TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) - Honduras Attorney General Johel Zelaya announced on Monday that he has instructed local authorities to execute a 2023 arrest order against former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was pardoned by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Last week, Hernández was released from federal prison in the United States following Trump's pardon. In a U.S. federal court, Hernández had been sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in facilitating the movement of large quantities of cocaine to the U.S. This sudden release raised significant controversy, especially considering Hernández's earlier position as a U.S. ally in the war on drugs.
Following his exit from office in 2022, Hernández became the subject of a U.S. extradition request. Current Honduran President Xiomara Castro, a member of the social-democratic LIBRE party, had previously detained him and facilitated his extradition to the United States. In light of his recent release, Zelaya shared a photo of a two-year-old order signed by a Supreme Court magistrate that pertains to alleged fraud and money laundering charges against Hernández. This order stipulates that it must be executed if Hernández is freed by U.S. authorities.
The case has broader implications, as it is part of a larger investigation known as the Pandora case. In this scandal, multiple Honduran officials and politicians have been implicated; prosecutors allege that government funds were misappropriated through a network of non-governmental organizations, which were allegedly used to finance political parties, including Hernández's campaign in 2013.
Hernández's lawyer, Renato C. Stabile, responded to the recent developments by labeling them as a purely political maneuver designed to intimidate Hernández as the LIBRE party navigates its fading power in Honduras. Stabile criticized the charges as baseless and referred to them as a "desperate piece of political theatre."
Zelaya had previously stated that action would be necessary to combat impunity, particularly after Trump signaled his intention to pardon Hernández. Following his release, Hernández's wife revealed that he is currently in an undisclosed location for safety reasons. Throughout the legal proceedings, Hernández has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he was one of the strongest allies of the United States in its fight against drug trafficking.
Trump's decision to pardon Hernández came just days before Honduras' national elections, injecting a new dynamic into a tightly contested political race. While some Hondurans hold a sense of nostalgia for Hernández's two-term presidency, many were taken aback by the quick release of a man convicted of drug trafficking in a highly scrutinized trial.
Trump claimed that Hondurans requested Hernández's pardon, stating that after reviewing the case, he determined that Hernández had been unfairly treated by prosecutors. This situation underscores the complex and often contentious relationship between Honduras and the United States and raises questions about accountability for former leaders in cases of corruption and drug-related crimes.
