Polls open in vote shadowed by Trump aid threats

The people of Honduras are casting their votes in the general elections, which are dominated by threats from US President Donald Trump.

The bill features five presidential candidates, but the vote is essentially being seen as a three-way race between former Defense Minister Rixi Moncada of the leftist Libre party, TV host Salvador Nasralla of the centrist Liberals and businessman Nasri “Tito” Asfura of the right-wing National Party.

Trump has pledged his support to Asfura and threatened to cut financial aid to the Central American nation if he does not win.

The most recent opinion polls put Nasrallah in the lead, but with 34% of voters saying they are still undecided, it could be anyone’s race.

Presidents in Honduras can only serve a four-year term, so incumbent Xiomara Castro, who was the country’s first female president when she took office in 2021 for the Libre party, is not on the ballot.

He has endorsed Moncada to replace him. If elected, the 60-year-old lawyer has promised to protect “natural wealth” from “those of the 21st century who want to privatize everything”. Moncada has also expressed his commitment to combating corruption “in all its forms”.

On Saturday, Moncada accused Trump of meddling in the election, and described his support of his right-wing rival as “completely interventionist.”

Trump said the United States would be “very supportive” if Tito Asfura wins the presidency.

“If he doesn’t win, the United States will no longer throw good money after bad money, because a wrong leader can only bring disastrous results to a country, no matter what country it is,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

The US sent more than $193 million (£146 million) to Honduras last fiscal year, and despite aid cuts, has sent more than $102 million this year, according to the State Department website. According to the Congressional website, the Trump administration has already reportedly cut $167 million in economic and governance assistance scheduled for 2024 and 2025.

In another post, Trump wrote that he and Asfura, a former mayor of the capital Tegucigalpa, could “work together to fight narcocommunists” and combat drug trafficking.

Nasri Asfura promised “growth and opportunities for all”, “facilitating foreign and domestic investment in the country” and “creating jobs for all” in a series of social media posts.

However, his party has been plagued by scandals and corruption allegations in recent years – including the conviction last year of former party leader and former president Juan Orlando Hernández.

Hernandez was jailed in the US for 45 years on drug trafficking and weapons charges – a decision Trump now intends to overturn.

Asfura has carefully tried to distance herself from Hernandez. On Friday he told news agency AFP that he had “no relationship” with the former president, and that “the party is not responsible for his personal actions.”

However, the current contender is 72-year-old Salvador Nasralla, who is running for president for the fourth time.

He claims that his victory in 2017 was stolen due to “electoral fraud committed by Hernandez.” This was never proven and no irregularities were found in the partial recount, although the decision led to massive protests across the country.

According to his campaign website, Nasrallah says the main focus of his government will be an “open economy”, and he is committed to creating jobs. He also says that if he wins, he will break relations with China and Venezuela.

Tensions have risen recently between Venezuela and the US – the US has increased its military presence in the region and carried out at least 21 deadly attacks on boats it says were carrying drugs. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said that the US action is an attempt to remove him from power.

On Saturday, Trump declared that Venezuelan airspace should be considered closed, even though he does not have the power to do so.

Beyond Honduras’ relationship with the U.S., many voters are asking more fundamental questions about this race when casting their ballots.

Will the voting be conducted smoothly and will the results be declared on time?

Will the ruling Libre Party accept defeat and relinquish power if it loses?

Importantly, will the armed forces, which have been accused of increasing politicization, remain independent and not align with any individual party or politician?

Voting for the single-round election began at 07:00 CST (13:00 GMT) and will close 10 hours after voting.

Pre-emptive allegations of election fraud made by both the ruling party and the opposition have created distrust in the vote and raised fears of post-poll unrest.

This prompted Ana Paola Hall, president of the National Electoral Council, to warn all parties “not to fan the flames of confrontation or violence”.