Honduras' top judge assures independence in case against ex-President Hernández

The president of Honduras' Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), Wagner Vallecillo, has asserted that the legal proceedings against former President Juan Orlando Hernández will be conducted with full judicial independence. Hernández, who served from 2014 to 2022, faces charges of fraud and money laundering.

"We do not know what the natural judge will resolve. We maintain the principle of independence of each of the judges, and he will be the one to make the final decision, whether or not to refer it to another jurisdictional body," Vallecillo told reporters. He confirmed that the designated judge will continue to lead the case and preside over the arraignment hearing scheduled for August 3.

Hernández, 57, recently returned to Honduras after a Honduran judge provisionally suspended an arrest warrant and an Interpol red notice against him. This allows him to voluntarily appear before authorities for the 'Pandora II' case. The case also implicated former President Porfirio Lobo (2010-2014), who was definitively acquitted.

“

We do not know what the natural judge will resolve. We maintain the principle of independence of each of the judges, and he will be the one to make the final decision, whether or not to refer it to another jurisdictional body.

Prosecutors allege that Hernández and others formed a corruption network between 2010 and 2013, diverting over 288 million lempiras (approximately $10.7 million) to two foundations. This return follows a December 1, 2025, full pardon granted by then-U.S. President Donald Trump for a 45-year prison sentence imposed in June 2024 by a New York court for drug and firearms trafficking offenses, after his extradition from Honduras in April 2022.

Vallecillo also stated that each judicial process serves as an evaluation for the Honduran justice system, emphasizing that the courts will continue to operate under principles of independence and impartiality. Hernández himself requested that his legal process be conducted without politicization and with the proper application of the law.

“

All are tests for the justice system. The justice system has been operating normally and we are constantly being evaluated, not only by the CNA (National Anti-Corruption Council), but by all state institutions. The Superior Audit Court and you, the media, are precisely the ones who guarantee the evaluation of what is done in the Judiciary.