00:00Music
00:20Honduras has officially declared a new president,
00:24but the outcome is already igniting political tension both at home and abroad.
00:29Nasri Tito Asfura, a conservative businessman and former mayor of the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa,
00:37has been declared the winner of the presidential election,
00:41narrowly defeating right-leaning centrist Salvador Nasralla in a razor-thin contest
00:47marked by delays, accusations of irregularities and claims of foreign interference.
00:54With most ballots counted, Honduras' electoral authority announced that Asfura secured just over 40% of the vote,
01:07beating Nasralla by a margin of 0.74%.
01:12The ruling leftist party's candidate, Rixi Moncada, finished a distant third with around 19%.
01:20The results were confirmed on Christmas Eve, nearly a month after election day,
01:25an unusually long delay that only deepened mistrust in the process.
01:30election officials described the race as historic due to how close it was.
01:38For days, the vote count shifted back and forth,
01:41with repeated pauses caused by technical problems and disputes within the electoral council.
01:47At one point, Nasralla appeared to be in the lead.
01:52Then, after the online tally went offline for what officials called maintenance,
01:57Asfura suddenly surged ahead, a change Nasralla immediately rejected,
02:03alleging manipulation of the vote count system.
02:06Both Nasralla's party and the ruling Libre party have announced plans to challenge the results,
02:12arguing that not all votes were properly counted before a winner was declared.
02:17Asfura is a right-wing construction magnate and long-time political figure.
02:22As mayor of Tegucigalpa, he built a reputation as a pro-business administrator.
02:28His presidential campaign focused on free-market economic policies,
02:33attracting foreign investment, strengthening national security, improving healthcare and education.
02:42He has also pledged to distance Honduras from Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro,
02:47aligning more closely with U.S. policy in the region.
02:51Asfura received a high-profile endorsement from U.S. President Donald Trump just days before the election.
02:59Trump framed the race as critical to stopping narco-communism
03:04and warned that U.S. support for Honduras could depend on the outcome.
03:09After the results were announced, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Asfura,
03:17signaling Washington's readiness to work with his administration.
03:21Trump's influence became even more controversial after he pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández,
03:31a powerful figure in Asfura's National Party, who had been sentenced in the U.S. to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking.
03:40Trump called the conviction a witch hunt, while critics, including U.S. lawmakers,
03:45questioned the message it sends amid ongoing efforts to combat narcotics trafficking in Latin America.
03:52Outgoing Honduran President Xiomara Castro accused Trump of threatening Honduran voters
04:02and claimed the election was marred by manipulation and falsification of results.
04:07Her government says it will bring the issue before international bodies,
04:11including the United Nations and the Organization of American States.
04:15Despite the controversy, Asfura struck a confident tone after the announcement, posting online,
04:22Honduras, I am prepared to govern. I will not fail you.
04:27As legal challenges loom and political tensions remain high,
04:34Honduras now faces a crucial moment.
04:37The outcome could reshape the country's democracy, its relationship with the United States,
04:44and its approach to corruption and security,
04:47with the final chapter of this election still very much unfolding.
05:07Thank you very much.
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