In a politically charged move from West Palm Beach, Florida, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his intention to pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former Honduran leader serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and weapons convictions. Trump justified his decision through social media, claiming respected sources indicated Hernandez had received unduly harsh and unfair treatment.
The convicted former president, who led Honduras through two terms until 2022, was found guilty in U.S. federal court last March for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. Hernandez had been incarcerated at the U.S. Penitentiary in Hazelton, West Virginia, while pursuing appeals against his conviction.
His legal representative, Renato C. Stabile, expressed profound gratitude for Trump’s intervention, characterizing it as the correction of a ‘great injustice’ and anticipating Hernandez’s ‘triumphant return to Honduras.’ Another attorney, Sabrina Shroff, declined to comment.
Trump’s announcement coincided with his explicit endorsement of Nasry ‘Tito’ Asfura, the conservative National Party candidate in Honduras’ upcoming presidential election. Trump framed the election as a critical test for democracy, warning that U.S. support would be contingent on Asfura’s victory. He threatened to withhold American aid if another candidate wins, suggesting Honduras could otherwise fall under the influence of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Asfura, former mayor of Tegucigalpa, faces competition from Rixi Moncada of the democratic socialist Libre party and Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party. The election occurs against the backdrop of heightened U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, with Trump not ruling out potential military or CIA operations against Venezuela despite expressing openness to dialogue with Maduro.
Current Honduran President Xiomara Castro has maintained pragmatic relations with the U.S. despite her leftist leanings, continuing cooperation on extradition and security matters. The political landscape gained additional international dimension with Argentine President Javier Milei, a Trump admirer, publicly endorsing Asfura as the opposition candidate against ‘leftist tyrants.’