries in March, has also been tainted by political violence.
The Democracy, Peace, and Security Institute (IUDPAS) reported 1,000 political and social “conflicts” since Sep. 2024, 275 of which were linked to political violence.
Many cases involved threats, coercion, and symbolic aggression rather than homicide.
According to IUDPAS, the confrontations stem from corruption accusations, disputes over public resources, and clashes between the ruling party and opposition groups, many of which have escalated into public debate.
International community urges transparency
Opposition leaders, analysts, human rights groups, and foreign governments have raised alarms over the tense atmosphere.
Several actors criticized the Armed Forces for interfering in CNE matters, an action prohibited by law.
The United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU), and multiple governments from the Americas and Europe have urged Honduras to ensure an independent electoral authority and guarantee free and transparent elections.
On Nov. 30, Hondurans will elect a president, three vice-presidential designates, 298 municipal mayors, 128 national lawmakers, and 20 members of the Central American Parliament. EFE
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