Trump plans to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez : NPR

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. — President Donald Trump mentioned Friday that he might be pardoning former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who in 2024 was convicted for drug trafficking and weapons fees and sentenced to 45 years in jail.

The president defined his choice on social media by posting that “in keeping with many individuals that I tremendously respect,” Hernandez was “handled very harshly and unfairly.”

In March of final yr, Hernandez was convicted in U.S. court docket of conspiring to import cocaine into the united statesA. He had served served two phrases because the chief of the Central American nation of roughly 10 million individuals.

Hernandez has been interesting his conviction and serving time on the U.S. Penitentiary, Hazelton in West Virginia.

A lawyer for Hernandez, Renato C. Stabile, expressed gratitude for Trump’s actions.

“An amazing injustice has been righted and we’re so eager for the long run partnership of the USA and Honduras,” Stabile mentioned. “Thanks President Trump for ensuring that justice was served. We stay up for President Hernandez’s triumphant return to Honduras.”

A separate lawyer for Hernandez, Sabrina Shroff, declined remark.

The publish was a part of a broader message by Trump backing Nasry “Tito” Asfura for Honduras’ presidency, with Trump saying the U.S. could be supportive of the nation if he wins. But when Asfura loses the election this Sunday, Trump posted that “the USA is not going to be throwing good cash after unhealthy, as a result of a improper Chief can solely carry catastrophic outcomes to a rustic, irrespective of which nation it’s.”

Asfura, 67, is making his second run for president for the conservative Nationwide Social gathering. He was mayor of Tegucigalpa and has pledged to unravel Honduras’ infrastructure wants. However he has beforehand been accused of embezzling public funds, allegations that he denies.

Along with Asfura, there are two different doubtless contenders for Honduras’ presidency: Rixi Moncada, who served because the finance and later protection secretary earlier than leaving to run for president for the incumbent democratic socialist Libre social gathering, and Salvador Nasralla, a former tv persona who’s making his fourth bid for the presidency, this time because the candidate for the Liberal Social gathering.

Trump has framed Honduras’ election as trial for democracy, suggesting in a separate Reality Social publish that if Asfura loses, the nation might go the way in which of Venezuela and fall beneath the affect of that nation’s chief, Nicolás Maduro.

Trump has sought to use strain on Maduro, ordering a sequence of strikes towards boats suspected of carrying medicine, increase the U.S. army presence within the Caribbean with warships together with the Navy’s most superior plane provider, the USS Gerald R. Ford.

The U.S. president has not dominated out taking army motion or covert motion by the CIA towards Venezuela, although he has additionally floated that he was open to talking with Maduro.

Outgoing Honduran President Xiomara Castro has leaned right into a leftist stance, however she has saved a realistic and even cooperative perspective in coping with the U.S. administration and he or she has obtained visits from Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Military Gen. Laura Richardson, when she was the commander of U.S. Southern Command. The president has even backed off his threats to finish Honduras’ extradition treaty and army cooperation with the U.S.

Underneath Castro, Honduras has additionally obtained its residents deported from the U.S. and acted as a bridge for deported Venezuelans who have been then picked up by Venezuela in Honduras.

Argentine President Javier Milei, a staunch admirer of Trump, additionally gave his assist to Asfura in Honduras on Friday.

“I absolutely assist Tito Asfura, who’s the candidate who finest represents the opposition to the leftist tyrants who’ve destroyed Honduras,” the libertarian president mentioned on his X account.