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US President Donald Trump praised Honduran President Nasry “Tito” Asfura, whom he endorsed on the campaign trail after a meeting at Mar-a-Lago.
Asfura, a conservative businessman and former mayor of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, was sworn in last week after winning the November elections with Trump’s backing.
They discussed investment and trade, and Asfura is set to speak to the media on Sunday. The Honduran presidency released a photo of the two smiling and giving a thumbs-up.
Asfura had met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in January, and plans for a free trade deal were announced. Trump has been pressuring countries in Washington’s backyard to choose between close ties with Washington or Beijing.
Trump’s endorsement helped reinforce conservative ties in Latin America as several countries shift toward closer US cooperation and away from Beijing.
Asfura, who succeeded left-wing leader Xiomara Castro, has said he is considering switching diplomatic ties from China to the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
On the eve of the Honduran election, Trump, in a surprise move, pardoned former president Juan Orlando Hernandez, from Asfura’s party, who was serving a 45-year prison sentence in the US for drug trafficking.
