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Hernandez thanks God, Trump after receiving presidential pardon
(MENAFN) Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez publicly expressed gratitude to both God and US President Donald Trump after receiving a presidential pardon for his federal drug-trafficking conviction, less than two years after being sentenced to 45 years in prison. According to reports, in a video posted online on December 5, Hernandez said: “Thanks to you, Lord, today I’m a free man.” He also praised Trump, stating: “You changed my life, and I’ll never forget that.”
Hernandez described the pardon as a rectification of “injustice and suffering,” crediting Trump with having the “courage to defend justice and fulfill his promise” to prevent state power from being used against political opponents. Hernandez had been convicted in March 2024 by a US jury of accepting bribes from Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and using his presidency to facilitate cocaine trafficking through Honduras. He was extradited to the US in April 2022, shortly after completing his second term.
Following his release from a federal prison in West Virginia, Hernandez echoed Trump’s rhetoric, claiming he had been targeted by a conspiracy involving former US President Joe Biden’s administration and “deep state” actors. He stated, “They wanted to assassinate my morale, erase my name, and sully my legacy. Their objective was clear: get me out of the way.”
Hernandez limited comments on his video, tagging several Trump allies, including press secretary Karoline Leavitt and strategist Roger Stone. A community note under the video referenced his conviction and linked to the US Justice Department’s statement.
The pardon has sparked political controversy in the US, particularly as Trump continues military operations targeting drug traffickers in Latin America. Democratic Senator Chris Coons criticized the move, saying it sent “exactly the wrong message.” The decision has also heightened tensions ahead of Honduras’ presidential election, where Trump has endorsed Hernandez ally Nasry Asfura.
Hernandez described the pardon as a rectification of “injustice and suffering,” crediting Trump with having the “courage to defend justice and fulfill his promise” to prevent state power from being used against political opponents. Hernandez had been convicted in March 2024 by a US jury of accepting bribes from Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and using his presidency to facilitate cocaine trafficking through Honduras. He was extradited to the US in April 2022, shortly after completing his second term.
Following his release from a federal prison in West Virginia, Hernandez echoed Trump’s rhetoric, claiming he had been targeted by a conspiracy involving former US President Joe Biden’s administration and “deep state” actors. He stated, “They wanted to assassinate my morale, erase my name, and sully my legacy. Their objective was clear: get me out of the way.”
Hernandez limited comments on his video, tagging several Trump allies, including press secretary Karoline Leavitt and strategist Roger Stone. A community note under the video referenced his conviction and linked to the US Justice Department’s statement.
The pardon has sparked political controversy in the US, particularly as Trump continues military operations targeting drug traffickers in Latin America. Democratic Senator Chris Coons criticized the move, saying it sent “exactly the wrong message.” The decision has also heightened tensions ahead of Honduras’ presidential election, where Trump has endorsed Hernandez ally Nasry Asfura.
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