标签： South America

In a dramatic turn of events that has captivated international attention, Honduras finds itself at a political crossroads with presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla maintaining a slender advantage as vote counting continues. The electoral process, now entering its critical final stages, sees Nasralla narrowly outpacing his conservative opponent Nasry Asfura, though Asfura’s National Party remains confident of ultimate victory.

The election has been significantly influenced by external forces, particularly from Washington where former President Donald Trump has actively intervened in support of his preferred candidate. Trump’s involvement has ranged from suggesting potential aid cuts to the impoverished Central American nation to making unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud, creating what analysts describe as an unprecedented level of American interference in Honduran domestic affairs.

Adding to the political turbulence, ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández has been unexpectedly released from U.S. custody after serving merely one year of his 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and weapons charges. His pardon, directly orchestrated by Trump, has sparked both celebration and outrage. Hernández’s presidency was marred by serious allegations of human rights violations and corruption, making his early release particularly controversial among Honduran citizens who had viewed his conviction as a rare instance of accountability for political elites.

Political analyst Josué Murillo characterizes Trump’s interventions as reminiscent of Cold War-era tactics: “No government should come here and treat us as a banana republic. That is a lack of respect. Donald Trump saying who we should elect violates our autonomy as a nation.”

The former first lady, Ana García Carías, has emerged as a vocal defender of her husband, describing his release as “like being in a dream, a dream made reality.” She attributes Hernández’s legal troubles to what she calls “lawfare” and a “politically motivated witch-hunt” by the Biden administration, despite evidence that the case against Hernández was developed during Trump’s own presidency. García Carías acknowledged the instrumental role of Trump allies Roger Stone and Matt Gaetz in securing the pardon.

As the nation awaits final election results, the outcome will determine not only Honduras’s political future but also the extent of American influence in Central American affairs, with Trump potentially gaining both a new ally in Asfura and the restoration of an old one in Hernández.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has invoked the ‘fog of war’ doctrine to justify a controversial secondary military strike in the Caribbean Sea that resulted in casualties among survivors from an initial engagement. The incident, which targeted a vessel suspected of narcotics trafficking earlier this September, has prompted congressional scrutiny and raised questions about military protocol.

During Tuesday’s White House cabinet meeting, Secretary Hegseth defended the decision-making process, stating he observed no survivors in the water before authorizing the follow-up attack. ‘The vessel was actively engulfed in flames at the time of the secondary engagement,’ Hegseth testified, emphasizing the chaotic nature of combat operations. The Defense Secretary acknowledged he departed the operational theater following the initial strike, delegating full authority to Navy Vice Admiral Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley who executed the subsequent action.

The Washington Post’s initial reporting revealed Hegseth issued verbal orders for the secondary strike that eliminated survivors from the first engagement. White House officials confirmed Monday that Admiral Bradley operated ‘within established legal parameters and his conferred authority’ when initiating the follow-up attack.

Congressional committees have announced formal reviews into U.S. military protocols regarding drug interdiction operations. Admiral Bradley is scheduled to deliver a classified briefing to military oversight legislators this Thursday. When questioned about the controversial strike, President Donald Trump expressed limited familiarity with the incident, noting he ‘relies on Secretary Hegseth’s assessment’ and had not received comprehensive briefing materials.

In a stunning reversal of justice, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has been released from prison following a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, despite being convicted for orchestrating one of the most extensive drug trafficking operations in hemispheric history.

The convicted leader, sentenced to 45 years imprisonment by a U.S. federal court in 2024 for masterminding a scheme that funneled over 400 tons of cocaine into the United States, walked free after Trump declared him a victim of “political persecution” and “over-prosecution” by the Biden administration’s Justice Department.

Hernández’s dramatic fall from power culminated a remarkable political trajectory that saw the conservative National Party leader maintain cordial relationships with consecutive U.S. administrations. Initially courted by Barack Obama during the migrant children crisis and subsequently endorsed by Trump following his controversial 2017 re-election victory, Hernández’s fortunes reversed when federal prosecutors uncovered his intricate partnership with notorious drug cartels.

Evidence presented during his three-week trial revealed Hernández accepted million-dollar bribes from infamous drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán during his initial presidential campaign, exchanging political protection for secured narcotics routes through Honduras. Prosecutors demonstrated how multiple state institutions, including the Honduran National Police, actively facilitated cocaine shipments while Hernández allegedly used campaign funds derived from drug profits to consolidate power.

The former president’s legal troubles intensified following the 2019 conviction of his brother, Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández, who received a life sentence for cocaine smuggling. Shortly after leaving office in 2022, Hernández faced extradition to the United States, where he eventually received what prosecutors termed a “historic” sentence for narcotics trafficking and weapons charges.

Trump’s pardon announcement coincided with his endorsement of National Party candidate Tito Asfura in Honduras’ ongoing presidential election, a move analysts suggest reflects strategic alignment with right-leaning hemispheric allies. The decision has bewildered legal experts and policy analysts, who note the stark contradiction between Trump’s vehement anti-drug trafficking rhetoric and his liberation of a convicted narcotics kingpin.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the pardon as necessary to “correct the wrongs” of the Biden Justice Department, while acknowledging Trump’s simultaneous commitment to combating “narco-terrorists” throughout the Americas. U.S. media reports indicate Hernández personally appealed to Trump in a four-page October letter, characterizing his prosecution as politically motivated and praising the former president’s leadership.

