An International Observer’s Experience/ Justicia Winter 2026

February 19, 2026

A Reflection from ASJ-Canada Board President, Matt Van Geest

Matt Van Geest receives symbolic Dionisio painting from Carlos Hernández, ASJ co-founder and ASJ-Honduras executive director.

Canadians went to the polls in 2025 in an election that, for most of us, was over in the time it takes to grab a coffee. For me, I showed my ID, marked my ballot in private, dropped it in the box, and headed home, all within 5 minutes. Results arrived before bedtime. Democracy in Canada has always felt, to me, efficient, orderly, and secure. In late November, I was in Honduras as part of an international delegation observing that country’s national elections. The contrast was striking, and instructive. If you want to understand the fragility of democracy, sometimes you need to leave home. 


Election day in Honduras unfolds with an intensity and transparency unfamiliar to most Canadians. I noted throughout the day how much fun people seemed to be having! The loud Latin music being played outside of voting centres helped with that vibe! Voters lined up early. Observers from political parties and those organized by civil society stood around each table as the day begins, ensuring that processes are respected. And once voting closes, every citizen has the legal right to observe the manual count at each polling station, sometimes a process that stretches late into the night. I heard counting coming though the open window of my hotel room still coming in at 3 in the morning!


The vote was exceptionally close, and election night counting was slow. The close results meant that the process would be slow. When electoral authorities announced that results would not be available until the following Monday (which stretched into a month), tension rose across the country. For many Hondurans, uncertainty during that long count carried real political and economic risk.


The election was also shaped by events far beyond Honduras’ borders. In the days leading up to the vote, a series of unexpected and forceful statements from U.S. President, Donald Trump, shifted public opinion. The Liberal Party had been expected to win. But after Trump signalled clear support for the National Party, many Hondurans reassessed their choice out of fear that opposing Trump’s preferred candidate might trigger punitive policies affecting immigration status or the flow of remittances. The concern was not abstract as roughly a quarter of Honduras’ GDP comes from remittances (the flow of money sent to family members). 


That fear is also connected to the recently released U.S. foreign policy framework which emphasizes American dominance in the hemisphere and explicitly discusses shaping electoral outcomes in Latin America. Hondurans understand that their democracy, not just their economy, is vulnerable to forces beyond their borders.

Despite the contested counting process and the negative impact of external influences – both important learnings for me – I also got a glimpse into the impact of organizations like ASJ-Honduras. Organizing 12,000 domestic observers and a small group of international observers was no small feat, and demonstrated their commitment to transparency, good governance and anti-corruption. 


I returned to Canada with a different understanding of what democracy can cost. We can’t just treat it like the coffee run of my election experience earlier last year – it’s something that requires work and it is worth fighting for. And what struck me most on election day in Honduras was not so much the fragility or the external influences – it was the determination. Honduras lined up to vote because it mattered to them, and that was a lesson worth bringing home.


“After many years of effort, we’re excited to share that in 2025, ASJ-Canada received official charitable status from the Canada Revenue Agency. This will allow Canadians to get a tax receipt while donating to the work of ASJ in Honduras. 

We launched our new website and social media presence and are very excited about this new chapter, already seeing the outpouring of support from Canadians who are invested in this work. 2026 will be a foundation-building year as we continue to grow and sustain our support of this shared mission.”

- Matt Van Geest, Board President, ASJ-Canada

ASJ- CANADA WEBSITE

READ MORE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE OF JUSTICIA

  • A Welcome Message

    Words from the Executive Director


    In November, I had the privilege to travel with ASJ supporters from the US and Canada to Tegucigalpa as a team of international election observers. The experience was profound. I’ve been sharing about it with anyone who will listen ever since. One of the most common questions I get is, “Were the results legitimate?” After I answer with

    an emphatic, “Yes!”, there is the inevitable follow-up, “How do you know?”

    It’s a good question. And I have a good answer.

    Read More
  • A Honduran Celebration

    How Hondurans Live Out the Joy of Democratic Participation. 

    by Ernesto Cortés


    In the months leading up to the presidential election in Honduras, there was an atmosphere of anxiety and uncertainty. The media frequently broadcast news stories that suggested public institutions were being exploited for partisan purposes. There was strong polarization between political parties, fake news, attacks and hate speech against candidates. In this context of democratic crisis, I signed up to be an observer with the Network for the Defense of Democracy (RDD)—a civil society alliance led by ASJ—because I believed that only by participating actively and consciously could I contribute to building a more just society for all Hondurans.

