Trump Endorses Nasry Asfura in Tightly Contested Honduras Presidential Election

Nasry Asfura leads the conservative National Party and has gained international attention in Honduras' presidential race.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Nasry "Tito" Asfura in Honduras' upcoming presidential election, stating that Asfura would be a valuable partner in combating drug trafficking.

"I hope the people of Honduras vote for Freedom and Democracy, and elect Tito Asfura, President!" Trump declared on his Truth Social platform.

Honduran voters will head to the polls this Sunday in what appears to be an extremely competitive race. Recent polling shows Asfura, Tegucigalpa's former mayor, in a statistical tie with Rixi Moncada of the ruling leftist LIBRE Party and Salvador Nasralla representing the centrist Liberal Party.

Since 2021, Honduras has been under the leadership of President Xiomara Castro, who has established strong relationships with Cuba and Venezuela. The Trump administration views these nations as dictatorships suffering from severe economic hardships and human rights violations.

In his social media post, Trump characterized Moncada as a communist and claimed Nasralla was a "borderline communist" running to split votes from Asfura. It should be noted that neither candidate identifies with communist ideology.

"Will (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro and his Narcoterrorists take over another country like they have taken over Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela?" Trump questioned, suggesting that Asfura would stand against Maduro's influence.

The Trump administration has previously accused the Venezuelan president of connections to narcotics trafficking and criminal organizations, allegations Maduro has consistently denied.

Asfura's National Party maintained close ties with Washington during former President Juan Orlando Hernandez's administration from 2014 to 2022. Hernandez was arrested shortly after leaving office and is currently serving a 45-year sentence in the United States following his conviction on drug trafficking and weapons charges.

The winner of Sunday's election, determined by simple majority, will govern Honduras from 2026 to 2030. Political analysts have expressed concerns that multiple candidates might claim victory given how close the race appears to be.

Both the Organization of American States and the US State Department have expressed concerns regarding Honduras' electoral process and indicated they are closely monitoring the situation.