Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday night spoke to Honduras President-elect Nasry Afura, hours after he was declared the winner of that country’s election.
“I was glad to congratulate the President-elect of Honduras, Nasry Afura, on his election as President of Honduras. I conveyed our warm wishes to the people of Honduras, wished him success in his role, and invited him to visit Israel,” wrote Sa’ar.
“Honduras has a long history of friendship with the State of Israel and the Jewish people. We agreed to work to strengthen bilateral relations for the benefit of both countries,” added the Foreign Minister.
Honduras moved its embassy to Jerusalem in June of 2021, joining the United States, Kosovo and Guatemala. However, that move was promoted by former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was later succeeded by leftist President Xiomara Castro.
Castro's government announced in November of 2023 that Honduras was recalling its ambassador to Israel for consultations, citing what it called Israel's “violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip”.
Honduran electoral authorities officially declared Asfura the winner of the country’s presidential election, concluding a tense, weeks-long count that cast doubt over the credibility of the Central American nation’s electoral system, the Associated Press reported.
Asfura, head of the conservative National Party, secured 40.27% of the vote in the November 30 election, narrowly defeating four-time presidential contender Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, who received 39.53%. The candidate of the ruling Liberty and Re-foundation Party (LIBRE) finished third with 19.19%.
The 67-year-old former mayor of Tegucigalpa, who was backed by US President Donald Trump, won in his second attempt for the presidency, following a neck-and-neck race that fueled international scrutiny and accusations of irregularities. On Tuesday night, several electoral officials and opposition figures clashed over the outcome, while Asfura’s supporters celebrated at campaign headquarters.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Asfura on Wednesday, posting on social media, “The people of Honduras have spoken ... (the Trump administration) looks forward to working with his administration to advance prosperity and security in our hemisphere.”
Asfura ran as a pragmatic conservative, emphasizing his successful infrastructure projects in the capital. Trump endorsed him just days before the vote, saying Asfura was the only Honduran candidate the United States would be willing to work with.
Opponents of Asfura have insisted that Trump’s late endorsement constituted foreign interference that may have swayed the vote.