The unprecedented pardon has ignited intense scrutiny regarding the intersection of diplomatic relations, drug enforcement policy, and the application of presidential clemency powers in cases involving international narcotics trafficking and corruption.

The Trump administration has significantly intensified its campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro through military, diplomatic, and economic measures. In recent developments, the United States has doubled the monetary reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture while deploying substantial naval assets to the Caribbean region.

This strategic military mobilization represents the largest U.S. force presence in the area since the 1989 invasion of Panama. The deployment includes 15,000 troops, aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, and amphibious assault ships. Officially designated as a counter-narcotics operation, the mission has already conducted more than 20 strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking in international waters, resulting in over 80 casualties.

The administration has characterized these actions as part of a ‘non-international armed conflict’ with drug traffickers, labeling targeted individuals as ‘narco-terrorists.’ However, international legal experts have questioned the legality of these strikes, with a former International Criminal Court prosecutor describing the campaign as ‘a planned, systematic attack against civilians during peacetime.’

President Trump has personally engaged with the situation, confirming a November 21st phone conversation with Maduro. While Trump has not disclosed specific details, reports indicate he delivered an ultimatum for Maduro to leave Venezuela within one week. Following the expiration of this deadline, Trump declared the airspace around Venezuela closed to all traffic.

The administration justifies its aggressive stance by citing Venezuela’s role in drug trafficking and migration patterns. Trump has accused Maduro of ’emptying his prisons and insane asylums’ to force migrants toward the U.S., though these claims remain unsubstantiated. Additionally, the U.S. has designated two Venezuelan criminal groups—Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, with Trump alleging Maduro personally leads the latter.

Maduro has vehemently denied these accusations, countering that the U.S. is using the ‘war on drugs’ as a pretext to orchestrate regime change and gain access to Venezuela’s substantial oil reserves. Meanwhile, regional analysts note that Venezuela primarily serves as a transit country for drugs produced elsewhere, with most cocaine reaching the U.S. via Pacific routes rather than Caribbean channels.

The White House has not ruled out ground operations in Venezuela, with Trump’s press secretary acknowledging that ‘there’s options at the president’s disposal that are on the table.’ Military analysts observe that the current deployment far exceeds what would be necessary for purely counter-narcotics operations, suggesting broader strategic objectives may be underway.

In a significant diplomatic development, Venezuela has authorized the continuation of U.S.-operated deportation flights despite escalating tensions between the two nations. The administration of President Nicolás Maduro reversed its earlier position on Tuesday, confirming that twice-weekly flights transporting deported migrants would proceed following an official request from the Trump administration.

This reversal comes just days after Venezuelan authorities had indicated that U.S. immigration officials had unilaterally suspended the deportation program. Documentation revealed that U.S.-based Eastern Airlines submitted formal overflight and landing applications on Monday, seeking permission for arrivals commencing Wednesday. Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister made these applications publicly available.

The continuation of deportation operations occurs against a backdrop of heightened military activity. Recent U.S. military strikes targeting vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific and near Venezuela’s Caribbean coast have not disrupted the migration program. The Trump administration maintains these operations target drug cartels allegedly connected to Maduro’s government, while simultaneously considering potential strikes on the Venezuelan mainland.

This year has witnessed a substantial increase in deportations, with over 13,000 migrants returned to Venezuela via dozens of chartered flights. The policy shift represents a significant departure from Maduro’s long-standing refusal to accept deportees from the United States, a position abandoned under substantial White House pressure. Regular arrivals now occur at Caracas’ international airport through flights operated by both U.S. government contractors and Venezuela’s state-owned airline.

In a politically charged move that has drawn international attention, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has been released from U.S. federal custody following a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. Online prison records confirm Hernández departed the high-security USP Hazelton facility in West Virginia on Monday.

The former Honduran leader, who governed from 2014 to 2022, was convicted in March 2024 on serious charges including conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and illegal possession of machine guns. His 45-year prison sentence, handed down by a New York court, included an $8 million fine following prosecutors’ characterization of his administration as operating a ‘narco-state’ that accepted millions in bribes from drug traffickers.

Trump announced the controversial pardon through social media on Friday, asserting Hernández had been ‘treated very harshly and unfairly’ by the justice system. The former president further elaborated his reasoning to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, claiming the investigation represented a ‘Biden administration set-up’ designed to politically target Hernández.

The pardon emerges during a critical juncture in Honduran politics, with the country currently deadlocked in a ‘technical tie’ between right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura and centrist challenger Salvador Nasralla. Trump has openly inserted himself into the electoral process, praising Asfura as ‘standing up for democracy’ while labeling Nasralla a ‘borderline Communist.’

Hernández’s wife, Ana García de Hernández, publicly thanked Trump for the pardon, declaring her husband ‘a free man’ in Tuesday social media posts. The former president was originally extradited to the United States in April 2022 to face charges that he facilitated the smuggling of hundreds of tons of cocaine while shielding traffickers from justice.

The development occurs against the backdrop of ongoing U.S. pressure on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, whom the Trump administration has repeatedly accused of narcotics trafficking. Current Honduran President Xiomara Castro, who has maintained diplomatic ties with both Cuba and Venezuela, now faces renewed political uncertainty following her predecessor’s unexpected release.