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Ricardo Martinelli’s candidacy in limbo amid pending electoral tribunal decision on disqualification

The candidacy of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) for the May 5th elections is still in limbo, pending the official announcement of his disqualification by the Electoral Tribunal of Panama following a 10-year prison sentence for money laundering, a conviction that also led him to seek asylum as a political refugee in the Nicaraguan embassy.

The sentence convicting the former president to 10 years and 6 months in prison for money laundering in the ‘New Business’ case, a complex scheme to irregularly purchase with public funds the Panama America S.A. Publishing House (Epasa) that publishes three newspapers, was confirmed on February 2nd.

However, more than 20 days after the conviction was confirmed, the official document has not reached the Electoral Tribunal, which has reiterated publicly this week that it cannot officially disqualify Martinelli as a presidential candidate until it receives the judicial ruling.

Amidst this confusing situation, a copy of the sentence was delivered to the TE last Thursday by a group of lawyers. Following this, the electoral body sent a request to Judge Baloísa Marquínez, who presided over Martinelli’s case, to “urgently indicate” the authenticity of the sentence copy presented by the lawyers and, “if so,” to send them a “certification” of the conviction.

“Judge Marquínez has informed us that at this time the sentence is not yet final; it is not in force (…) we have to wait for (the sentence) to first reach the Electoral Tribunal and all constitutional and legal procedures will be followed,” said the director of Legal Advice of the electoral entity, Rubén Darío González, outside the Supreme Court of Justice on Friday.

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Central America

Honduras election crisis deepens as CNE president denounces intimidation attempts

Tegucigalpa remains engulfed in a deep post-electoral crisis, marked by the absence of final results from the general elections held on November 30. On Thursday, the presiding counselor of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Ana Paola Hall, publicly denounced acts of intimidation that she warned could jeopardize the final phase of the process.

Following a meeting with the G-16+ diplomatic corps, Hall expressed concern over two specific incidents: a call by former president Manuel Zelaya summoning supporters of the Libre Party to gather outside the INFOP facilities—where electoral records and materials are being safeguarded—and a statement issued by the Permanent Commission of Congress accusing her and counselor Cossette López of alleged electoral crimes, an action she described as “baseless and outside their jurisdiction.”

Hall reaffirmed her institutional commitment and warned that she will not allow interference in the announcement of the results. “Honduras comes first,” she emphasized, underscoring her intention to defend the electoral process as a cornerstone of democracy.

Meanwhile, the preliminary results place Nasry ‘Tito’ Asfura, candidate of the National Party, in the lead with 40.52%of the vote, followed closely by Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, with 39.48%. The ruling party’s candidate, Rixi Moncada of Libre, is in third place with 19.29%. Around 0.6% of the tally sheets—many of them showing inconsistencies—have yet to be reviewed.

The Organization of American States (OAS) called an extraordinary session of its Permanent Council to analyze the situation, while civil organizations and governments such as Paraguay’s urged respect for the popular will.

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Honduran President Xiomara Castro accused the United States, and specifically former president Donald Trump, of obstructing the process, while also denouncing threats from gangs against voters aligned with her party.

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Central America

OAS and EU urge honduran political actors to respect vote results and avoid unrest

The Electoral Observation Missions of the Organization of American States (OAS/EOM) and the European Union (EU EOM) issued an urgent call on Wednesday urging political actors in Honduras to respect the will expressed at the polls on November 30 and to refrain from inciting public disorder while the vote count is being finalized.

Both missions called on candidates, political parties, and authorities to act responsibly and maintain “active vigilance” over the vote-counting process.

So far, the National Electoral Council (CNE) has processed 99.4% of the tally sheets, but 2,773 still show inconsistencies, representing more than 500,000 unverified votes. The electoral body has not set a date for the special review, though it could begin later this week.

“The OAS/EOM reminds that electoral authorities are the only ones empowered to validate the results and reiterates its rejection of any call to disrupt public order,” the mission said in an official statement.

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Central America

U.S. finds no evidence of fraud in Honduras election despite delays

The United States government said on Tuesday that it has found no evidence of electoral fraud in Honduras’ presidential election, despite several days of delays in the vote count caused by technical issues.

“We are not aware of any credible evidence supporting a call for annulment,” a State Department spokesperson told EFE in response to complaints over the slow release of official results. Washington emphasized that the elections were monitored by international observers, including representatives from the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU), and national entities, which it said strengthens the legitimacy of the process.

In the current tally, conservative candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura—backed by U.S. President Donald Trump—remains in the lead with 1,298,835 votes (40.52%), while his rival, Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, has 1,256,428 votes (39.48%). The difference of 42,407 ballots is based on the latest report from the National Electoral Council (CNE), with 99.40% of the tally completed.

According to the Trump administration, the vote reflects a clear rejection of the governing leftist Libre party, led by outgoing President Xiomara Castro.

“The CNE should certify the election results promptly,” the spokesperson said, urging all political actors to respect the independence of electoral institutions and comply with Honduras’ legal framework.

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The vote count—now stretching past four days—has fueled tension and uncertainty among the population. CNE president Ana Paola Hall attributed the delays to unspecified “technical problems.”

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