US President Donald Trump's pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández has sent shockwaves around the world. But it's not just the pardon itself that's shocking - it's also the long history of US support for Hernandez, a man who spent eight years in power under the noses of three successive US presidents.
Hernandez's conviction on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and arms dealing was a predictable outcome, given his well-documented history of corruption. But what's disturbing is that this is not the first time Hernandez has been accused of serious crimes. As far back as 2009, he was part of a congressional committee that approved the military coup that ousted democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya.
In 2012, Hernandez led a "technical coup" that saw four out of five members of the supreme court replaced with his loyalists. Two years later, it emerged that Hernandez and his party had stolen over $300 million from the national health service to fund their campaigns, leaving it bankrupt. Under his rule, Honduras descended into chaos, with gangs, violence, extortion, and murder on the rise.
Despite all this, Hernandez was able to cling to power due in large part to US support. Obama's secretary of state, John Kerry, praised the Honduran government for its "generally transparent, peaceful, and reflected the will of the Honduran people" following a disputed election in 2013. Trump's administration continued this policy, with the state department congratulating Hernandez on his victory in 2017.
But it wasn't just the US embassy that turned a blind eye to Hernandez's crimes - the US government itself was complicit in his rise and rule. The CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Drug Enforcement Administration all shared intelligence with the Honduran military, while tens of millions of dollars were poured into supporting its security forces.
So what's behind this disturbing pattern of US support for a man with such a long history of corruption? And who will be held accountable for enabling Hernandez's crimes?
For Dana Frank, author of "The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup", the answer is clear. The US government has a long history of backing authoritarian regimes in Latin America, often at the expense of democracy and human rights.
"US support for Hernandez is just the latest chapter in this story," Frank writes. "It's a testament to the enduring power of US intervention in Latin America, and the willingness of US governments to turn a blind eye to corruption and human rights abuses in pursuit of strategic interests."
As the world grapples with the implications of Trump's pardon, one thing is clear: Hernandez's full criminal history - including his years of support from the US government - will be remembered for a long time to come. But the question remains: who will be held accountable for enabling him?
Hernandez's conviction on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and arms dealing was a predictable outcome, given his well-documented history of corruption. But what's disturbing is that this is not the first time Hernandez has been accused of serious crimes. As far back as 2009, he was part of a congressional committee that approved the military coup that ousted democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya.
In 2012, Hernandez led a "technical coup" that saw four out of five members of the supreme court replaced with his loyalists. Two years later, it emerged that Hernandez and his party had stolen over $300 million from the national health service to fund their campaigns, leaving it bankrupt. Under his rule, Honduras descended into chaos, with gangs, violence, extortion, and murder on the rise.
Despite all this, Hernandez was able to cling to power due in large part to US support. Obama's secretary of state, John Kerry, praised the Honduran government for its "generally transparent, peaceful, and reflected the will of the Honduran people" following a disputed election in 2013. Trump's administration continued this policy, with the state department congratulating Hernandez on his victory in 2017.
But it wasn't just the US embassy that turned a blind eye to Hernandez's crimes - the US government itself was complicit in his rise and rule. The CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Drug Enforcement Administration all shared intelligence with the Honduran military, while tens of millions of dollars were poured into supporting its security forces.
So what's behind this disturbing pattern of US support for a man with such a long history of corruption? And who will be held accountable for enabling Hernandez's crimes?
For Dana Frank, author of "The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup", the answer is clear. The US government has a long history of backing authoritarian regimes in Latin America, often at the expense of democracy and human rights.
"US support for Hernandez is just the latest chapter in this story," Frank writes. "It's a testament to the enduring power of US intervention in Latin America, and the willingness of US governments to turn a blind eye to corruption and human rights abuses in pursuit of strategic interests."
As the world grapples with the implications of Trump's pardon, one thing is clear: Hernandez's full criminal history - including his years of support from the US government - will be remembered for a long time to come. But the question remains: who will be held accountable for enabling him?
[image of a person with their hands up, surrounded by guns and money bags] 
like how can one country just enable someone with so much corruption and violence in their hands? it's not just Hernandez, it's the US gov itself that enabled his crimes 
. and what about all those lives lost and affected by his regime? 
the pardon is just a slap in the face to the people of Honduras who suffered under him 
. it's like they think they can just back whoever is "strategically" important to them, no matter how corrupt or violent 
. and I hope someone takes accountability for enabling Hernandez's crimes 
. we can't just turn a blind eye to human rights abuses and corruption 
.
. I mean, Trump did what he thought was right, and Hernandez deserves a second chance, ya know? People are always talking about how US governments support authoritarian regimes in Latin America, but nobody ever thinks about the good that comes out of it 
. The article is just trying to spin this as some kind of huge scandal, but it's not entirely fair 
. I mean, we've got our own politicians back home who are just as corrupt... or at least, that's what I've heard 
. The real question is, why do people always have to assume the worst about Trump and the US government? Can't they just give them a break sometimes? 
.
. It's no wonder that Honduras descended into chaos under his rule 
. It's the system and the policies that allowed this to happen 
.
his history is riddled with corruption and scandals, it's wild that they turned a blind eye to all that 
i mean, what's going on with the CIA and other agencies sharing intel with the military and all that