• Nasry Asfura wins Honduras' presidency with 40.3% of the vote amid a contested election.
• His opponent, Salvador Nasralla, claims electoral fraud and calls for a recount.
• U.S. President Trump endorsed Asfura, influencing the political atmosphere in Honduras.
• The election has sparked protests and accusations against the National Electoral Council.
• The results mark a shift to conservative leadership in Honduras and Latin America.

Nasry Asfura, the conservative candidate backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, has been declared the winner of Honduras' presidential election, securing 40.3% of the vote after a long and turbulent counting process following the November 30 polls. His main opponent, Salvador Nasralla, of the center-right Liberal Party, received 39.5%, prompting Nasralla to contest the election results and accuse the electoral system of foul play, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, and South China Morning Post.

The electoral body, National Electoral Council (CNE), faced significant criticism as delays, technical failures, and allegations of fraud marred the vote count process, with a substantial number of votes needing to be counted manually. This situation led to increasing political tensions within the country, as supporters of the governing Libre Party, led by outgoing President Xiomara Castro, rallied against what they deemed an "electoral coup," according to Anadolu Agency, BBC, and NPR.

Asfura's election extends a rightward trend in Latin American politics, recently mirrored by Chile's election of a far-right leader. Trump had positioned Asfura as a necessary ally, even threatening to cut U.S. funding to Honduras should he lose the election, suggesting this sanction could be leveraged to ensure Asfura's success over his opponents, which critics argue constitutes electoral interference, according to Le Monde, CBS News, and Los Angeles Times.

Despite a complex backdrop of international scrutiny and protests, Asfura declared, "Honduras: I am ready to govern. I will not let you down," signaling a determination to advance his agenda amidst ongoing disputes over the election's integrity. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also affirmed the U.S. commitment to work alongside Asfura's incoming administration to tackle issues such as illegal immigration and enhance economic ties, according to Reuters and Anadolu Agency.