Honduran opposition candidate Xiomara Castro takes big lead in presidential returns

Xiomara Castro
(Image credit: Luis Acosta/AFP/Getty Images)

Former Honduran first lady Xiomara Castro of the leftist Libre Party held a commanding lead Monday over ruling National Party candidate Nasry Asfura as votes were counted in Sunday's presidential election. The conservative National Party has held power in Honduras since a 2009 military coup deposed Castro's husband, Mel Zelaya.

Castro declared victory with only a fraction of the vote in, as did the National Party on behalf of Asfura, the mayor of Tegucigalpa, the capital. But Castro's declaration was more plausible. With 45 percent of polling stations reporting, Castro held on to a 53 percent lead to Asfura's 33 percent, according to a preliminary count by the National Electoral Council. Turnout was 68 percent, the council said, or 10 points higher than the messy 2017 election.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.