Palestinian descendant elected president of Honduras

Honduras’ electoral authorities have announced the victory of Nasry Asfura, a right-wing candidate backed by US president Donald Trump, in the presidential election, after weeks of delay in counting the votes.

The head of the National Electoral Council (NEC), Ana Paola Hall, said the council “announces the victory of Nasry Juan Asfura Zablah for a four-year presidential term, beginning on 27 January 2026 and ending on 27 January 2030.”

Asfura, 67, who is the son of Palestinian immigrants, defeated Salvador Nasralla, who had called for a full recount of the votes over claims of irregularities.

Trump had earlier declared his support for the candidate widely known as Tito Asfura in the Honduran presidential race. He said the two could work together against “communist drug traffickers” in the region.

Weeks earlier, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that “The only real friend of Freedom in Honduras is Tito Asfura.”

The US president added: “Tito and I can work together to fight the Narcocommunists, and bring needed aid to the people of Hondura.”

Asfura was born to Palestinian parents who migrated to Central America during the Arab-Israeli conflict in the 1940s.

He studied civil engineering but left university before completing his degree, later building a career in the construction sector before entering public life in the 1990s.

Honduras is considered one of the most violent countries in Latin America, mainly due to gangs involved in drug trafficking and organised crime.