<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-files-white-house-tried-to-slow-walk/f3af7c3b-d9ee-45d0-ba18-0613e3682f0a" rel="" target="" title="President Donald Trump"><span>President Donald Trump</span></a><span> said he will be pardoning former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who in 2024 was convicted for drug trafficking and weapons charges and sentenced to 45 years in prison.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The president explained his decision on social media by posting that "according to many people that I greatly respect," Hernandez was "treated very harshly and unfairly."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In March of last year, Hernandez was convicted in US court of conspiring to import cocaine into the USA. He had served served two terms as the leader of the Central American nation of roughly ten million people.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-calls-reporter-piggy-after-jeffrey-epstein-question/d53a7a53-c344-4560-bfff-01de835f38cf" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump hurls outrageous slur at female reporter</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hernandez has been appealing his conviction and serving time at the US Penitentiary, Hazelton in West Virginia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A lawyer for Hernandez, Renato C. Stabile, expressed gratitude for Trump's actions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A great injustice has been righted and we are so hopeful for the future partnership of the United States and Honduras," Stabile said. "Thank you President Trump for making sure that justice was served. We look forward to President Hernandez's triumphant return to Honduras."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/trump-says-he-plans-to-pardon-former-honduran-president-hernandez-for-2024-drug-trafficking-sentence/9ece262f-d0fe-4cc9-9b9f-0442f3ef1137" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A separate lawyer for Hernandez, Sabrina Shroff, declined comment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The post was part of a broader message by Trump backing Nasry "Tito" Asfura for Honduras' presidency, with Trump saying the US would be supportive of the country if he wins. But if Asfura loses the election this Sunday, Trump posted that "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."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Asfura, 67, is making his second run for president for the conservative National Party. He was mayor of Tegucigalpa and has pledged to solve Honduras' infrastructure needs. But he has previously been accused of embezzling public funds, allegations that he denies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In addition to Asfura, there are two other likely contenders for Honduras' presidency: Rixi Moncada, who served as the finance and later defence secretary before leaving to run for president for the incumbent democratic socialist Libre party, and Salvador Nasralla, a former television personality who is making his fourth bid for the presidency, this time as the candidate for the Liberal Party.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump has framed Honduras' election as trial for democracy, suggesting in a separate Truth Social post that if Asfura loses, the country could go the way of Venezuela and fall under the influence of that country's politician, Nicolás Maduro.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump has sought to apply pressure on Maduro, ordering a series of strikes against boats suspected of carrying drugs, building up the US military presence in the Caribbean with warships including the Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US president has not ruled out taking military action or covert action by the CIA against Venezuela, though he has also floated that he was open to speaking with Maduro.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Outgoing Honduran President Xiomara Castro has leaned into a leftist stance, but she has kept a pragmatic and even cooperative attitude in dealing with the US administration and she has received visits from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and US Army Gen. Laura Richardson, when she was the commander of US Southern Command. The president has even backed off his threats to end Honduras' extradition treaty and military cooperation with the US.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Under Castro, Honduras has also received its citizens deported from the US and acted as a bridge for deported Venezuelans who were then picked up by Venezuela in Honduras.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Argentine President Javier Milei, a staunch admirer of Trump, also gave his support to Asfura in Honduras on Friday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I fully support Tito Asfura, who is the candidate who best represents the opposition to the leftist tyrants who have destroyed Honduras," the libertarian president said on his X account.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-files-white-house-tried-to-slow-walk/f3af7c3b-d9ee-45d0-ba18-0613e3682f0a" rel="" target="" title="Trump's White House tried to slow-walk a vote on the Epstein files"><strong><span>Trump's White House tried to slow-walk a vote on the Epstein files</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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