TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — On Monday, Honduras’ Defense Minister Rixi Moncada appeared to be a leading contender to become the presidential candidate for the governing party, while electoral authorities were still meticulously counting the votes from the primary election held on Sunday.
During the primaries, the three principal political parties of Honduras selected their presidential candidates for the upcoming general election in November. In addition, eleven other smaller parties are opting to choose their candidates through their internal mechanisms.
As of Monday, with less than half of the ballots counted, Rixi Moncada, who enjoys the backing of current President Xiomara Castro, had secured over 90% of the vote within the leftist LIBRE party.
On the conservative front, Salvador Nasralla, having played a vital role in Xiomara Castro’s election win in 2021 by aligning with her coalition, was leading with nearly 60% in the Liberal party. Nasralla had previously served as Castro’s vice president before stepping down, alleging he had been sidelined in decision-making.
For the National party, former Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry Asfura was in a strong position with 76% of the votes, far ahead of Ana García, the former first lady and spouse of ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is currently serving a lengthy prison term in the United States for drug-related offenses.
The primary election faced notable issues, with several voting centers failing to open until the afternoon on Sunday, triggering frustration and protests where voters resorted to burning tires in demonstration.
This election period unfolds amid tense relations between President Xiomara Castro and the United States. Castro proposed the potential termination of U.S. access to a local airbase used for regional U.S. military operations and considered withdrawing from an extradition treaty that led to her predecessor being sent to the U.S. on drug charges. However, she later reversed her stance. Allegations involving drug trafficking ties have cast a shadow over her extended family.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio conspicuously excluded Honduras from his travel itinerary when he embarked on his inaugural overseas visit to Central America recently.
Honduras’ general election is slated to be held on November 30.
