Trump intervenes in Honduras elections to support the conservative candidate

Donald Trump has become heavily involved in the Honduran elections that are taking place this Sunday. The U.S. president wants to influence the outcome of this very close race, and has used his social media platform to endorse the conservative candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura of the National Party, claiming they could work together to combat drug trafficking. Trump also attacked the other candidates, accusing them of being communists.

“I hope the people of Honduras vote for Freedom and Democracy and elect Tito Asfura President!” Trump posted on Truth Social. Hondurans are being called to the polls on Sunday in general elections to elect a president, mayors, and members of parliament at a time of high uncertainty. The country is experiencing a deep political crisis with several corruption cases emerging in recent years, accusations of links between drug trafficking and politics, and several controversial electoral processes.

Polls show the conservative Asfura, former mayor of the capital Tegucigalpa, in a virtual tie with leftist former Defense Minister Rixi Moncada, the candidate for the Libre Party, which is currently in power. A third contender with a chance of winning is Salvador Nasralla, a television host running for the Liberal Party.

The political tension in Honduras has drawn the attention of the Organization of American States, which is monitoring the process to try to prevent irregularities. The U.S. State Department, headed by Marco Rubio, has also warned of possible irregularities in the Central American country’s electoral process. Analysts do not rule out the possibility that more than one candidate could declare victory, a scenario that would exacerbate the country’s political crisis.

Trump accuses Moncada of being a “communist” and Nasralla of being “a borderline communist,” even though neither of the two Honduran politicians describe themselves as such.

“The one who defends democracy and fights against Maduro is Tito Asfura [...]” Trump said. “His main opponent is Rixi Moncada, who says his idol is Fidel Castro. Normally, the intelligent people of Honduras would reject him and elect Asfura, but the communists are trying to deceive the people by presenting a third candidate, Salvador Nasralla,” the U.S. president added in a political interference unusual in diplomatic tradition.

“The people of Honduras must not be deceived again. The only real friend of Freedom in Honduras is Tito Asfura. Tito and I can work together to fight Narcocommunists, and bring needed aid to the people of Honduras,” Trump added.

Honduras has been led by Xiomara Castro since 2021. The Honduran politician and businesswoman is the wife of former president José Manuel Zelaya, who was forced into exile in 2009 following a coup. Castro, leader of the Liberal Party, has strengthened relations with Cuba and Venezuela, two countries under U.S. sanctions and experiencing profound economic crises.

“Nasralla is no friend of Freedom. A borderline Communist, he helped Xiomara Castro by running as her vice president. He won, and helped Castro win. Then he resigned and now pretends to be anti-communist only for the purposes of splitting the Asfura vote,” Trump posted.

The National Party, to which construction businessman Asfura belongs, has maintained ties with U.S. Republicans since the presidency of Juan Orlando Hernández, who led the Central American country between 2014 and 2022. Hernández is currently in a U.S. prison serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and firearms offenses, according to AP.

Trump has increased pressure on Maduro, whom he claims is the leader of the Cartel of the Suns, an alleged drug trafficking group. The U.S. president has ordered military operations to combat drug trafficking and the military has launched strikes against around 20 boats allegedly carrying drugs. More than 80 people have been killed in these attacks. Trump ordered these strikes without congressional approval or judicial authorization. Furthermore, he has raised tensions in the region with the largest military deployment in decades. Analysts speculate that a military operation could be imminent, forcing Maduro’s overthrow.

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