Honduras: News & Updates

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández is currently facing drugs and weapons charges in a trial in New York City. Prosecutors allege that he ran a "corrupt and violent drug-trafficking conspiracy" during his time in office, accepting millions of dollars for facilitating cocaine shipments to the US. The trial has significant implications for Hondurans, as it examines the legacy of a divisive figure in the country's recent history. Hernández, known as JOH, had campaigned on promises of a better life for Hondurans and adopted "iron fist" policies to address drug-related crimes. However, his administration faced accusations of corruption, electoral fraud, and human rights abuses. The trial has drawn attention to the alleged complicity of the US government in supporting Hernández despite warning signs of his involvement in organized crime. Activists and journalists see the trial as an opportunity to demand accountability not only from Hernández but also from the US and Canada. Critics highlight the role of the Honduran news media in the scandal, accusing some outlets of being influenced or bought off by Hernández. Despite a change in leadership, concerns persist about ongoing violence and human rights abuses in Honduras. Some view Hernández as a symbol of larger criminal structures that continue to operate in the country. The trial is seen as a reflection of the deep-seated issues within Honduras, touching on various sectors of society, including government, media, business, and gangs.

Five years after he was lavished with praise by Donald Trump for “stopping drugs at a level that has never happened” – and two years after he was extradited in shackles to the US – the former Honduras president Juan Orlando Hernández is to stand trial in New York on Monday, accused of overseeing a “narco-state” and accepting millions in bribes from drug traffickers, including the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

National and international organizations demand that Honduran authorities respect the decision of the people of Tocoa to say NO to the petroleum coke thermoelectric plant and Emco's mining megaproject, among other demands. On Saturday, December 9, 2023, the people of Tocoa were called by the Municipal Corporation to participate in an open town meeting regarding the Ecotek petroleum coke thermoelectric project, one of the seven components of an iron oxide megaproject promoted by the "Emco Holdings" consortium of Ana Facusse and Lenir Perez. 

A summary of each fraudulent election; the warning signs; words from U.S. prosecutors about the significance of each election in entrenching the narco-state; and the post-electoral responses from the U.S. and Canadian governments in 2009, 2013 and 2017.

The trial of Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, is set to begin on February 12 in New York, facing drug-trafficking and weapons charges. Once considered untouchable, Hernández may be testified against by Juan Carlos “El Tigre” Bonilla, the former head of Honduras’s National Police, who recently pleaded guilty. The trial raises questions about the US support for Hernández, despite allegations of corruption and drug trafficking. The article highlights the role of the 2009 military coup, supported by the US, in paving the way for Hernández's rise to power. The US government's backing of Hernández and Bonilla, despite evidence of human rights abuses and corruption, is seen as part of a longstanding policy to maintain pro-US allies in Honduras, prioritizing geopolitical interests over justice. The article also discusses the reemergence of police death squads in Honduras and the State Department's efforts to downplay corruption within the police force. Despite multiple scandals and protests, the US consistently supported Hernández, revealing the complex dynamics of the US War on Drugs and its selective enforcement. The piece emphasizes the need to consider the broader implications of the trial for US foreign policy and its impact on the people of Honduras.

Rights Action supports, and encourages Canadians and Americans to follow this ‘Putting the U.S. and Canada On Trial’ campaign.

The repressive, corrupt, drug-trafficking regime in Honduras was in power from June 28, 2009 (seizing power after a U.S. and Canadian-backed military coup) through to January 27, 2022. During the entire time, the U.S. and Canada basically lied about their relations with the regime in Honduras, and referred to it as a “democratic allie”. Countless North American companies, banks and investors happily did business with the “Open for Global Business” regime, and some of them directly contracted with known drug traffickers.

This ‘Putting the U.S. and Canada On Trial’ campaign is an important effort to once again expose, and try and achieve a small amount of political or even legal accountability in the U.S. and Canada for the knowing complicity of our governments and certain businesses and investors.

Former Honduran police chief Juan Carlos Bonilla, known as "El Tigre," has pleaded guilty to a U.S. drug trafficking charge related to cocaine importation conspiracy. He was initially expected to be tried alongside the country's ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who faces similar charges. Bonilla admitted directing police to allow cocaine shipments through checkpoints without inspection in exchange for bribes during his tenure as the national police chief from 2012 to 2013. Bonilla faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Hernandez, who pleaded not guilty to taking bribes from cartels during his presidency, will now be tried alone. Another defendant, Hernandez's cousin Mauricio Hernandez, pleaded guilty to cocaine importation conspiracy. The U.S. Department of Justice has accused Hernandez of running Honduras as a "narco-state" and receiving bribes from the Sinaloa cartel's leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Hernandez contends that drug traffickers are falsely accusing him in retaliation for his anti-drug efforts.