Honduras elects its first female president, Xiomara Castro, of the country's leftist party

The ruling party of Honduras conceded defeat Tuesday in the presidential elections that had been held Sunday, quelling fears of a contested and vote and protests. 

Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry Asfura, the National party’s candidate, said that he personally congratulated leftist candidate and former First Lady Xiomara Castro on her historic win. 

“Now I want to say it publicly, that I congratulate her for her victory and as president elect, I hope that God illuminates and guides her so that her administration does the best for the benefit of all of us Hondurans, to achieve development and the desire for democracy,” said Asfura. 

Only about half the votes from the weekend’s election had been tallied at the time of Asfura’s concession, but victory for Castro appeared imminent. With 52% of the vote counted, Castro had a significant lead over Asfura with 53% of the vote, compared to his 53%. 

Shortly after Asfura conceded, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared his congratulations, writing in a statement: “The United States congratulates the people of Honduras on their election and Xiomara Castro on her historic victory as Honduras’ first female president. We look forward to working with the next government of Honduras.”

On Twitter, Castro celebrated her victory with a message for the citizens of Honduras. “People, I am not going to fail you!” she wrote. Castro ran a campaign focused on the working poor of the country. Despite attempts to paint her as a far left candidate, experts believe she will govern as a centrist with an ability to attract foreign investment in the country. 

Asfura’s quick concession was a relief to the people of Honduras who suffered days of rioting that left 23 people dead, following a contested 2017 election.