Trump Praises New Honduras Leader After Talks In US

US President Donald Trump praised conservative Honduran counterpart Nasry Asfura after a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort, with Asfura vowing on Sunday to be Washington’s “most reliable strategic partner.”

Asfura, a 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 Central America’s poorest country 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.”

For his part, Asfura described his meeting at Mar-a-Lago as “productive” and said the two leaders agreed to boost investment and trade.

“Honduras is ready to grow, attract investment, and establish itself as the most reliable strategic partner of the United States in the region, with stability, security, and a clear vision of prosperity,” Asfura said in a post on X early on Sunday.

The Honduran presidency released a photo of the two leaders smiling and giving a thumbs-up.

Asfura had already met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 12, after which the two countries announced plans for a free trade deal.

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His win gave Trump another ally in Latin America after conservatives campaigning heavily on crime and corruption replaced leftists in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina.

Trump has been pressuring countries in Washington’s backyard to choose between close ties with Washington or Beijing.

Asfura, who succeeded left-wing leader Xiomara Castro, has said he is considering switching diplomatic ties from China to the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

Trump pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez in a surprise move on the eve of the Honduran election

Hernandez, from Asfura’s party, was serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking. He was convicted of helping to smuggle 400 tons of cocaine into the United States.

Trump’s decision to pardon him, even as US forces were blowing up alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and tightening the noose on Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington accuses of drug trafficking, drew heavy criticism.

AFP