Trump's Surprising Move: Pardoning a Convicted Ex-President

President Donald Trump has announced that he will pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras. Hernandez was found guilty in 2024 of serious crimes related to drugs and weapons. He was given a long prison sentence of 45 years. Trump said on social media that he made this decision because he believes Hernandez was treated unfairly. Hernandez was once the leader of Honduras, a country in Central America with about 10 million people. He was found guilty in a U. S. court for his role in bringing drugs into the United States. He has been in prison in West Virginia while appealing his conviction. One of Hernandez's lawyers, Renato C. Stabile, thanked Trump for this pardon. He said it was a great injustice that has been corrected. Stabile also expressed hope for a strong future relationship between the United States and Honduras. Another lawyer for Hernandez, Sabrina Shroff, did not comment on the matter. Trump's announcement was part of a bigger message. He also expressed support for Nasry "Tito" Asfura, who is running for president in Honduras. Trump said the U. S. would support Honduras if Asfura wins the election. But if Asfura loses, Trump warned that the U. S. would not continue to invest in Honduras. Asfura, who is 67 years old, is running for president for the second time. He was once the mayor of Tegucigalpa and has promised to improve Honduras' infrastructure. However, he has faced accusations of misusing public money, which he denies. Besides Asfura, there are two other main candidates for Honduras' presidency. Rixi Moncada, who was the finance and defense secretary, is running for the Libre party. Salvador Nasralla, a former TV personality, is running for the Liberal Party. Trump has suggested that if Asfura loses, Honduras could face a similar fate as Venezuela. He has been putting pressure on Venezuela's leader, Nicolás Maduro, by ordering strikes on suspected drug boats and increasing U. S. military presence in the Caribbean. The current president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, has taken a leftist stance but has maintained a cooperative attitude with the U. S. She has received visits from high-ranking U. S. officials and has backed off threats to end military cooperation with the U. S. Under Castro's leadership, Honduras has also been dealing with the deportation of its citizens from the U. S. and acting as a transit point for deported Venezuelans. Interestingly, Argentine President Javier Milei, a known admirer of Trump, also supported Asfura in Honduras.