House Foreign Affairs subcommittee warns of threats to Honduran vote as Nov. 30 approaches

WASHINGTON — Witnesses and members of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere said Tuesday that Honduras’ Nov. 30 presidential election is at risk of being undermined by politicization of institutions and pressure on electoral authorities.

In opening remarks and testimony, Chairwoman Salazar and multiple witnesses said steps by the Xiomara Castro government — including reported moves to replace members of the National Electoral Council (CNE), public statements by military leaders and legal actions involving electoral officials — have raised concerns that the vote could lack credibility. "If you look at the way that they've gone after the electoral council ... everyone sends a representative. The fact that those 2 members are being attacked by the actual government ... shows you where this election is headed," former U.S. ambassador to the OAS Carlos Trujillo told the subcommittee.

Why it matters: Honduran electoral authorities adjudicate and certify results; witnesses said partisan or coerced changes to those institutions would make it difficult for international observers and parties to verify outcomes and could lead to contested results or unrest. Deborah Ulmer of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) noted that credentialed domestic observers and published polling-station results are essential to restoring public trust.

What witnesses testified: Trujillo testified the attorney general has summoned opposition-aligned members of election bodies in a manner that could be used to disqualify them, and he said the National Congress leadership has named replacements he described as aligned with the government. He also described death threats and judicial pressure reported by election officials, and said some officials have temporarily left the country. Ulmer reiterated NDI’s finding that Honduras entered the vote with "deep distrust" rooted in past crises, pointing to the 2009 constitutional crisis and the 2017 post-election violence as precedent. Enrique Roy of Human Rights First warned that weakened rule-of-law institutions and criminal infiltration heighten the stakes for election integrity.

U.S. role and international observers: Witnesses urged a range of measures — amplified public statements by the State Department, expanded accreditation for nonpartisan domestic and international observers, prompt publication of verifiable, polling‑station results and, if warranted, targeted sanctions against individuals who undermine the rule of law. Ulmer said the Organization of American States and the European Union are sending missions and should be given full access; Roy urged more vocal State Department engagement in the days before the vote.

Members' concerns and exchanges: Members from both parties pressed witnesses on whether they believed the election could be stolen. "The answer is yes," Trujillo said when asked whether the Castro government was trying to rig the vote. Several members raised the involvement of the Honduran armed forces, citing a history in which the military has exercised outsized political influence and concerns that the top brass have become more politically aligned.

What happens next: The subcommittee did not vote on any measures. Members said they would submit additional questions for the record; witnesses urged continued U.S. congressional attention and international observation in the final days before Nov. 30. The chairwoman closed by saying the hearing aimed to send a bipartisan message to Hondurans that the U.S. Congress supports free, fair and transparent elections.

Ending note: The panel’s recommendations centered on ensuring observers access, protecting independence of electoral institutions, rapid publication of results and applying targeted measures against individuals who violate electoral integrity.