On November 28, the Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project posted: “PBI accompanies the collective of trans women Muñecas de Arcoiris who observe to secure the inclusive vote. The defender of human rights and trans woman JLo Cordova denounces gender discrimination at the time of casting her vote.”

Reportar Sin Miedo (Report without Fear) has also tweeted: “JLo Córdova, director of the trans collective Muñecas de @arcoirisghn denounces that she suffered discrimination towards her gender expression when voting in #Tegucigalpa.”

This accompaniment took place in a dangerous context. The Washington Post reports: “At least 31 political-related slayings have occurred during the campaign, the highest number on record, according to the Honduran National Observatory of Violence. Those killed include congressional and mayoral candidates and their top supporters.”

Additionally in this context, Le Monde has reported that during the election campaign the ruling National Party vilified the Libre proposal to legalize same-sex marriage.

Initial results

Late that same day, Reuters reported: “With over 27% of the vote counted, Xiomara Castro, the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya, had 53.7% support, while Nasry Asfura, candidate of the ruling National Party had 33.8%, the national electoral council said.”

The following day, November 29, The Guardian reported: “With half the ballots counted, Castro held a nearly 20-point lead over Nasry Asfura who won 34% of the vote, according to a preliminary tally on Monday.”

Election monitoring

Reuters also notes: “Numerous national and international election observers monitored Sunday’s voting, including the European Union’s 68-member mission. Zeljana Zovko, the chief EU observer, told reporters around midday that her team mostly saw calm voting with high turnout, although most polling stations they visited opened late.”

The New York Times adds: “The chief of the Organization of American States’ electoral observation mission, Costa Rica’s former president Luis Guillermo Solís, called the vote ‘a beautiful example of citizen participation’, noting the high apparent turnout.”

The Associated Press has also reported: “The Organization of American States observation mission said in a statement late Sunday that the voting had appeared to be ‘appropriate and peaceful’.”

The 2017 election

The Associated Press reports: “In 2017, after a protracted election filled with irregularities, protesters filled the streets and the government imposed a curfew. Three weeks later outgoing President Orlando Hernández was declared the winner despite the Organization of American States observation mission calling for an election re-do. At least 23 people were killed.”

The 2009 coup

And BNN Bloomberg notes: “Castro, the wife of a president deposed in a 2009 coup, leads polls heading into Sunday’s vote and could potentially end 12 years of rule by the conservative National Party.”

We continue to follow reports on this election.

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