Trump announces he will grant a 'full and complete pardon' to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, informed this Friday through his Truth Social platform that he will grant a "full and complete pardon" to the former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández, sentenced in 2024 to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking in a New York federal court.

“I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly. This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success. VOTE FOR TITO ASFURA FOR PRESIDENT, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON”, Trump wrote in his publication.

In the same message, the Republican leader openly endorsed the presidential candidacy of conservative Nasry "Tito" Asfura in the face of the general elections in Honduras to be held next Sunday, November 30.

“If Tito Asfura wins for President of Honduras, because the United States has so much confidence in him, his Policies, and what he will do for the Great People of Honduras, we will be very supportive. If he doesn’t win, the United States will not be throwing good money after bad, because a wrong Leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which country it is. Tito will be a Great President, and the United States will work closely with him in order to ensure the success, with all of its potential, of Honduras!” Trump added.

Juan Orlando Hernández governed Honduras between 2014 and 2022. He was extradited to the United States in April 2022 after being indicted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of three charges related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.

In June 2024, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $8 million. According to the DOJ indictment, Hernández "protected and enriched drug traffickers in his close circle" and used state power to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the United States.

The former Honduran president has always denied the charges and, during the sentencing hearing, insisted that he was "wrongly and unjustly accused".