President Trump is set to pardon a former Honduran president who had been sentenced to prison for drug trafficking, he announced on social media Friday.
“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,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday.
In June 2024, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was given a prison sentence of 45 years due to over 10 years of collaboration with drug traffickers on getting cocaine into the United States, according to The Associated Press.
Hernández, who spent eight years as Honduras’s leader, was arrested by officials in February 2022, according to Reuters.
Trump’s comments about Hernández also came alongside larger commentary on the Honduran presidential election, which is set for Sunday.
“If Tito Asfura wins for President of Honduras, because the United States has so much confidence in him, his Policies, and what he will do for the Great People of Honduras, we will be very supportive,” Trump said in his post, referring to National Party of Honduras candidate Nasry Asfura.
“If he doesn’t win, 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,” he added.
Reuters reported Thursday that a majority of opinion polls found a statistical tie between three candidates vying for the Honduran presidency.