The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, publicly congratulated conservative Nasry “Tito” Asfura on his electoral victory in Honduras and made it clear his interest in walking together on a cooperation agenda that benefits both countries and the region. Through his official X account, Mulino got straight to the point: “I congratulate the elected president of Honduras @titoasfura and wish that we can work together for the benefit of our countries and the region,” wrote the Panamanian leader. The 67-year-old Asfura was declared the virtual elected president of Honduras for the 2026-2030 period, after an electoral process that extended for 24 days of scrutiny, marked by fraud allegations, political tensions, and accusations of international interference, including the public backing of U.S. President Donald Trump. Along with Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and the Dominican Republic also congratulated Asfura, calling for a peaceful and orderly transfer of power, according to a joint communiqué released on Wednesday. Popularly known as “Papi a la orden,” the former mayor of Tegucigalpa and candidate for the National Party obtained 40.26% of the votes, narrowly defeating Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, who reached 39.54%, with 99.93% of the tallied sheets, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE). Asfura will assume power on January 27, succeeding President Xiomara Castro, from the Libre party, who reiterated in her Christmas message that she will hand over power as established by the Constitution, without extending her term by a single day.
