The return of “Tito”
It seems that in Honduras politics is like a soap opera of entanglements: the same actors, the same dramas, and a public that, even if it complains, cannot stop watching the next chapter. On this occasion, the conservative businessman Nasry “Tito” Asfura returns to the fray to compete for the presidency of the nation this Sunday. His mission, not an easy one, is to lead the National Party in its epic attempt to regain power. Of course, after the same party was burned more than a steak forgotten on the grill thanks to the delicious corruption scandals that surrounded his predecessor, former president Juan Orlando Hernández (or “JOH” to friends, now a permanent resident of an American prison complex, courtesy of a drug trafficking conviction). What details, right?
Asfura, who in 2021 had the bitter experience of losing against the current president Xiomara Castro, has handled the “JOH matter” with the delicacy of an elephant in a china shop: she avoids it as if it were the bird flu. However, with a face harder than concrete, he insists that his political group should not be stigmatized by the “small slips” of the former ruler. The polls, with their infinite wisdom, place him comfortably among the favorites, sharing the bill with the ruling party Rixi Moncada and the eternal candidate and showman, Salvador Nasralla. The election, for added fun, is without a second round, which basically means that whoever manages to gather the largest mix of votes in a single round will win. A real horse race with a single jump.
The support of the American friend
In a twist that no one saw coming (or maybe they did, because in politics everything is predictable), the candidate received a luxurious boost. None other than former US President Donald Trump, who, in a burst of transnational generosity, stated that he could collaborate with him to combat drug trafficking and urged him to lead a government of “freedom and democracy.” Because if there is anyone who knows how to build walls against external threats, it is Trump. This international support comes at a key moment for the candidate’s campaign, a 67-year-old man with Palestinian roots, widely recognized for his double term as mayor of Tegucigalpa. I’m sure that endorsement shines brighter than a diamond in a trash can on your resume.
The little clouds in the tax haven
Despite its brilliant educational career, Asfura is not free from certain “misunderstandings.” Specifically, he faces some questions due to an investigation into an alleged diversion of municipal funds and certain allegations about his flirtatious ties with companies located in tax havens. Accusations that, of course, he denies with the vehemence of a child whose candy has been taken away. To sweeten the pill, in his election proposal he promises to “lift the country” through investment, job creation and strengthening citizen security with a lot of technology and prevention models. Because, clearly, what a country with corruption problems needs is more technology, not more honesty. It’s like putting a burglar alarm on a house whose foundation is crumbling.
So prepare yourselves, dear readers, for another episode of the Honduran saga. Where promises fly higher than reality, and the skeletons in the closet have more movement than the candidates themselves.
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