The United States announced on Monday that it had declassified the inclusion in its List of Corrupt and Anti-democratic Actors of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was surprised by the announcement and claimed his collaboration with Washington in the fight against drugs when he was president.
Hernández, whose brother was convicted of drug trafficking in 2021 by a New York court, has been mentioned by prosecutors from the US Department of Justice and cartel leaders in trials in the North American country for alleged links to the illegal sale of drugs.
His inclusion in the list, which dates from July 1, 2021 although it is now made public, “generally makes the listed individuals ineligible for visas and admission to the United States,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. it’s a statement.
Blinken cited reports that Hernandez “has engaged in significant corruption by committing or facilitating corruption and drug trafficking practices, and by using the proceeds of illicit activities to facilitate political campaigns.”
Hernández responded in a statement that the measure is a “sovereign decision” of the United States but it “surprises” him. “It is taken based on ‘media reports’ and also statements from drug traffickers and confessed murderers who were extradited by my government,” he denounced.
Hernández’s eight-year rule ended on January 27, when Honduras swore in President Xiomara Castro, the first woman elected to that post in the Central American nation.
US Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Honduras for Castro’s inauguration, a sign of Washington’s willingness to bolster a leader whose rise to power had been marred by political turmoil.
Hours after finishing his term, Hernández, who has repeatedly denied the accusations, took office as a deputy of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), which gives him immunity while he remains in office.
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