Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez is currently serving a 45-year sentence in the United States on drug trafficking charges. Soon, he could be breathing a sigh of relief thanks to former President Donald Trump, who has pledged a pardon for the embattled business owner. This surprising turn of events has occurred as criticism has continued to mount around Hernandez’s dubious conviction and what it means for U.S. foreign relations more broadly.
Just last week, he was convicted in U.S. federal courts for accepting millions in bribes and facilitating cocaine shipments to the United States. Hernandez’s sentencing occurred in June. What this event represents is a huge victory in what has been a peculiarly high-profile case—for the reason that he was one of the most important allies of the Trump administration in Central America.
Shortly after leaving office, Hernandez faced arrest, leading to allegations that he had “paved a cocaine superhighway to the United States.” His administration didn’t stop there, creating a powerful partnership with Washington. This joint effort even involved declaring some drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, specifically connecting them to Hernandez’s legal woes.
Since his 2017 conviction, Hernandez has repeatedly insisted he is innocent, claiming his trial was unfair. Donald Trump promised his next pardon with the same zeal. He is trying to fix what he perceives to be a grave mistake.
“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.” – Donald Trump
Trump’s announcement has sparked debate about the implications of pardoning a figure previously considered an essential partner in U.S. efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region. Critics fear that this change would significantly undermine existing anti-drug efforts. They’re concerned it could send the wrong signal about U.S. intent to sorely needed anti-corruption efforts.
Hernandez is in custody awaiting sentencing at Manhattan federal court. A future pardon would not just transform his case, it could shape bigger geopolitical conditions in a more favorable direction. The previous president is completely right in asserting that disastrous outcomes can flow from bad leadership. As he floated this provocative idea while lamenting leadership collapses across a half-dozen or more countries.
“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.” – Donald Trump