The Trump Administration's decision to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has sent shockwaves throughout the international community, with many questioning the timing and motivations behind the move. What is truly astonishing, however, is the long history of US support for Hernández, despite his well-documented crimes and atrocities.
For nearly a decade, Hernández was able to maintain power in Honduras thanks to the tacit approval of US administrations under Obama, Trump, and Biden. The US government ignored his ties to drug trafficking, supported the military and police that kept him in power through state terror, and even countenanced his illegal re-elections.
Hernández's rise to power was facilitated by his involvement in the 2009 military coup that deposed democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya. He then went on to lead a "technical coup" in 2012, replacing four out of five members of the constitutional branch of the supreme court with loyalists. Hernández won the presidency in a dubious 2013 election, and his party subsequently stole $300m from the national health service to pay for their campaigns.
Under his watch, Honduras descended into chaos, with gangs, violence, extortion, and murder proliferating. In 2017, Hernández ran for re-election despite being barred by the constitution, and when he lost, his security forces used live bullets against protesters, killing at least 20 people.
The US government has a long history of supporting Hernandez, including pouring tens of millions of dollars into the support of the Honduran military and police. Despite this, the US was also aware of Hernández's narco connections, with former general Julián Pacheco Tinoco being named as a collaborator during his trial.
The Trump Administration's decision to pardon Hernández has brought attention to his well-documented crimes, but it has also highlighted the long history of US support for him. It remains to be seen whether those responsible for supporting Hernández will be held accountable, or if his full criminal history – and US support for him – will be swiftly forgotten.
As author Dana Frank notes in her book "The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup", the US government's involvement in Honduras dates back to the 1980s, when it supported the regime of General Gustavo Arzu. Since then, the US has continued to provide military aid, economic support, and diplomatic backing to various Honduran governments, often at the expense of human rights and democratic institutions.
The pardon of Hernández is just the latest chapter in this long history of US intervention in Honduras. It serves as a reminder that the US government's actions have real-world consequences for ordinary people, and that its support for authoritarian leaders can perpetuate violence, corruption, and human rights abuses.
For nearly a decade, Hernández was able to maintain power in Honduras thanks to the tacit approval of US administrations under Obama, Trump, and Biden. The US government ignored his ties to drug trafficking, supported the military and police that kept him in power through state terror, and even countenanced his illegal re-elections.
Hernández's rise to power was facilitated by his involvement in the 2009 military coup that deposed democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya. He then went on to lead a "technical coup" in 2012, replacing four out of five members of the constitutional branch of the supreme court with loyalists. Hernández won the presidency in a dubious 2013 election, and his party subsequently stole $300m from the national health service to pay for their campaigns.
Under his watch, Honduras descended into chaos, with gangs, violence, extortion, and murder proliferating. In 2017, Hernández ran for re-election despite being barred by the constitution, and when he lost, his security forces used live bullets against protesters, killing at least 20 people.
The US government has a long history of supporting Hernandez, including pouring tens of millions of dollars into the support of the Honduran military and police. Despite this, the US was also aware of Hernández's narco connections, with former general Julián Pacheco Tinoco being named as a collaborator during his trial.
The Trump Administration's decision to pardon Hernández has brought attention to his well-documented crimes, but it has also highlighted the long history of US support for him. It remains to be seen whether those responsible for supporting Hernández will be held accountable, or if his full criminal history – and US support for him – will be swiftly forgotten.
As author Dana Frank notes in her book "The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup", the US government's involvement in Honduras dates back to the 1980s, when it supported the regime of General Gustavo Arzu. Since then, the US has continued to provide military aid, economic support, and diplomatic backing to various Honduran governments, often at the expense of human rights and democratic institutions.
The pardon of Hernández is just the latest chapter in this long history of US intervention in Honduras. It serves as a reminder that the US government's actions have real-world consequences for ordinary people, and that its support for authoritarian leaders can perpetuate violence, corruption, and human rights abuses.
the pardon of hernández is like they're saying "oh noes we messed up" after all these years 
but seriously, how many times do you have to get away with murder before someone starts holding you accountable 
i mean what's next? a pat on the back for el comandante in cuba? 
this is what happens when politicians think they're above the law, and we the people are just expected to nod along 
what's going on with the US gov? 
they're basically saying it's okay to let a total dictator like Juan Orlando Hernández get away with murder... i mean, come on! 
he's got a laundry list of crimes, from drug trafficking to election rigging and state terror. and the US is just now deciding to pardon him? 
what took so long? 
it's like they're trying to whitewash their own complicity in his crimes... i mean, we all know about the history of US support for authoritarian regimes in Honduras - from Obama to Trump to Biden... it's been a long time coming, but someone needs to hold them accountable! 
the fact that they kept him in power and turned a blind eye to his human rights abuses is straight up disgusting. 
I mean, what's next? pardoning Pinochet or something? 
and supported his military and police forces to keep him in power 
and it's not like we're even learning from our mistakes or anything 
. And what about the $300m he 'borrowed' from healthcare? That's some serious corruption going down 
. They've been living in chaos under his regime, and now we're just gonna forget about it all? 
Not buying it 
. What's your take on this, guys? 
The timing of this pardon is super fishy 
. You'd think they'd want to take a stand against his crimes, but nope. It's like the US government has a 'get out of jail free' card for all their questionable allies 
. Now, we're supposed to believe this is all just a coincidence? 
. And what really gets me is how long it took them to finally do something about it... like, the US has been backing Hernández for nearly a decade and still thinks it's okay? 
anyway it's clear the us has been backing hernández for ages and it's time someone held them accountable 
hopefully this one will mark a change in how they do things 
. It's astonishing that for nearly a decade, the US supported Hernández despite his well-documented ties to drug trafficking and human rights abuses 
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. It's essential that we acknowledge and learn from this history to prevent similar situations in the future 
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, us supporting hernandez all these years & now trump just pardons him? what about all those ppl killed or hurt by his security forces? or the $300m stolen from the health service? the us gov's actions have real consequences for ppl, it seems. its not just about politics or economics, its human lives. and the fact that they ignored his narco connections is wild 