A resident of Steinbach was in Honduras earlier this month when the results of a presidential election caused tremendous fear.

Mark Reimer explains the vote was held November 26th. There were nine candidates but really only one serious challenger to incumbent Juan Orlando Hernandez. His name is Salvador Nasralla, who heads the party, Alliance Against the Dictatorship.

Reimer says Hernandez or JOH, is considered a corrupt President. He changed the constitution in order that he could run for re-election. Previously, a President could only serve a single term. JOH also established his own military police, which executed violence against civilians in Honduras.

"There was a real hope that Nasralla would be able to upend his political career," shares Reimer.

Within the first 24 hours of ballot counting, Nasralla held a five percentage point lead. But then the digital counting machines went silent. Reimer says the next 24 hours became tense as there was no new information available, but instead cries of fraud began to surface.

When the election results came back to life, the challenger had a one point lead. But it didn't take long before JOH overtook Nasralla.

"The people took to the streets on Wednesday with protests, burning tires, marching," recalls Reimer.

He says there was a government imposed curfew from 6 pm to 6 am where people were relegated to their homes. Those who obeyed the curfew whipped out pots and pans and started clanging them together, raising a mountain of sound in protest to the election results. Others disregarded the curfew and took their chances against military and police who met them with tear gas and batons.

Reimer says for the next three days there were protests, people marched in the streets and the first death was recorded in La Ceiba when a protester was killed by police. He notes there was a state of tremendous fear. The host family he was staying with was sent home from work. One of them worked at a bank, but that bank was fully barricaded to prevent windows from being broken. He adds a significant amount of looting took place as people took advantage of the chaos.

Reimer is in Honduras with Mennonite Central Committee. He says MCC goes to great lengths to take care of its workers. At the prompting of MCC, Reimer did not leave his home for six consecutive days.

Then things quieted down. Reimer says at no point did he fear for his life, though he admits that may have been because of ignorance. Reimer didn't witness any of the actual protests or demonstrations but says he certainly saw the remnants. While walking to Church following the melee he saw what was left of burnt tires all over the streets, a gutted car that was flipped upside down and still a significant police and military presence.

Reimer says as of this week, the official election results have still not been announced. He says though everything is now calm, there is a sense of impending doom.

Reimer says what he witnessed this month is unlike anything he has ever seen before. He happened to be in Ecuador in March when Lenin Moreno won the election. Even though people there protested what many called a fraudulent result, Reimer says those were peaceful demonstrations. And he says though Canadians might burn tires and loot buildings in response to a hockey game, they don't show that same passion for political events.

"I'm really grateful for the electoral process that we have in Canada," admits Reimer.

He says Canadians might have a party affinity, but the reality of life is not so different regardless of who forms government.

"While there may be displeasure at who wins an election in Canada, people don't take to the streets to protest or cry fraud," he says. "There is a safety in the electoral process in Canada that is not present in this election in Honduras."