US President Donald Trump on Saturday praised his Honduran counterpart, Nasry Asfura, whom he endorsed during the campaign, following a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Asfura, a conservative businessman and former mayor of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, was sworn in last week after winning the November elections with Trump’s backing. Trump had threatened to cut aid to Honduras if his “friend” was defeated.
“I had a very important meeting with my friend and the President of Honduras, Nasry ‘Tito’ Asfura,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Once I gave him my strong endorsement, he won his election! Tito and I share many of the same America First values. We have a close partnership on security.”
The two leaders also discussed investment and trade between their countries. Asfura is scheduled to speak to the media about the talks on Sunday. The Honduran presidency released a photo showing the pair smiling and giving a thumbs up.
Asfura previously met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 12 January, after which the two nations announced plans for a free trade deal. His election victory gives Trump another ally in Latin America, following conservative wins in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina, where campaigns focused on crime and corruption replaced left-wing governments.
Trump has urged countries in the region to choose between closer ties with Washington or Beijing. Asfura, who succeeded left-wing leader Xiomara Castro, has indicated he is considering switching diplomatic recognition from China to the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
On the eve of the Honduran election, Trump also pardoned former president Juan Orlando Hernandez, a member of Asfura’s party, who had been serving a 45-year prison sentence in the US for drug trafficking. Hernandez was convicted of helping to smuggle 400 tonnes of cocaine into the United States.
Trump’s decision drew criticism, particularly as US forces were simultaneously taking action against alleged drug shipments in the Caribbean and tightening sanctions on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, whom Washington accuses of drug trafficking.
