Former United States President Donald Trump has said that he plans to pardon former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is currently serving a long prison sentence in the US for drug trafficking. Trump made this announcement just two days before Honduras goes to the polls for its national election.
Trump posted the statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Friday. He wrote that Hernandez “has been treated very harshly and unfairly,” according to people whom Trump says he trusts and respects. The announcement quickly drew attention across Latin America and the United States, especially because of its timing and political impact.
After Trump’s message, Hernandez’s wife, Ana Garcia, spoke to the media. She said the family was hopeful and thankful for Trump’s public support. Photos shared by news agencies showed her addressing reporters after the announcement.
Hernandez previously served as Honduras’s president from 2014 to 2022. During his time in office, he was seen as a strong US ally by several American administrations. But immediately after he left office, he was charged with drug trafficking and weapons-related crimes. He was extradited to the United States in 2022. A federal jury in New York found him guilty, and in June 2024 he received a 45-year prison sentence in a major drug-trafficking case.
Prosecutors said Hernandez abused his position as president to run Honduras like a “narco-state,” helping large drug groups in exchange for money and power. They accused him of protecting cocaine shipments passing through Honduras, including operations involving his brother, Juan Antonio Hernandez. According to the US Justice Department, Hernandez and his partners trafficked more than 400 tons of cocaine from 2004 to 2022 — an amount equal to billions of doses. Hernandez has always denied the allegations.
The Trump administration has recently been talking tough on drug trafficking, especially in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. Officials say the US has carried out several strikes on suspected drug-carrying boats in recent months, which they claim have killed more than 80 people involved in trafficking. The administration also declared Cartel of the Suns, a group linked to senior Venezuelan military officers, as a foreign terrorist organization. This cartel is alleged to be guided by Nicolas Maduro, although the Venezuelan government has strongly denied such accusations.
At the same time, the US has deployed what officials describe as its largest military force in the region in decades, including a major aircraft carrier. This has led many observers to wonder whether the US might be preparing for military actions inside Venezuela. Trump has earlier talked about the possibility of targeting drug groups within that country. According to a report by The New York Times, Trump even spoke with Maduro last week and discussed a potential meeting. On Thursday, Trump said the US would soon start blocking Venezuelan cartels by land.
ALSO READ: Skipping your morning meal could silently harm your health, say experts
ALSO READ: Bangladesh faces rising tensions as legal battle over Hasina intensifies
This pardon announcement is politically significant for Honduras, which is preparing for an important national election. Earlier in the week, Trump endorsed Nasry Asfura, a former mayor of Tegucigalpa, who is running for the presidency. Asfura belongs to the conservative National Party — the same political party that Hernandez represented during his presidency. Trump’s support for the National Party candidate has already influenced the political atmosphere, and the pardon announcement has added even more pressure and debate.
Political analysts in Honduras and the US say the pardon message may affect voter opinions, especially among conservatives who still view Hernandez as a leader who helped maintain stability. Others believe it could damage trust in the justice system, because Hernandez’s conviction followed a long investigation and strong evidence presented in court.
Human rights activists and anti-corruption groups in Central America expressed concern, saying the announcement could send the wrong message to leaders accused of misusing state power. They argued that granting a pardon to someone convicted of organizing a large drug-trafficking network might weaken global efforts to fight narcotics.
On the other side, Hernandez’s supporters claim he was targeted unfairly because of political rivalries inside Honduras. They believe Trump’s decision acknowledges these concerns. Hernandez’s legal team welcomed the announcement but said they were waiting for the official pardon order before commenting further.
In the United States, legal experts pointed out that the president has full constitutional authority to grant pardons, even in cases involving foreign leaders. However, many former prosecutors said such a decision would be highly controversial, especially due to the scale of the crimes involved and the international impact of the case.
As of now, no formal pardon document has been issued, and it is unclear exactly when the process will move forward. But Trump’s public statement has already reshaped discussions about US-Central America relations, drug-trafficking policies, and the political situation in Honduras. With the election only days away, the announcement may continue to influence debates, party strategies, and public reactions in both countries.
Copyright © © 2022 Copyright. All Rights Reserved with Arth Parkash