US President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to pardon former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the US for his involvement in drug trafficking and weapons charges. Trump described Hernández's conviction as "very harshly" and "unfair," saying he was treated poorly by the US justice system.
Hernández was convicted last June on charges of accepting millions of dollars in bribes to protect cocaine shipments from traffickers, a crime he had previously claimed to be fighting against. He served two terms as Honduras' leader before being arrested shortly after leaving office and was considered a key ally of the US, particularly during Trump's administration.
However, Hernandez's pardon announcement has raised eyebrows given that Trump himself has consistently portrayed himself as tough on combating drug problems. In fact, his administration designated several drug cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations" and launched deadly airstrikes against vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in extrajudicial executions criticized by the UN and other humanitarian groups.
The pardon move comes with a broader message from Trump backing Tito Asfura for Honduras' presidency in upcoming elections, saying the US will support him if he wins. However, if Asfura loses, Trump warned that "the United States will not be throwing good money after bad" due to potential catastrophic consequences of another leader.
Honduras has a new president, Xiomara Castro, who has forged close ties with Cuba and Venezuela, countries whose governments the US sees as dictatorships. The country's election on Sunday is seen as a toss-up between Asfura and Rixi Moncada, with polls showing them virtually tied.
Hernández was convicted last June on charges of accepting millions of dollars in bribes to protect cocaine shipments from traffickers, a crime he had previously claimed to be fighting against. He served two terms as Honduras' leader before being arrested shortly after leaving office and was considered a key ally of the US, particularly during Trump's administration.
However, Hernandez's pardon announcement has raised eyebrows given that Trump himself has consistently portrayed himself as tough on combating drug problems. In fact, his administration designated several drug cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations" and launched deadly airstrikes against vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in extrajudicial executions criticized by the UN and other humanitarian groups.
The pardon move comes with a broader message from Trump backing Tito Asfura for Honduras' presidency in upcoming elections, saying the US will support him if he wins. However, if Asfura loses, Trump warned that "the United States will not be throwing good money after bad" due to potential catastrophic consequences of another leader.
Honduras has a new president, Xiomara Castro, who has forged close ties with Cuba and Venezuela, countries whose governments the US sees as dictatorships. The country's election on Sunday is seen as a toss-up between Asfura and Rixi Moncada, with polls showing them virtually tied.
And what's good with pardoning someone who was all about fighting against drug trafficking and then got caught doing the same thing? Like, doesn't that just sound like hypocrisy to you? 
Trump's also trying to project some tough-guy image here, but let's be real, he's been all over the place on this whole drug thing. The US has been doing airstrikes against cartels and stuff, so it's a bit rich coming from him now. And what about Honduras, where Hernandez was president? They've got some new leaders in place now, like Castro, who are totally changing up the game...
. I mean, Hernandez was convicted of serious crimes, but the way Trump's framing it as "harsh" and "unfair" feels kinda biased to me 
. He's all talk when it comes to fighting crime, especially in Latin America, while turning a blind eye (or using his power to overlook) the real issues 
. And now he's backing Asfura? That's like a big ol' gamble 
... what if Honduras takes a step back from the US and gets closer to Cuba and Venezuela instead? 
We'll see how this all plays out, but I'm keeping an eye on it 
. It seems like a pretty big u-turn from all the tough talk he used to make about combating it. Like, what's the logic behind sparing Hernández when he was convicted of basically doing the same thing he's been railing against? 
.
. And now he's saying he'll only support a certain candidate if they win? Like, that's not politics at all, that's just buying votes 
.
45 years in prison for coke trafficking and now it's all just a big "unfair" deal? 
45 yrs in the joint is no joke! 
it's like 10 times more violent than El Salvador 
so maybe we'll see some positive change? 
so trump is gonna pardon some dude who got caught red handed in a drug trafficking scheme and now he's just like "oh this conviction was harsh" 
anyone see a pattern here?
what's going on here?