Honduran lawmaker injured in Congress by homemade explosive

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — A Honduran lawmaker from the conservative National Party of President-elect Nasry Asfura was injured Thursday when someone threw a homemade explosive device into the country’s Congress.

Lawmakers had been called to convene and Deputy Gladis Aurora López was in a hallway of the legislative building when she was hit in the back with the device. López fell to the floor and her jacket was shredded. Witnesses took her for medical treatment, but her injuries were not considered life threatening.

Tomás Zambrano, president of the National Party’s delegation in Congress, blamed the outgoing ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party, or LIBRE, for the attack. Zambrano said via the social platform X that he considered it an attack against the National Party.

Lawmakers had been convened to consider a LIBRE proposal to order an election recount, even though electoral authorities declared a winner in December.

LIBRE has not recognized the results of the Nov. 30 election. The National Electoral Council announced Asfura as the narrow winner nearly a month after the vote.

Security footage showed the device was thrown from outside the building in the street. The person who threw it appeared to have been with another man. Police were still searching for those responsible.