Trump Pardons Former honduran President Amidst Drug Trafficking Accusations and election Interference Claims
TEGUCIGALPA,HONDURAS – In a move drawing sharp criticism,former U.S.President Donald Trump has pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, the ex-president of Honduras, who was convicted in the United States on drug trafficking charges. The pardon has ignited debate over the motivations behind the decision, with some alleging it’s a smokescreen for broader geopolitical ambitions in the region.
Hernández was accused of facilitating the shipment of tons of cocaine to the United States while in office. The pardon comes as Trump has publicly championed a hardline stance against drug trafficking, claiming to have “done more than anyone to combat the scourge of illicit drug-related deaths” by “securing the border” and “striking narcoterrorists.”
However, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, a long-time critic of hernández, condemned the pardon, stating in a recent interview with CBS that Trump “makes fun of drug trafficking” by proposing to release “the leader of one of the largest criminal organizations ever convicted by American courts.”
The timing of the pardon also coincides with heightened U.S. interest in the political landscape of Honduras. During the recent Honduran presidential election held on sunday, the White House openly supported right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura, even threatening to withhold aid if he did not win. Trump posted on Truth Social, questioning whether Venezuelan President nicolás Maduro and “his narcoterrorists” would “take over another country like they did Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela?”
According to preliminary results from the National Electoral Council (CNE), Asfura secured 40.6% of the vote,narrowly defeating his right-wing competitor Salvador Nasralla (38.8%) and significantly outpacing left-wing candidate Rixi Moncada (19.6%). Moncada denounced the U.S. actions as “interference.”
The New York Times reported that Trumpist advisors have privately expressed interest in Venezuela’s oil reserves and discussed the possibility of impeaching Maduro. The American daily also noted that the “massive deployment of American forces in the Caribbean” lacked “strategic justification,” suggesting “broader ambitions.”
