Protests grow as vote count in Honduras drags on
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Protesters and police clashed violently Thursday as incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez emerged with a growing lead for re-election following a reported computer glitch that shut down vote counting for several hours.
Challenger Salvador Nasralla has alleged fraud and said he won’t respect the official results. He’s watched an initial five-point lead diminish in recent days as official results have trickled out.
Thursday night, Hernandez was ahead by more than 45,000 votes with nearly 93 per cent of Sunday’s votes processed. He had 42.9 per cent of the vote to Nasralla’s 41.4 per cent.
Opposition supporters protested throughout the day and into the night outside the electoral court’s facilities and on major boulevards, setting up roadblocks and lighting bonfires in the streets. Hooded demonstrators threw rocks and pieces of wood at riot police carrying batons and shields, who responded forcefully with tear gas and water cannons as calls to maintain calm were increasingly unheeded.