All Eyes on Honduras
The sweeping assault on democratic institutions unfolding in the United States since Donald Trump returned to power has not been confined within U.S. borders. Its repercussions have been felt across the hemisphere—nowhere more clearly than in Honduras.
On November 30, Hondurans went to the polls to elect a new president, National Congress, and municipal authorities amid heightened political tension and international scrutiny. Long before election day, Honduran social movements warned that authoritarian currents emanating from Washington were once again shaping the country’s political climate.
In the weeks leading up to the vote, Trump sharply escalated U.S. intervention from afar: publicly endorsing National Party candidate Tito Asfura, reviving long-discredited narratives used by the Honduran right, and signaling a return to an era of U.S.-backed strongman politics that has left deep scars on Honduras’s democratic institutions.
Global Exchange’s Honduran partner, the Center for the Study of Democracy (CESPAD), emerged from this history of resistance. Its roots lie in decades of struggle against U.S.-supported oligarchic dictatorships that dominated much of the 20th century. CESPAD itself was founded in response to the 2009 military coup—a rupture of democratic order that was widely condemned by Honduran civil society and shamefully whitewashed by the Obama administration.
Four years ago, CESPAD invited Global Exchange to support the international component of its civic election observation during a pivotal “return to democracy” vote. That election resulted in the defeat of the National Party after years of authoritarian rule under Juan Orlando Hernández—one of a series of golpista presidents—who was later charged with drug trafficking and extradited to the United States.
In 2025, Global Exchange once again organized international election observation alongside CESPAD, in alliance with the Honduras Solidarity Network (HSN) and partners throughout Central America, Mexico, and Colombia. Many of these partners gathered together in advance of the elections at a pro-democracy strategy meeting co-convened with allies in Guatemala.
New Report: Honduras Under Siege
To document and analyze this critical moment, Global Exchange and our partners released a new report, Honduras Under Siege.
Grounded in on-the-ground research, political analysis, and testimony from Honduran civil society, the report examines the conditions surrounding the 2025 elections, including foreign political interference, institutional fragility, militarization, and coordinated efforts to undermine public confidence in democratic participation.
The report situates the election within Honduras’s longer history of U.S. intervention and elite capture, while lifting up the voices of social movements and human rights defenders who have been sounding the alarm—and organizing in defense of democracy. Read the full report.
What We Observed—and Why It Still Matters
In the weeks leading up to and during the November 30 elections, Global Exchange coordinated a multinational delegation of international observers who traveled across Honduras alongside local civil society partners. Observers met with human rights defenders, journalists, community leaders, and grassroots organizations in both urban and rural areas, documenting conditions before, during, and after election day.
Across regions, observers encountered a deeply polarized political climate shaped by fear-based narratives, disinformation, and sustained efforts to undermine confidence in electoral institutions. Honduran civil society partners consistently warned of attempts to discredit electoral authorities, delegitimize results before votes were cast, and normalize uncertainty as a political strategy. Many described an environment in which participation itself felt fraught, and where democratic safeguards appeared increasingly fragile.
On election day and in the immediate aftermath, observers reported widespread anxiety tied to delays in results reporting, lack of transparency in communications from authorities, and the rapid spread of inflammatory claims questioning the legitimacy of the vote. In multiple locations, community members expressed concern that these dynamics risked escalating tensions and weakening public trust—regardless of the eventual outcome.
Observers also documented how international political rhetoric amplified instability on the ground. The high-profile intervention of Donald Trump—including his public endorsement of a candidate and repetition of long-debunked claims—was repeatedly cited by Honduran partners as destabilizing. Many viewed these actions as contributing to confusion, legitimizing anti-democratic narratives, and reinforcing historical patterns of external pressure at a critical moment.
As protests, legal challenges, and public disputes over results unfolded in the days following the vote, observers noted that the crisis extended beyond election day itself. The ongoing uncertainty has had lasting consequences for democratic participation, civic trust, and the safety of those defending democratic space.
These findings underscore why international observation, independent documentation, and sustained solidarity with Honduran civil society remain essential—not only during elections, but in the long and contested period that follows.
Standing With Honduran Democracy—After the Vote
Global Exchange maintains strict non-partisan neutrality. At the same time, we remain unwavering advocates for a peaceful, transparent, and genuinely democratic process—and for the right of the Honduran people to determine their future free from foreign interference.
📌 Read and share the report
📌 Explore our election observation findings
📌 Support ongoing international solidarity with Honduran civil society
