Trump-backed candidate Tito Asfura declared Honduras presidential election winner

Trump-backed Honduras conservative National Party presidential candidate Nasry "Tito" Asfura was declared winner of the country's election on Wednesday.

The big picture: Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Asfura soon after the Honduran National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that he had won the Nov. 30 vote, which was beset by a series of delays that saw technical glitches and allegations of fraud.

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By the numbers: National Party's Asfura won 40.27% of the vote and the rival conservative Liberal Party's Salvador Nasralla received 39.39%, per CNE.

State of play: President Trump alleged on Truth Social earlier this month Honduran officials were "trying to change" the results that indicated Asfura was ahead in the close race, without providing evidence, and warned there'd be "hell to pay" if this were the case.

• Nasralla continued to make fraud allegations on Wednesday evening and it was not immediately clear if he'd concede the election.
• Héctor Corrales, director of the Honduran research institute NODO who worked for the European Union's electoral observer mission, said he'd found no evidence of widespread or large-scale fraud, per the New York Times.

What they're saying: Rubio congratulated Asfura, former mayor of Honduras' capital Tegucigalpa, in a Wednesday evening statement on his "clear electoral victory."

• He said he looked forward to "working with his incoming administration to advance our bilateral and regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration" to the U.S. and strengthen the economic ties between the two countries. 
• "The United States urges all parties to respect the confirmed results so that Honduran authorities may swiftly ensure a peaceful transition of authority to President-Elect Nasry Asfura."

Flashback: Xiomara Castro becomes Honduras' first female president