Hondurans are casting their ballots in a general election that is being dominated by threats from former US President Donald Trump.
There are five presidential candidates on the bill, but the poll is essentially being seen as a three-way race between former defense minister Rixi Moncada of the leftist Libre party, TV host Salvador Nasralla from the centrist Liberals, and businessman Nasry 'Tito' Asfura, of the right-wing National Party.
Trump has thrown his support behind Asfura and threatened to cut financial aid to the Central American nation if he does not win.
The most recent opinion poll puts Nasralla in the lead, but with 34% of voters saying they are still undecided, it could be anyone's race.
Outgoing president Xiomara Castro, who was the country's first female president when she took office in 2021 for the Libre party, is not allowed to run for a second term under Honduran law.
She has backed Moncada to take her place. The 60-year-old lawyer has pledged to protect natural wealth from 21st-century filibusters who want to privatize everything if she wins. Moncada has also expressed her commitment to combating corruption in all its forms.
On Saturday, Moncada accused Trump of meddling in the election, calling his endorsement of her right-wing opponent totally interventionist.
Trump stated that the US would be very supportive if Tito Asfura wins the presidency.
The US sent more than $193 million to Honduras last fiscal year, according to the State Department website, and despite aid cuts, has sent more than $102 million this year. The Trump Administration has already reportedly cut $167 million in economic and governance aid that had been earmarked for 2024 and 2025.
Asfura has pledged in a series of social media posts to bring development and opportunities for everyone, to facilitate foreign and domestic investment into the country and generate employment for all.
However, his party has been plagued by scandals and corruption accusations in recent years, including the sentencing of former party leader and ex-president Juan Orlando Hernández last year.
Hernández was jailed for 45 years in the US on drug-smuggling and weapons charges, a decision Trump now intends to overturn.
Asfura has carefully tried to distance himself from Hernández. On Friday he told news agency AFP that he has no ties with the ex-president, and that the party is not responsible for his personal actions.
The current front runner, though, is 72-year-old Salvador Nasralla, who is running for president for the fourth time.
He claims that his win in 2017 was stolen due to electoral fraud perpetrated by Hernández. His government has promised to focus on an open economy, with a commitment to generating employment and severing ties with China and Venezuela.
Pre-emptive accusations of election fraud have sown mistrust in the vote and sparked fears of post-election unrest. This prompted the president of the National Electoral Council to warn all parties not to fan the flames of confrontation or violence.
