Honduras goes into polls under US shadows: Reports

Honduras today is holding general elections marked by preemptive allegations of voting fraud and an intervention by the United States. 

The presidential race has been clouded by uncertainty. Out of the several candidates running to succeed Honduran President Xiomara Castro, three have emerged as the frontrunners, but there is no clear favorite to win. 

"We are in an election with a deep political and economic divide," political scientist Héctor Soto Caballero told CNN. "It highlights the clash between two completely different visions for the country." 

Castro's term is due to end on January 27, which would mark the first time a left-wing president has finished a term in the country. Her husband, leftist former President Manuel Zelaya, was overthrown in a coup in 2009.  The president is supporting the left-wing candidate of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (LIBRE), lawyer Rixi Moncada, who was the country's first female defense minister and has promised to continue Castro's agenda. 

While Honduras' economy has shown moderate growth under Castro, who has maintained her social protection focus and continued the International Monetary Fund's credit program, the campaign has shifted focus to other polarizing issues.  "What's at stake isn't the typical campaign promises, with problems related to health, education and security. LIBRE came in and proposed a discussion that touches the very foundations of the system: democratizing the economy. But it's not proposing this through dialogue with the business sector; instead, it's confrontational. This has polarized society," said analyst Soto. 

Also in the running is centrist-liberal Salvador Nasralla, a populist of the Liberal Party. The television star is a former ally of Castro who served as her vice president until last year. He has called for labor reforms and stronger trade relations with the West. 

The candidate of the National Party is right-wing businessman and former Tegucigalpa Mayor Nasry "Tito" Asfura. 

The construction magnate who is running on a free market platform has been endorsed by US President Donald Trump.

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