TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Opposition candidate Nasry Asfura has won the Honduran presidential election, raising prospects for renewed relations with Taiwan after a two-year break.
Honduras’ National Electoral Council announced Wednesday that Asfura of the National Party secured 40.26% of the vote with 99.93% of ballots counted, narrowly defeating former Vice President Salvador Nasralla. Rising unemployment and economic challenges led both opposition candidates to signal that they might restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan, according to The Guardian and CNA.
Honduras ended its 82-year relationship with Taiwan in March 2023 under President Xiomara Castro, establishing diplomatic ties with China following negotiations for expanded economic assistance. The decision has been criticized by Asfura, who argued that Honduras was “100 times better” off economically when it maintained ties with Taiwan.
A 67-year-old political veteran with over three decades of experience, Asfura has repeatedly pledged to restore relations with Taiwan. In a July interview with Bloomberg, he said his administration would resume diplomatic ties with Taipei, framing the move as a way to revive trade and stabilize employment in key export-driven industries.
The country’s shrimp industry, a major export sector since the 1990s, illustrates the economic impact of the switch.
Taiwan once accounted for about 40% of Honduran shrimp exports. After relations shifted to China, shrimp exports fell nearly 70%, leading to the closure of at least 60 companies and the loss of roughly 14,000 jobs.
Asfura has positioned Honduras’ foreign policy around closer alignment with what he described as “the US, Israel, and Taiwan,” citing them as friendly partners in addressing the country’s economic and security challenges.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the government maintained communication with both pro-Taiwan candidates throughout the election process. Lin added that Taipei remains open to discussions with the president-elect, aiming to establish relations based on equality and mutual benefit, according to UDN Money.
Taiwan and Honduras first established official relations in 1941, upgrading them to ambassadorial ties in 1965. Over the decades, Taiwan provided disaster relief and development assistance, including over NT$314.4 million (US$10 million) for reconstruction after Hurricane Mitch in 1998, aircraft and helicopters worth about NT$1 billion in 2014, and an NT$9.4 billion loan in 2019 for health care, education, and infrastructure projects, according to CNA.
Trade ties were significant. In 2022, Taiwan exported about NT$2 billion worth of goods to Honduras and imported about NT$3.9 billion, mainly frozen shrimp and coffee.
However, Taiwan currently maintains formal diplomatic relations with only 12 countries, as Beijing has persistently sought to persuade governments to switch recognition. Financial incentives and other considerations often influence diplomatic choices, with many countries ultimately choosing to align with the world’s second-largest economy.
China’s promised economic assistance after the diplomatic switch has yet to fully materialize. Combined with the loss of access to the Taiwanese market and rising competition from Chinese products, Honduras’ economy, particularly in the shrimp sector, has faced mounting pressure.
Rising unemployment and economic challenges led both opposition candidates to signal that they might restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan if elected. Asfura’s victory now brings renewed attention to the future of Honduras–Taiwan relations.
