Secretary of State Marco Rubio commended President-Elect Nasry Asfura for supporting US strategic goals and deepening bilateral cooperation.
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Honduran President-Elect Nasry Asfura to congratulate him on his election victory.
The State Department said Rubio commended Asfura for his advocacy of US strategic objectives in a statement on Friday.
These objectives include advancing bilateral and regional security cooperation and strengthening economic ties.
“Secretary Rubio commended President-Elect Asfura for his advocacy of US strategic objectives,” the statement said.
Both leaders expressed readiness to deepen cooperation and strengthen the US-Honduras partnership.
Asfura, a conservative businessman backed by former US President Donald Trump, was declared the winner on Wednesday.
His victory followed a tight election marred by delays and allegations of fraud in the impoverished Latin American nation.
Trump’s support for Asfura had previously fueled allegations of US interference in the Honduran electoral process.
Asfura prevailed with 40.1% of the vote after prolonged recounts, narrowly beating right-wing candidate Salvador Nasralla.
Before the vote, Trump endorsed Asfura, saying they could work together to fight “narcocommunists.”
Trump also warned “there will be hell to pay” if Asfura’s razor-thin lead was overturned during the count.
On the eve of the election, Trump pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez.
Hernandez, a member of Asfura’s party, was serving a 45-year US prison sentence for drug trafficking.
The surprise pardon was widely seen as contradicting Trump’s crackdown on alleged drug traffickers in Latin America.
Asfura’s new presidential term is scheduled to begin on January 27.
