A Palestinian organization dedicated to documenting Palestinian families and origins has confirmed the Palestinian ancestry of Salvador Nasralla, the losing candidate in the recent Honduran presidential elections.
The organization, known as ‘Identity,’ stated on its Facebook page that it verified Nasralla’s Palestinian roots based on ‘exclusive historical documents dating back to the British Mandate period.’ The group describes itself as ‘the national project for preserving the roots of the Palestinian family.’
According to the organization’s findings, Salvador Nasralla’s presence in Honduras can be traced back to his grandfather, Issa Odeh Nasralla, who was born in Beit Jala, Palestine, in 1886. The statement indicates that Issa Nasralla married a Palestinian woman in 1913 and subsequently traveled with her to Honduras that same year. They settled in San Pedro Sula before moving to the city of Trujillo, where he established himself as a merchant.
Nasralla’s loss in the election followed a period of uncertainty. On December 25th, Honduran electoral authorities declared Nasry Asfura, the right-wing candidate, the winner of the presidential election after weeks of delayed vote counting and accusations of fraud.
Asfura, a 67-year-old businessman and the son of Palestinian immigrants, narrowly defeated Nasralla, a former television host who also identifies as right-wing. Nasralla had demanded a complete recount of the votes, alleging irregularities.
Official results show Asfura secured 40.1% of the vote, compared to Nasralla’s 39.53%, and the 19.19% received by Rixi Moncada, who was backed by outgoing leftist President Xiomara Castro. The National Electoral Council has declared ‘Nasry Juan Asfura Zablah the winner for a four-year presidential term.’ He is scheduled to assume office on January 27th.
