Honduran Election Turmoil: Salvador Nasralla Accuses Donald Trump of Interference Amid Vote Irregularities

Honduran Presidential Candidate Alleges Trump Election Meddling

Centrist presidential hopeful Salvador Nasralla of Honduras has publicly accused former United States President Donald Trump of interfering in the nation's recent election. This serious allegation comes amidst growing reports of various irregularities within the electoral process in the Central American country.

Trump's Actions Under Scrutiny

Nasralla’s claims stem from several actions taken by Trump in the lead-up to the Sunday vote. Last week, Trump openly endorsed Nasralla's conservative opponent, Nasry Asfura, 67, and controversially labeled Nasralla a “borderline communist.” According to Nasralla, 72, these statements directly undermined his campaign and could ultimately cost him the presidency.

Speaking to Reuters in an exclusive interview on Thursday from Tegucigalpa, Nasralla stated, “It hurt me because I was winning by a much larger margin.” Trump's influence has indeed cast a significant shadow over what has become a tightly contested race to determine Honduras's next leader.

Unverified Fraud Claims and Threats

Adding to the controversy, Trump made unproven allegations of fraud regarding Sunday's generally peaceful election. He took to Truth Social on Monday, asserting, “Looks like Honduras is trying to change the results of their Presidential Election. If they do, there will be hell to pay!” This declaration followed initial – and incomplete – results that indicated a “technical tie” between Nasralla and Asfura.

The former US president has a history of engaging with Honduran politics, having previously threatened to cut aid to the country if Asfura did not secure a victory. He also warned of severe repercussions if election officials were found tampering with results. In an unusual move ahead of the vote, Trump even announced a pardon for former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who had been convicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges.

Election Results and Ongoing Review

As of Thursday evening, Honduran election authorities reported having counted 87 percent of the ballots. However, a significant 17 percent of these ballots are currently under review due to identified “inconsistencies,” according to Reuters. Officials have until December 30 to finalize and submit the definitive election results.

Latest polls on Thursday, cited by Reuters, showed Asfura with a narrow lead, garnering 40.27 percent of the vote compared to Nasralla’s 39.38 percent. Despite these figures, political experts caution that the final outcome remains highly unpredictable.

Additional Allegations of Tampering

Beyond his accusations against Trump, Nasralla has also taken to X (formerly Twitter) this week to voice allegations of irregularities during primary voting and outright vote tampering. While these claims are serious, they have yet to be independently verified.