Former Honduran president has no intention of returning to politics after being pardoned by Trump, according to his wife.

Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, has no intentions of returning to his homeland soon due to threats against his life, his wife told AFP. This statement follows a surprise pardon granted to Hernandez by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking from their home in Tegucigalpa, Ana Garcia expressed gratitude to Trump, describing the pardon as a resolution to an "injustice" she partly attributed to former President Joe Biden. "He is focused on a private life where we can spend time together as a family and return to our careers," she said. Both Hernandez and Garcia are lawyers.

Garcia highlighted the ongoing dangers facing her husband: "The situation is difficult because of insecurity, threats to his life, and the continuous hostile rhetoric directed at him by the current government."

Hernandez was released from a West Virginia prison on Monday following Trump's pardon, coinciding with the recent presidential election in Honduras. Last year, he had been sentenced to over 40 years in prison.

"We are still coming to terms with the news. I hadn't been able to see him or speak freely with him," Garcia added.

Hernandez had been convicted for his role in trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States, activities that began in 2004, prior to his presidency. During his tenure from 2014 to 2022, he was regarded as a U.S. ally in anti-drug operations. Prosecutors accused him of using drug proceeds to enrich himself, fund political campaigns, and commit electoral fraud in the 2013 and 2017 elections. In March 2024, he was convicted, and in June, sentenced to 45 years behind bars.

Donald Trump commented that Hernandez "has been treated very harshly and unfairly," while also referencing his administration's actions against alleged drug traffickers in Latin America. Garcia described the pardon as an unexpected gesture, stating, "We did not anticipate this response. I do not know why it unfolded as it did, but President Trump chose to act in this way, and I am thankful for what he did for my husband, providing justice against a profound injustice."

Author: Jackson Miller