Honduran ex-president pardoned by Trump speaks to BBC
Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former Honduran president convicted on US drug-trafficking charges, gave his first interview to BBC after President Donald Trump signed a pardon. Hernandez called the decision "a delayed delivery of justice". The ruling has stirred debate across Latin America.
Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez has spoken to the BBC for the first time since President Donald Trump signed his pardon. Hernandez had been sentenced to 45 years in a New York court in 2024 on US drug-trafficking and firearms charges. The pardon reshapes one of Latin America's most closely-watched legal cases.
In the interview Hernandez described the decision as "a delayed delivery of justice" and argued that his prosecution had been politically motivated. The US Department of Justice had alleged at trial that Hernandez used "the apparatus of the state" during his presidency to protect cocaine shipments. He rejected those allegations again, BBC reported.
The pardon drew sharp protest from opposition figures and victim groups inside Honduras. President Xiomara Castro framed the move as a message about her country's institutions. The Trump administration in a brief statement to BBC said the pardon "corrects imbalances in the judicial process".
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