In Honduras, voters cast their ballots as tensions rise amidst a US-backed candidate and threats of aid cut-off. The country's presidential election sees three candidates competing neck-and-neck: Nasry "Tito" Asfura, Donald Trump's preferred choice; Rixi Moncada from the ruling Libre party, and Salvador Nasralla from the Liberal party.
As the voting process gets underway, a backdrop of hostility hangs over it. US President Donald Trump has vowed to withdraw aid if his candidate loses, calling it "throwing good money after bad." This statement echoes previous comments made by Trump in support of Javier Milei's party in Argentina's recent midterms.
On Friday, Trump announced plans to pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez, a former president accused of cocaine trafficking and other crimes. This move has sparked heated debate, with some Hondurans welcoming the intervention as a way to prevent migrants from being deported back to the US. Others reject the meddling, pointing out nearly 30,000 Honduran nationals have been deported since Trump returned to office.
Polls suggest Moncada's campaign is centered on her stance against a "coup-plotting oligarchy," referencing the right's backing of the 2009 military ouster of former president Xiomara Castro. Moncada has held various ministerial roles under both Castro and her own party, highlighting her credentials as a seasoned politician.
Asfura, meanwhile, was once a building entrepreneur before becoming mayor of Tegucigalpa. He now finds himself at odds with Hernandez's party over the former president's pardons.
The Honduras election has also sparked pre-emptive accusations of electoral fraud, which have fueled concerns about post-election unrest. In response to these fears, officials have urged all parties to avoid inciting further conflict or violence.
With three candidates neck-and-neck and tensions running high, Hondurans will be watching closely as the results begin to emerge on Sunday.
As the voting process gets underway, a backdrop of hostility hangs over it. US President Donald Trump has vowed to withdraw aid if his candidate loses, calling it "throwing good money after bad." This statement echoes previous comments made by Trump in support of Javier Milei's party in Argentina's recent midterms.
On Friday, Trump announced plans to pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez, a former president accused of cocaine trafficking and other crimes. This move has sparked heated debate, with some Hondurans welcoming the intervention as a way to prevent migrants from being deported back to the US. Others reject the meddling, pointing out nearly 30,000 Honduran nationals have been deported since Trump returned to office.
Polls suggest Moncada's campaign is centered on her stance against a "coup-plotting oligarchy," referencing the right's backing of the 2009 military ouster of former president Xiomara Castro. Moncada has held various ministerial roles under both Castro and her own party, highlighting her credentials as a seasoned politician.
Asfura, meanwhile, was once a building entrepreneur before becoming mayor of Tegucigalpa. He now finds himself at odds with Hernandez's party over the former president's pardons.
The Honduras election has also sparked pre-emptive accusations of electoral fraud, which have fueled concerns about post-election unrest. In response to these fears, officials have urged all parties to avoid inciting further conflict or violence.
With three candidates neck-and-neck and tensions running high, Hondurans will be watching closely as the results begin to emerge on Sunday.
it's like Trump is basically threatening to abandon Honduras if his guy doesn't win. that's not what democracy is all about! 
and now with Hernandez getting a pardon, I don't know who to trust anymore... Moncada seems solid though, she's got some serious credentials under her belt 
but it's hard to say who'll come out on top without knowing more about their stances. Fingers crossed for a peaceful outcome! 
, can we talk about the state of these election forums? I swear, every time there's a major news story like this one, it's always the same old people shouting over each other... Meanwhile, back in Honduras, things are getting pretty heated with Trump's candidate and aid threats. Asfura's got some baggage, Moncada's all about taking down the oligarchy, and Nasralla's just trying to keep the peace 
. The thing is, we don't even know if there's going to be a fair election or not... These pre-emptive accusations of fraud are giving me anxiety 
, but at least Trump's announced plans to pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez. I mean, what even is that? It's like he's trying to stick his nose in and make everyone lose their minds 
. Can we just focus on the candidates for a sec instead of speculating about election rigging? 
! The US backing one candidate and threatening aid if he loses is so shady 
. I don't get why Trump can't just keep his mouth shut for once 
. And those pardons... what even is that? 
Juan Orlando Hernandez was accused of some serious crimes, so a pardon seems like a pretty big favor 
.
. It's like everyone's waiting for something to go wrong 
. And with all these tensions and conflicts... it's going to be a long, hard wait till Sunday 
</font> Like, what a thing to do. And pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez just days before the election? <font color="#ff0000">Too suspicious for me!</font>
</font> Can't we all just, like, coexist? <font color="#808000">Moncada's got a solid campaign tho, focusing on the oligarchy thing... 
</font>
like we're living in some dystopian film </font> Sunday can't come soon enough, i guess... 
. And what's up with the pardoning of Juan Orlando Hernandez? I mean, I get that he was a former president and all, but cocaine trafficking is no joke 
. It's just creating more problems than it's solving.
That's gotta be some kinda fluke, right? I mean, her anti-oligarchy stance might be sweet, but can she actually deliver on the promises 
It just goes to show that politics is never easy.
... like what's going on with Trump and his aid cut-offs? It sounds so manipulative. And now Juan Orlando Hernandez is getting a pardon? That's wild considering the dude has some major skeletons in his closet 
. And now he's pardoning some dude with cocaine trafficking charges? What even is that about? 
.
. Now it's like the whole world is just one big playground for these power-hungry politicians 
. Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on this election, and if Moncada wins, that'll be good news for Honduras – she seems like a level-headed candidate who knows what she's doing 
, and that could be a big plus for Hondurans who want stability. Let's just hope the US doesn't mess with the outcome too much 
The tension in Honduras is palpable, you know? It's like, Trump's got his money on Asfura and he's threatening to cut off aid if that guy loses... talk about pressure! 
i'm all for people serving time for their crimes but a pardon from trump is like, totally not gonna make anyone trust the US government again. anyway, i've been following this election closely and moncada's stance on the oligarchy thing seems pretty strong to me 
she's got some serious experience under her belt too, which is awesome. fingers crossed for a peaceful outcome 
The thing is, sometimes we gotta put aside our own interests and think about what's best for the country as a whole. Like, does it really matter who wins this election if it just means more of the same old drama? 