Trump Intervenes in Honduran Elections, Announces Pardon for Former President Juan Orlando Hernández Convicted of Drug Trafficking

Honduran Vice Chancellor of Foreign Policy Gerardo Torres responded to Trump's statements, emphasizing that Hernández "is guilty, and the forgiveness offered by the U.S. President does not make him innocent." The former president was sentenced in 2024 to 45 years in prison in the U.S. for smuggling "tons of cocaine" into the country.

The Citizen

28/11/2025 10:04pm

Original article: Trump interviene en elecciones de Honduras y anuncia indulto a expresidente Juan Orlando Hernández, condenado por narcotráfico

Trump Intervenes in Honduran Elections, Announces Pardon for Former President Juan Orlando Hernández Convicted of Drug Trafficking

In a move reminiscent of his actions in Argentina, U.S. President Donald Trump has directly intervened in the Honduran presidential elections, declaring that if his favored candidate, businessman Tito Asfura, does not succeed, the United States «will not waste its money» in the Central American nation.

Additionally, Trump revealed his intention to grant a pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was sentenced in 2024 to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking offenses in the U.S.

«I will grant a full and unconditional pardon to former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who, according to many people I deeply respect, has been treated very harshly and unfairly,» Trump stated on his personal social media platform.

Honduran Response: «The People Know Who JOH Is»

From Honduras, Vice Chancellor of Foreign Policy Gerardo Torres responded to Trump’s remarks, asserting that former President Hernández «is guilty, and the forgiveness offered by the U.S. President does not absolve him of his crimes.»

«Juan Orlando Hernández smuggled tons of cocaine into the United States, was responsible for the murders of prosecutors, police officers, journalists, and lawyers. The cartel he established in Honduras led to the deaths of hundreds of Hondurans and created a climate of crime, poverty, and violence like never before in the country,» added Gerardo Torres.

Meanwhile, Eduardo Enrique Reina, former Foreign Minister of Honduras and candidate for the vice presidency under the ruling Libertad y Refundación (Libre) party’s Rixi Moncada, emphasized that «the Honduran people know very well who Juan Orlando Hernández is.»

«We reject these mechanisms, especially when dealing with a convict who was sentenced for serious crimes. The American people and the U.S. government can do whatever they want in their country, regardless of whether this criminal brought tons of cocaine right under their noses, as they have acknowledged. But if he returns here, he will be a convict for those crimes,» Reina insisted.