    Read More
  • A New Beginning for Education

    A Spotlight on Our Dedicated Volunteers.


    The first week of February is when, ideally, Honduran schools should welcome students to the classrooms. However, this has only happened a handful of times. Honduran law also requires schools to provide at least 200 days of classroom instruction. This has also only happened a handful of times. 

    Read More
February 19, 2026
A Spotlight On Our Dedicated Volunteers
February 19, 2026
How Hondurans Live Out The Joy of Democratic Participation
February 19, 2026
Words from the Executive Director
January 27, 2026
Thirsty For Justice
Hondurans cast their ballots during the November 30, 2025, general election, which saw historic vote
By Brian ASJ December 10, 2025
Hondurans cast their ballots during the November 30, 2025, general election, which saw historic voter turnout and a peaceful process supported by more than 12,000 national and international election observers working to safeguard transparency.
December 2, 2025
ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US Congratulate the Honduran People,  Call for Full and Transparent Results As sister organizations committed to justice, peace and hope in Honduras, ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US extend our deepest congratulations to the people of Honduras on the peaceful conduct of their national elections on November 30, 2025. With the initial tally showing an extraordinarily close vote, we call on election authorities to do what is necessary to ensure a transparent count of the remaining ballots in order to guarantee public trust in the final outcome. We commend the Honduran voters for their dedication to democratic participation and their commitment to shaping the future of their country through civic engagement. We also recognize the efforts of electoral authorities, civil society organizations, the international community and the thousands of volunteer observers who worked to ensure a transparent, orderly, and secure process. We are especially proud of our sister organization, ASJ-Honduras, for their unwavering commitment to democracy demonstrated through their electoral observation efforts, their analysis activities, and their consistent call for a fair and orderly process. Now that such a process has been achieved, the work turns to counting the votes with accuracy and transparency. The results remain close, increasing the possibility of a contested result. We support the work of the election officials at the National Electoral Council to give Hondurans confidence in the final results by conducting their count with rigor and transparency. We remain hopeful that the spirit of peaceful participation in the democratic process embraced by the electorate will carry forward into the post-election period to come. We look forward to continued collaboration with ASJ-Honduras as we all work together toward a just and hopeful future for all Hondurans. Matthew Van Geest President, Board of Directors ASJ-Canada Russ Jacobs President, Board of Directors ASJ-US
November 28, 2025
A call to action for Honduras
By Elizabeth Hickel November 25, 2025
The Association for a More Justice Society-US Supports the Network to Defend Democracy; Calls for Free and Fair Elections in Honduras November 25, 2025
November 13, 2025
Honduras’s Institutional Crisis Deepens Ahead of the 2025 Elections
By Elizabeth Hickel November 12, 2025
Dear friend,  I couldn’t stop looking at the picture. Of course, there had been plenty of inspiring photos from this summer’s Prayer Walk for Peace and Democracy. The sea of blue and white rising and falling as hundreds of thousands walked the Honduran hills through Tegucigalpa, flowing like a never-ending stream. Catholic nuns praying their rosaries alongside Pentecostals dancing in the streets. But the picture that still knocks me flat is the closeup. The one of the two men standing side by side (picture enclosed). They are exhausted, and the shorter collapses into the taller. The tears mostly hold joy and relief, but they are mingled with something darker. After all, there had been threats—promises of harm done to themselves and their loved ones if they led their followers through the streets of Honduras in prayer. Despite the fear and intimidation, Pastor Gerardo Irías and Monsignor José Vicente Nácher forged ahead. They knew Honduras needed unity and, above all, prayer before the looming November 2025 presidential elections. As an ASJ supporter, you know that these kinds of threats aren’t out of the ordinary, and your support has helped slow and reverse violence in Honduras. Today, I am writing to share a way you can continue standing with brave Hondurans like Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José in hope. The Evangelical pastor and the Catholic archbishop put the word out as widely as they could to their churches, hoping to mobilize 20,000 to walk and pray. Instead, an estimated 230,000 walked in the capital of Tegucigalpa alone. It was a historic moment. And without your past support for ASJ, it may have never happened. After all, two years prior, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José didn’t even know each other’s names. They first met in 2023 at ASJ’s offices. They were two of many civil society leaders convened by ASJ to discuss safeguarding democracy– especially before the election in 2025. It was at that meeting that they shook each other’s hand and learned each other’s name. It was at that meeting–and many subsequent meetings–where old religious prejudices began to be replaced by trust and mutual affection. So, when the moment came this summer to act, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José knew what they had to do. And they knew that they had to do it together.
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