TEGUCIGALPA — The Trump administration has restricted visas for two leftist Honduran election officials, alleging interference in the Central American country’s special vote count.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement it had revoked the visa of Mario Morazán, a magistrate of the Electoral Justice Tribunal, and denied a visa application from Marlon Ochoa, a member of the National Electoral Council. Both belong to the ruling party Libre, or Liberty and Refoundation.
“The United States will not tolerate actions that undermine our national security and our region’s stability,” the Friday statement said. “We will consider all appropriate measures to deter those impeding the vote count in Honduras.”
Nearly three weeks after the Nov. 30 presidential election, Hondurans still do not know the results. Because of the narrow margin between the two leading candidates, electoral officials have carried out a special revision of 2,792 ballot boxes alleged to show inconsistencies or errors. Officials began the special vote count Thursday after more than a week of paralysis in tallying the vote.
With 99.85% of the vote counted, conservative candidate Nasry Asfura of the National Party — whom President Trump had openly supported in the lead-up to the election, fueling accusations of election intervention — is narrowly leading with 40.24% of the vote. Fellow conservative Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party follows with 39.64%.
In a distant third place is the ruling party’s candidate, Rixi Moncada, with 19.12%. Moncada has not recognized the results.
This is the latest example of Trump weighing in on Honduran affairs throughout the election. Since his return to office in January, his administration has wielded influence 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.
Just before the election, Trump pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, sentenced last year in a U.S. court to 45 years in prison for trafficking cocaine to the United States. He also threatened to withhold U.S. funding from Honduras if Asfura did not win.
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