TEGUCIGALPA – In a significant move, the Trump administration imposed visa restrictions on two Honduran election officials associated with leftist ideologies, accusing them of meddling with the country’s special vote tally.
On Friday, the U.S. State Department announced it had revoked the visa of Mario Morazán, a magistrate with the Electoral Justice Tribunal, and denied a visa request from Marlon Ochoa, a National Electoral Council member. Both officials are affiliated with the leftist ruling party, LIBRE, also known as Liberty and Refoundation.
The department’s statement firmly declared, “The United States is committed to deterring activities that threaten our national security and the stability of our region. We will explore all necessary measures against those obstructing the vote count in Honduras.”
Almost three weeks after the elections, the outcome of the presidential race in Honduras remains uncertain. Due to the close competition between the top contenders, election officials have initiated a special review of 2,792 ballot boxes flagged for inconsistencies and errors. This special vote count commenced on Thursday, following a prolonged suspension lasting more than a week.
As of now, with 99.85% of votes tallied, conservative candidate Nasry Asfura from the National Party, who received backing from U.S. President Donald Trump during the election campaign, leads narrowly with 40.24% of the vote. His conservative rival, Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, trails closely with 39.64%.
Meanwhile, the candidate from the ruling party, Rixi Moncada of Liberty and Refoundation, holds a distant third position, capturing 19.12% of the vote. Moncada has refused to acknowledge these results.
This is the latest example of the Trump administration weighing in on Honduran affairs throughout the election. Over the past year in office, it has wielded its power in Latin America more aggressively than most U.S. governments in recent history. Trump has openly offered support and funds to right-wing allies, while applying punishing pressure to adversaries, often on the left.
Trump had also pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, sentenced last year to 45 years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation by a U.S. court.
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