Honduras - March 2024

Former President Juan Orlando Hernández was convicted in a New York court for trafficking cocaine. Hernández was extradited to the US by Honduran authorities in April 2022 after the country's Supreme Court rejected the former president's appeals. Witnesses revealed Hernández, who served from 2014 to 2022, accepted bribes, including $1m from infamous drug dealer El Chapo, to fund his political campaigns. The prosecution described his actions as creating a “cocaine superhighway” to the US. While the conviction is a victory for the US’s Drug Enforcement Agency, it calls into question past US support for Hernández, who was once seen as an ally in anti-drug efforts. Hernández, who campaigned for his presidency as an anti-crime leader, is accused of leveraging state power to protect drug traffickers, including the military and police, and turning Honduras into a "narco-state". His arrest and trial have been closely watched in Honduras, reflecting a broader desire for accountability.  

Sources: The Guardian, BBC, La Tribuna, Infobae, Latin Post