The US-backed Nasry "Tito" Asfura, began his administration on Tuesday, following a political crisis that called into question the validity of his victory and the backing of President Donald Trump.
At the National Congress, the 67-year-old began his 2026-2030 term before a handful of supporters, where he took the oath of office before Congressional leader Tomas Zambrano, who placed the presidential sash on him.
“We have to get to work with humility. Time has started to run, and we have to solve people’s problems in order to serve them,” Asfura said in his first speech as president.
The ceremony in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, took place without the presence of other international leaders, as is customary, nor leaders from neighbouring Guatemala and El Salvador.
The speech focused on the president’s policies, especially on security, welfare, and education, where he highlighted that 10 million books had already been printed for first-grade children.
‘Hondurans want peace’
The electoral crisis that preceded Asfura’s ceremony ended up dividing the country between supporters and those who believed the process was threatened and manipulated.
The ruling Libre party went as far as denying the election results, openly calling them electoral fraud, rejecting Asfura’s victory, and condemning Trump’s support as interference.
At the ceremony, Asfura called for unity. “Hondurans want peace and prosperity, and that is what we are going to focus on. A divided family does not move forward, and Honduras is a great family that must be respected and work together for its future,” he said.
Before the ceremony, Asfura had already mapped out his international presence by scheduling visits to the US, where he met senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and to Israel, where he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Asfura arrives at the presidency in a polarised climate and has promised to focus his administration on security and the economy.
