Tegucigalpa, 10 December (H.S.):
Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Tuesday accused US President Donald Trump of “interfering” in the Central American nation’s recent general elections, which remain unsettled amid allegations of tampering, technical glitches, and public distrust.
Addressing supporters during a rally in central Honduras, Castro alleged that the electoral process had been manipulated through system failures and coercive tactics that obstructed the “true will of the people.” She said the November 30 polls were marred by “threats, intimidation, and manipulation of the preliminary results system,” and claimed that Trump’s public endorsements and remarks amounted to foreign interference.“
The Honduran people voted with courage, but their decision is now being distorted,” Castro said, adding that Trump “threatened Hondurans with consequences” if they supported her party’s candidate, Rixi Moncada.The contested election has deepened political tensions in the country, as vote counting remains incomplete more than a week after polls closed.
Conservative candidate Nasry Asfura, 67, who received explicit backing from Trump during the campaign, currently leads with 40.53 percent of the votes, narrowly ahead of right-wing rival Salvador Nasralla, who has alleged massive fraud.
Nasralla maintains he was leading by a wide margin and has demanded a complete vote-by-vote recount.Castro’s Libre party has called for nationwide protests, branding the election results “illegitimate” and demanding their annulment.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) has until December 30 to officially declare a winner.
Adding to the turmoil, Trump recently granted a controversial pardon to former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who had been serving a 45-year sentence in the United States on cocaine trafficking charges. The decision has fueled outrage among Castro’s allies, who view it as a signal of Washington’s bias in the Honduran race.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Johel Zelaya on Tuesday asked Interpol to execute a pending Honduran arrest warrant against Hernández on charges of money laundering and fraud. His defense lawyer, Renato Stabile, dismissed the move as “a desperate attempt by the left to cling to power.”
Amid the ongoing political standoff, Honduras faces growing uncertainty over who will succeed Castro, with both leading camps accusing each other of election rigging and institutional sabotage.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
