Violence erupts in Honduras as election protest boils over
A November vote which was marred by accusations of electoral fraud sparks protests in Honduras as the country prepares for a national strike ahead of the inauguration ceremony for President Juan Orlando Hernandez.
Supporters of opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla march to protest the re-election of Honduras' President Juan Orlando Hernandez in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on January 12, 2018.
Tempers flared in the streets of Tegucigalpa on Friday as opposition supporters and riot police traded rocks with a water canon amidst protesters over the recent re-election of President Juan Orlando Hernandez.
The November 26 vote has been marred by accusations of electoral fraud, sparking protests in Honduras, which has one of the world's highest murder rates.
According to the electoral tribunal, US-ally Hernandez beat centre-left challenger and TV star Salvador Nasralla by 1.53 percentage points, according to the official count.
Initial counts had suggested Nasralla had won, before the counting process was abruptly paused by the electoral body.
Journalist Heather Gies is following the developments from La Ceiba, Honduras.
In Friday's demonstration, protesters reportedly set fire to furniture inside the capital's Marriott Hotel.
The uptake in tensions comes as Honduras prepares for a national strike ahead of the inauguration ceremony for Hernandez.
According to a tally by the Committee of Detained Disappeared Persons in Honduras, 22 people have been killed, including two police officers, in national protests since the vote.
TRT World's Nafisa Latic reports.
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