US asks candidates to respect peace and results in Honduras

TEGUCIGALPA (AP) — United States Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian A. Nicolas made a three-day trip to Honduras a few days before the general election and asked candidates to respect the results and call on his followers. For peace.

“It is the responsibility of all political actors to tell their supporters to remain calm and speak calmly,” he said.

He also called for free, fair and transparent elections after meeting with candidates, members of civil society, leaders of private companies, election observers, government officials, diplomatic corps and National Electoral Council (CNE) officials. As well as the Attorney General, Oscar Fernando Chinchilla.

Nichols said that elections in Honduras are “very important to the people of Honduras and the United States” and that for her country’s president, Joe Biden, and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, issues of support for democracy, democratic governance and Respect for fundamental freedoms. He clarified that the United States has no preference over any candidate or party and remains fair in that contest.

The US official was accompanied by Milady Gillart, deputy assistant administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), who also asked voters to remain calm and wait for the final results. He also asked the CNE to deliver the results in a transparent and time bound manner. “The authorities should enforce respect for the will of the citizens,” he said.

The Organization of American States and the European Union deployed observation missions to Honduras for the 28 November elections. The US Embassy in Tegucigalpa, the private sector and various civil society organizations will also deploy election observation teams. Observers help ensure the transparency and fairness of an election in which all Hondurans with the right to vote can exercise their right to vote.