Versión Español
Earlier today, we ran a news piece on allegations of illegal activity during the elections in Honduras. To be specific, a pro-democracy organization in Honduras, CESPAD, was chronicling incidents of concern and alleging wrongdoing on the part of Partido Nacional.
Given what may have been a chaotic day, and plenty of impartiality, I sought a variety of perspectives. In particular, Ana Quintana of the Heritage Foundation was there as an observer and well qualified to speak on the matter. Allow me to share her response in full (emphasis added).
In my opinion from visiting numerous voting centers throughout Tegucigalpa, I personally did not see or hear of the [Partido Nacional], or any party for that matter, repressing observers or voters. Rather, my experience has proven the opposite. All the parties and the security forces were extremely welcoming of the observers and facilitated our mission throughout the entire process. It should be noted that the EU, OAS, and the American ambassador all declared the elections to be transparent, and reflective of the will of the Honduran people. Additionally, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal should be commended for their efforts before, during and after the electoral process. Through their diligent work, the 2013 elections have been internationally recognized as a success.
