Hondurans are voting in a general election amid widespread threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
There are five presidential candidates on the bill, but the polls are essentially being seen as a three-way contest between former defense minister Rixi Moncada of the left-wing Freedom Party, TV presenter Salvador Nasrallah of the centrist Freedom Party and businessman Nasri “Tito” Aspura of the right-wing Popular Party.
Trump has backed Asfura and threatened to cut off financial aid to the Central American country if he does not win.
The most recent polls show Nasralla leading, but with 34% of voters saying they are undecided, it could be a race for anyone.
Outgoing President Xiomara Castro, who became the country’s first female president when she was elected for the Liberal Party in 2021, cannot run for a second term under Honduran law.
She supported Moncada to take her place. The 60-year-old lawyer pledged that if he wins, he will protect “natural wealth” from “21st century filibusters who want to privatize everything.” Moncada also expressed his commitment to fighting corruption “in all its forms.”
On Saturday, Moncada accused President Trump of meddling in the election, calling his support for his right-wing opponent “absolutely interventionist.”
President Trump said the United States would be “very supportive” of Tito Asfura if he were elected president.
“If he doesn’t win, America won’t continue to spend bad money,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, “because a bad leader can only bring disastrous results to any country.”
The United States sent more than $193 million (£146 million) to Honduras last fiscal year, according to the State Department website, and more than $102 million this year despite aid cuts. The Trump administration has already cut $167 million in economic and governance aid earmarked for 2024 and 2025, according to the Congressional website.
In another post, Trump wrote that he and Aspura, a former mayor of the capital Tegucigalpa, “can work together to fight narco-communists and combat drug trafficking.”
In a series of social media posts, Nasry Asfura pledged to bring “development and opportunity for all,” “promote foreign and domestic investment in the country,” and “create employment for all.”
But his party has been plagued by scandals and corruption charges in recent years, including the sentencing last year of its former leader and former president, Juan Orlando Hernández.
Hernández was imprisoned in the United States for 45 years on drug smuggling and weapons charges, a decision Trump is now seeking to overturn.
Asfura carefully tried to distance himself from Hernández. He told news agency AFP on Friday that he had “no relationship” with the former president and that “the party is not responsible for his personal actions.”
But the current frontrunner is Salvador Nasralla, 72, who is running for president for the fourth time.
He claims his 2017 victory was stolen because of “electoral fraud perpetrated by Hernández.” The decision was unsubstantiated and a partial review found no wrongdoing, but it sparked mass protests across the country.
According to his campaign website, Nasralla said his government’s main focus would be an “open economy” and was committed to job creation. He also said he would cut ties with China and Venezuela if he won.
Tensions between Venezuela and the United States have recently increased. The United States has increased its military presence in the region and has carried out at least 21 deadly attacks on boats transporting drugs. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the U.S. actions were an attempt to oust him.
Last Saturday, Trump declared that Venezuela’s airspace should be considered closed, even though he does not have the authority to do so.
Voting for the single-round election opens at 07:00 CST (13:00 GMT) and ends 10 hours after voting.
Preemptive criticism of election fraud by the ruling and opposition parties sowed distrust in voting and sparked fears of election instability.
In response, National Election Commissioner Ana Paola Hall warned all political parties “not to fan the flames of confrontation or violence.”
