Former Honduran President Returns Home, Faces Charges

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández returned to Honduras on Sunday after US President Donald Trump granted him a pardon at the end of 2025. Hernández had been serving a 45-year sentence in the US for drug and arms trafficking, though he has long maintained his innocence.

He was greeted at the airport by his family and hundreds of supporters. Shortly after his arrival, he prayed with his loved ones and then continued on to the capital, Tegucigalpa. Although he faced charges of fraud and money laundering in Honduras, the arrest warrant was suspended in June, so he was not detained upon his return.

He is scheduled to appear in court on 3 August and has announced that he will request the charges be dropped. The case is also linked to the investigation into the Pandora II corruption scandal, which involves the alleged diversion of nearly $11m from state funds to political campaigns.

Hernández also indicated that he does not rule out a return to politics in the future, although, in his own words, this is not his immediate plan.

(Reuters)