Trump Signals Potential Pardon for Ex-Honduras Leader Convicted of Drug Trafficking
WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump has indicated he would consider pardoning Juan Orlando Hernández, the ex-president of Honduras currently serving a life sentence in the United States on drug trafficking and weapons charges. The statement came as part of a broader endorsement of Hernández’s political ally, Tegucigalpa’s former mayor Tito Asfura, in Honduras’ upcoming presidential election this Sunday.
Trump’s social media post warned that if Asfura loses, “the United States will not be throwing good money after bad, as a wrong Leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which country it is indeed.” Hernández governed Honduras from 2014 to 2022 and was arrested shortly after leaving office.His management forged a close partnership with Washington.
The potential pardon has drawn scrutiny from UN human rights experts, who recently warned that the U.S. “war on narco-terrorists” has led to extrajudicial executions.
Currently, Honduras is led by Xiomara Castro, who assumed office in 2021 and has cultivated ties with cuba and venezuela. While Castro has maintained a pragmatic relationship with the U.S., including receiving visits from U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and cooperating on deportation matters, Trump’s administration has been critical of her leftist stance and the governments of Cuba and Venezuela.
The Honduran election remains competitive, with asfura in a close race with former defense minister Rixi Moncada and television host Salvador Nasralla. The winner will serve a term between 2026 and 2030. Concerns about the electoral process have been raised by the Institution of American States and Washington, both of which are monitoring the election closely. Some analysts fear disputed results and potential claims of victory by multiple candidates.
