Honduran ex-president returns home after Trump pardon

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has returned to his home country following a pardon from former U.S. President Donald Trump. Hernandez, who served as president from 2014 to 2022, had been serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States after being convicted of drug trafficking charges in 2024.

Upon his arrival via private plane near the capital, Tegucigalpa, Hernandez traveled to Comayagua for a rally with hundreds of supporters. He expressed his gratitude to Trump, quoting the former U.S. president as saying a "tremendous injustice has been committed" and calling the conviction a "witch hunt" and the "use of the justice system as a political weapon." Hernandez maintains his innocence, asserting he is a victim of "persecution."

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The most well-informed president in the world said: ‘I reviewed it, my team and I reviewed it in detail, and a tremendous injustice has been committed here; it is a witch hunt, it is the use of the justice system as a political weapon.'

Despite the pardon for his U.S. drug conviction, Hernandez is set to appear in a Honduran court on August 3 to face charges of fraud and money laundering. These charges relate to allegations of diverting $2 million in public funds to finance his first presidential campaign. An arrest warrant against him was suspended after he voluntarily agreed to appear in court.

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The last thing I’m going to do is hang my head when the truth is on my side.

Hernandez was extradited to the U.S. shortly after leaving office by his successor, Xiomara Castro, to face charges of aiding the smuggling of hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States in collaboration with cartel leaders. The U.S. court found him guilty of these charges. Trump's pardon, issued just days before Honduras's presidential election last year, sparked outcry and accusations of foreign interference, particularly as Trump had also threatened to withhold aid if Hernandez's ally did not win the election.

Trump claimed, without evidence, that Hernandez was "set up" by the previous U.S. administration. Supporters welcomed Hernandez's return enthusiastically, with one supporter stating, "We are very happy and very excited to welcome him back." While Hernandez has stated he has no "electoral ambitions," he left open the possibility of a return to politics if he perceives a resurgence of "radicalism."

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We are very happy and very excited to welcome him back.