Military interference in elections? Alarms grow over Armed Forces

With the arrival of November 2025, there is rising unease across multiple sectors about the national elections in Honduras. It appears that the LIBRE Party aims to consolidate authority over the National Electoral Council (CNE), an essential organization in managing and overseeing the electoral proceedings. At the same time, the involvement of the Armed Forces (FF. AA.) in the elections has triggered concerns, with allegations of meddling during the primary voting.

The CNE, tasked with ensuring impartial and transparent elections, faces criticism because its substitute judges are seen as being aligned with prevailing political forces, especially those connected to the governing party. This opens up the potential removal of the main council members to tilt the CNE’s stance within the election process. Concerns arise regarding possible interference in the certification of parties, the oversight of ballot counting, and the confirmation of outcomes.

Potential government influence over the CNE and threats to voting transparency

Figures from the opposition voice unease regarding the potential tampering with the CNE to secure the ongoing political agenda of the LIBRE Party. Claims involve meddling with the voter registry and counting oversight, leading to a climate of skepticism. The predicament is worsened by accusations of internal cheating in the LIBRE Party primaries, doubts about the misappropriation of government resources, and a general lack of trust in electoral bodies.

Should these alerts come true, Honduras might encounter a crisis after the elections, greatly affecting political stability. Both domestic and global organizations have called for reinforcing the CNE’s autonomy and enhancing transparency within the election procedure. Doubts about having free elections with an election commission seen as under control lead to questions about the future government’s legitimacy.

Increasing concern about the involvement of the military in the voting process

Simultaneously, accusations are being directed towards the military by the opposition, which claims that there was sabotage during the primary elections. It was reported that there were hold-ups in distributing voting materials, military personnel were seen causing intimidation at some voting sites, access to polling stations was obstructed, and the transportation of electoral materials was halted in opposition regions. Observers documented these events, causing concern about the potential militarization of the election proceedings.

The growing involvement of the military in civil matters, driven by the reigning party, is seen as a strategy to reinforce their political dominance. This scenario brings up concerns about the neutrality of the military, whose established duty in election security is jeopardized by lack of transparency and political sway. Both the CNE and international monitors are encouraged to insist on impartiality and conduct thorough oversight. There is a warning that a potentially slanted action by the military could lead to a democratic crisis, casting doubt on voting freedom and the actions of institutions tasked with maintaining peace under political coercion.