Voters blamed the Defense Minister Moncada for the incidents.

On Sunday, the Honduran primary elections were marked by voter discontent due to irregularities in the distribution of electoral materials at various polling stations, with delays of up to more than twelve hours.

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Since early in the day, long lines and scenes of frustration were common at several polling stations, where citizens expressed their outrage over the delayed delivery of electoral kits or the absence of representatives from one of the three participating political parties at the polling tables.

Complaints multiplied on social media, where voters shared photos and videos of empty polling stations or staff waiting for electoral materials to arrive. These complaints were echoed by candidates for elected office, who demanded explanations from the National Electoral Council (CNE).

Authorities Admitted Failures

Election authorities acknowledged that there were “difficulties” in the distribution of electoral kits in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, despite all the materials having been dispatched from the Electoral Logistics Center in the nation’s capital.

CNE President Cossette Lopez stated that some ballot boxes were missing and assured that she would personally go search for them.

“We are not looking for scapegoats, but solutions,” she emphasized, urging the public, “Do not contribute to misinformation or chaos. We have a report from the Armed Forces, and only 24 schools have yet to open, but the data does not match. Ten trucks were replaced by 90 buses to transport the electoral kits, and the transportation company has let us down,” Lopez added.

However, the CNE’s explanation did not ease the frustration of many voters, especially in Tegucigalpa, where hundreds of citizens took to the streets in protest, as even by 4:00 p.m. local time, they had still not received the necessary materials to cast their votes.

The CNE extended voting by four hours in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula due to the incidents reported at several polling stations. As late as 7:00 p.m. local time, minibuses escorted by police and military forces were still transporting the necessary materials to conduct the elections.

Over 5.8 million out of 10 million inhabitants were eligible to participate in the primary elections, which are not mandatory and serve as a precursor to the general elections on November 30, in which the successor to President Xiomara Castro—who will leave office in January 2026—will be chosen.

The contest included the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre), the main opposition force, the National Party, and the Liberal Party.

Military and Defense Minister Blamed for the Incidents

Opposition leaders and voters in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula blamed the Armed Forces and Defense Minister Rixi Moncada—who is also a presidential candidate for the Libre Party—for the incidents.

The leader of the National Party’s legislative caucus, Tomas Zambrano, accused the Libre Party of “sabotaging” the elections with “the support of a highly ideologized sector of the Armed Forces.”

Various social sectors and political leaders in Honduras have demanded that the Prosecutor’s Office conduct a “thorough investigation” into the irregularities in the elections and hold those responsible accountable for “infringing on the voting rights” of thousands of Hondurans.

Elections in Honduras are monitored by more than 1,000 national and international observers, including representatives from the Organization of American States (OAS).

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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