A polling station member tears up unused ballots after the end of voting in Honduras, November 30, 2025. Photo: EFE/Gustavo Amador.
The International Observation Mission of the American Association of Jurists (AAJ) presented a preliminary report on its electoral observation work in the general elections in Honduras, in which it concluded that US President Donald Trump’s interference “has jeopardized the democratic legitimacy of the process.”
“This Mission underscores the enormous gravity of foreign interference in the electoral process of the Republic of Honduras, particularly the statements by the President of the United States and the President of the Republic of Argentina, … which have undermined the democratic legitimacy of the process and constitute a flagrant violation of the Honduran people’s right to self-determination,” the AAJ stated in its provisional report released on Wednesday, December 3.
Trump and Argentinian President Javier Milei, in messages on social media, openly supported the right-wing candidates, namely, Nasry Asfura and Salvador Nasralla. Moreover, Trump conditioned the US economic support for Honduras on a victory of the Honduran oligarchy and even gave presidential pardon to the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, who was sentenced in the United States to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking.
“The AAJ reiterates its condemnation of foreign interference in the electoral process of the Republic of Honduras, and urges States and international actors to fully respect Honduran sovereignty, reaffirming the inalienable right of the Honduran people to decide their own destiny without external pressure,” the entity emphasized in the report presented to the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Honduras.
Regarding the dissemination of the results of the general elections held last Sunday through the Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission System (TREP), the AAJ considered that these “provide partial projections that may distort the perception of the final outcome of the election,” and that everyone should “await the publication of the tally representing one hundred percent of the polling station records.”
The organization also reported on incidents “related to the implementation of the biometric system, the internet connectivity difficulties for its proper operation, and the inconveniences regarding fingerprint and facial identification of the elderly who went to the polling stations.”
The Mission expressed its “enormous concern over the leaks that occurred within the CNE … which could distort the legitimacy of the electoral process.”
Honduran Electoral Council Publishes Partial Results as President Castro Warns of Irregularities
This statement refers to the leak of audio recordings of CNE member Cossette López (associated with the right-wing National Party), “which revealed a bribery scheme aimed at disrupting the operation of the TREP, obstructing the distribution of ballot boxes, affecting the TREP’s functioning, and influencing sectors of the Army to provoke an institutional breakdown.”
The AAJ advocated “for absolute transparency by the CNE at every stage of the process, and in the final scrutiny being carried out during this period, to preserve social peace, institutional transparency, the political rights of the Honduran people, and democratic stability.”
The presidential candidate for the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre), Rixi Moncada, has decried that an “electoral coup” is underway, being carried out through technical irregularities, media manipulation, and unprecedented foreign interference in recent Latin American history.
The results issued by the TREP, which Libre does not recognize, show a virtual tie between the candidates of the two-party system representing the Honduran oligarchy: Salvador Nasralla of the National Party and Nasry Asfura of the Liberal Party. Moncada is at a distant third, with around 19% of the votes.
According to Honduran Electoral Law, the CNE has 30 days after election day to issue a ruling with the official declaration of the presidential election winner, a deadline that expires on December 30.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
