Nasralla Seizes Narrow Lead in Honduras Election as Trump Cries Fraud and Vote Count Stalls

Centrist candidate Salvador Nasralla has inched ahead in Honduras’ fiercely contested presidential election, overtaking conservative rival Nasry Asfura as the country grapples with a delayed vote tally and explosive allegations from former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Fresh figures released by the electoral commission on Tuesday evening showed Nasralla of the Liberal Party holding 40.13% of the vote, marginally ahead of Asfura’s 39.71%, with roughly 68% of ballots counted. The gap between the two men stands at just over 9,000 votes — a sliver in an election marked by technical failures, mistrust and political pressure.

Asfura, the National Party candidate endorsed by Trump, had been narrowly ahead on Monday before new results shifted the race. LIBRE Party contender Rixi Moncada remains a distant third with 19.09%.

Vote-Counting Crisis Intensifies

The electoral authority earlier urged citizens to stay calm as it struggled to recover from a system breakdown that left about one-fifth of presidential votes uncounted. Officials warned that ballots may need to be tallied manually after the rapid results system and online reporting portal malfunctioned.

The prolonged delays — paired with the website outage on Monday — triggered frustration among voters and fueled suspicion among political camps already primed for confrontation.

On Monday, the commission declared the race a “technical tie,” underscoring how fragile the margins had become.

Trump Makes Explosive Intervention

Trump escalated tensions by alleging — without evidence — that the election was being manipulated.

“Honduras is trying to change the results of their Presidential Election. If they do, there will be hell to pay!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform, urging voters to support Asfura.

The former U.S. president’s involvement deepened controversy after Washington confirmed he had pardoned ex-Honduran leader Juan Orlando Hernández, who was unexpectedly released from U.S. custody on Monday despite a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and firearms offences.

Fears of Unrest Grow

Regional observers, including the Organization of American States, reported a peaceful voting day with isolated disruptions. Yet the environment has grown increasingly volatile as the count drags on, raising fears of demonstrations or violence in the coming days.

To restore transparency, election officials said they will now disseminate updates directly to media outlets and political parties.

Political Leaders Clash Over U.S. Influence

Former President Manuel Zelaya — husband of incumbent President Xiomara Castro — condemned Trump’s remarks, calling them a brazen attempt to sway the election.

“The Honduran people will stand up for democracy,” he wrote on X, vowing that “nobody yields.”

Moncada, refusing to concede, claimed the race was still open and insisted other parties had “manipulated” the process. She also denounced foreign interference.

As ballots continue to be counted, Honduras finds itself in a precarious standoff — a nation waiting for clarity in an election now overshadowed by internal fractures and international drama.