Read Part 1 here.

Roy Santos is perhaps one of the most influential people in the current Honduran government. He doesn't hold any public office, but he is a pastor who closely advises politicians such as the newly elected president, Nasry Asfura, who took office at the end of January, and the leader of the National Congress, José Tomás Zambrano.

Since 1996, Santos has dedicated himself full-time to his ministry at the Church of Christ, Manantial de la Mies Ministries in the city of San Pedro Sula. He is currently the director of the Prayer Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of Honduras.

In his opinion, the civic role of the Honduran church in the recent elections that ended the rule of the socialist Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre) was exemplary. He discusses that moment and the challenges facing the new Honduran government in this interview.*

In contrast to Xiomara Castro’s government, the newly-elected Nasry Asfura received you for a time of prayer shortly before assuming the presidency. What issues did they address there?

One of the purposes of the meeting was for President Asfura to align himself with the prophetic design by which God has chosen him and allowed him to govern the nation. In 2018, God had spoken to me that the next president He had for Honduras was Nasry Asfura. I documented this entire process in writing so we could analyze it together.

In 2021, I spoke to the entire nation, but part of the nation and the church were influenced by a global progressive wave, and here in Honduras, communists took advantage of this to launch a hate campaign against Nasry Asfura's political party, which prevented his victory. Even so, he obtained approximately 1.3 million votes.

In 2023, when Asfura decided to run again, he called me for a consultation, and I confirmed that it was God's will for him to continue in this purpose.

The election was very close. The other candidate, Nasralla, had a higher number of votes. But God did His work, answering our prayer based on Isaiah 28:21: “For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim, he will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon; to do his work, his strange work, and to perform his deed, his strange deed.” Then President Trump sent two powerful messages urging Hondurans to vote for Asfura. And there was a complete turnaround.

In the meeting we had, I told him that I had reached that position exclusively by the hand of God, and that I had to respond to the changes the nation needed.

In that prayer meeting, you mentioned that “the country has returned to constitutional order.” What was the situation in Honduras during Xiomara Castro's government?

During Xiomara Castro's government, there was intense political conflict and great ideological polarization. The Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre), led by Manuel Zelaya Rosales, promoted reforms for the supposed “refounding of the State.” This generated concern among business sectors, the church, and conservatives who associate such an agenda with models like that of Nicolás Maduro or the so-called “21st-century socialism.”

Then, there was a prolonged state of emergency (from December 2022 until the end of his administration) without the support of the National Congress, due to a lack of votes.

There were also conflicts in the election of the Supreme Court (2023), a process marked by political blockades and mutual accusations of attempts at control by Castro's party.

The Ibero-American Congress for Life and Family (CIVF), regarding Asfura's inauguration ceremony, emphasized that it is a miracle "that the election in Honduras overthrew a perverse regime that wove fraud to remain in power" and "that the electoral institutions and the army stood firm in the defense of democracy, despite the threats from the ruling party." How did Honduras experience that long period of waiting for the final results from the Electoral Commission? I know there was violence against pastors.

After the November 30 elections, when the nation saw that the communist-leaning party was being crushed from the very beginning of the count, it breathed a sigh of relief, and the entire country celebrated that resounding victory.

But what came next was no surprise; we knew that the left and its allies would do anything to stay in power. It was a perverse agenda with a well-orchestrated attempt at post-electoral fraud by Zelaya, leader of the ruling party, and Nasralla, the Liberal Party candidate. Honduras’s hope rested, first and foremost, on God, and then on the direct participation of the United States government and international observers who remained steadfast, faithful to the facts, and guaranteed the veracity of the results.

Those were days filled with uncertainty and intense polarization. The count was slow and involved a review of the tally sheets. The leftist party in power boycotted the count, while the liberals refused to continue counting, hoping to run out the clock and prevent a declaration of victory. There were cross-accusations between parties and parallel press conferences proclaiming victory. There was a great deal of tension on social media and in the press. The National Electoral Council (CNE) faced questions about the digital uploading of tally sheets, logistical delays, and attempted kidnappings.

And amidst all of this, the church and civil society made forceful appeals, and the nation demanded peace. Thank God, victory was achieved!

What are the main challenges this newly begun term with Asfura at the helm will face?

The first challenge is internal, within President Asfura's own National Party. God and the nation have given him the opportunity to govern again after his defeat in 2021, following 12 consecutive years in power.

The party had lost due to corruption and a failure to deliver justice. No one believed they could return to power so quickly. However, they have the advantage of being the strongest political party and the only one that champions the defense of life, family, and religious freedom. Furthermore, they have a majority of Christians within their ranks.

Today, the National Party must combat corruption, fight for better citizen security, dignified employment, low taxes and sustenance for families, quality public education with values — including the Bible — public health and protection of life, support for migrants and a reduction in forced migration, national unity with integrity in its leadership, and faith in God in a Christian nation.

Asfura promises a government more aligned with Western values and distanced from the Castro-Chavista axis. Do you believe the continued presence of the so-called “Cuban medical missions” in the country, which keep dozens of healthcare professionals in a state of semi-slavery, should be reconsidered?

Yes. I believe there should be a rethink on this issue**. So far, there is no public and confirmed information regarding a final decision by Nasry Asfura's government to unilaterally cancel the Cuban medical missions in Honduras.

It is understood that the agreement between Honduras and Cuba to bring Cuban doctors is about to expire, and its renewal will be decided by this new government.

Charles Spurgeon used to say that only fools believe that politics and religion are not to be discussed. What is your view of the role of the church and believers today in a society like Honduras?

The recent elections indicated that the weight of the church and the faith of believers in Christ can have a transformative impact. Renowned journalists in the country declared after the elections that the country had been saved thanks to the work of the church and the good Hondurans who cried out in faith for God's help.

We have entered a new era, where the church has a fundamental role. It must exert influence through the testimony of faith. We must engage believers who are now in positions of power to uphold their testimony and empower God's values.

Things like this are being projected from the National Congress, where the president is José Tomás Zambrano, a believer since the age of 13, from a Christian family with church-building parents, who is working on a law to ensure the Bible is present in public schools.

The church faces the challenge of a more institutional role, of being a regenerating agent with the strength and power of the Holy Spirit, transforming individuals and development systems. This is so that Honduras is not only known as a nation that believes in Christ but also has the faith of Christ’s word sown in its generations, forming an ethical and civic conscience, acting as an agent of national reconciliation, defending integral human dignity from conception, and promoting the responsible participation of believers in every sector for progress.

*Interview produced on February 18th, 2026.

**On February 23, 2026, the government of President Nasry Asfura announced its decision not to renew the bilateral agreement that had allowed the presence of Cuban medical brigades in Honduras for the past two years. A total of 128 Cuban doctors left Honduras.