Trump claims efforts in Honduras to "change the results" of an election in which he's backed the party of an ex-president convicted of trafficking cocaine to the U.S.

Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla said last-minute interference from U.S. President Donald Trump in the country's closely fought election had damaged his chances of winning and left him trailing as vote counting dragged on.

The impact on the race is unclear. Some Hondurans say they backed Mr Asfura in the hope that he could maintain good relations with the United States. Others say the release of Mr Hernández, who turned Honduras into a narco-state, convinced them not to vote for his party. Contrary to Mr Trump’s claims, most Hondurans did not want Mr Hernández freed.

With votes from about 57% of polling places counted in Honduras, preliminary and partial results showed conservative candidates Nasry Asfura and Salvador Nasralla leading the presidential contest early Monday and the governing party trailing.