Trump Plans Full Pardon for Ex-Honduran President

Former President Donald Trump has revealed his plans to fully pardon Juan Orlando Hernández, the ex-president of Honduras who was found guilty in a U.S. federal court back in March 2024. Hernández, who would have been 102 years old upon his prescribed release in 2070, received a hefty 45-year sentence related to drug trafficking and weapons charges.

Despite the convictions, Hernández has always maintained his innocence. Throughout his arrest and trial, he claimed he neither transported drugs nor accepted cartel bribes. Instead, he views himself as a target of a conspiracy fueled by organized crime and political opponents both in Honduras and the U.S.

Hernández has characterized his legal troubles as politically motivated, asserting that they are repercussions of his tough stance against corruption and drug trafficking during his presidency, during which he extradited over twenty traffickers to the U.S.

His supporters argue that geopolitical tensions have played a part in his targeting by U.S. officials, especially given his conservative National Party’s opposition to leftist governments and migration policies. Following his extradition in May 2022, Hernández reiterated that he was a victim of a “setup” orchestrated by drug traffickers.

In announcing the pardon, Trump remarked that Hernández had been “treated very harshly and unfairly,” presenting the pardon as a matter of justice. This announcement was also tied to Trump’s endorsement of Honduran presidential candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura, who is running in the country’s upcoming election.

“I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernández who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly,” Trump stated.

Trump further expressed strong support for Asfura, indicating that the U.S. possesses significant confidence in his policies and leadership abilities for Honduras. Both Hernández and Asfura belong to the conservative National Party, established in 1902, which traditionally emphasizes law and order.

Hernández was the party’s presidential nominee in both 2013 and 2017, winning those elections, while Asfura was the nominee in 2021 and now serves as the party’s national president.

“VOTE FOR TITO ASFURA FOR PRESIDENT, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON,” Trump concluded.