Honduran Court Dismisses Corruption Charges Against Ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez Following US Pardon

A court in Honduras has officially dropped charges against former President Juan Orlando Hernandez. Hernandez returned to the country in July following a pardon in the United States for a previous drug-trafficking conviction.

Previously, Hernandez faced accusations of fraud and money laundering connected to a corruption scheme that allegedly took place from 2010 to 2013, prior to his presidency. However, judiciary spokesperson Carlos Silva announced on Tuesday that Hernandez bore no responsibility for budgetary decisions during the period when the crimes occurred.

As a prominent member of the right-wing National Party, Hernandez celebrated the court's ruling as a complete vindication. "This chapter of political persecution has now ended," Hernandez stated following the verdict, arguing that the legal action against him lacked any basis and was politically motivated. He claimed the orchestrators aimed to permanently exile him from Honduras and impoverish his family.

Throughout his political career, which included serving as president from 2014 to 2022, Hernandez faced substantial scrutiny. Reports indicated he was under investigation by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) even while in office. Although initially viewed as an ally in the US-backed war on drugs, prosecutors later alleged he abused his power to aid drug traffickers and collect bribes.

The US Department of Justice previously labeled him the center of a massive drug-trafficking conspiracy. In April 2022, shortly after his presidential term ended, Honduran authorities extradited Hernandez to the US. Prosecutors cited statements in which he claimed he would smuggle drugs past American authorities. Following a 2024 conviction, he received a 45-year prison sentence.

His March 2024 conviction was widely celebrated in Honduras as accountability for a powerful official, with protesters demonstrating outside the New York City court. However, following the return of US President Donald Trump to office in 2025, policy shifted to support right-wing leaders in Latin America. Prior to the November 2025 general elections, Trump pledged to pardon Hernandez and threatened to withhold foreign aid.

Amid a tightly contested presidential race between centrist Salvador Nasralla and Nasry Asfura of the National Party, Trump executed the pardon on December 2, stating Hernandez had been treated unfairly by the administration of former US President Joe Biden. Nasry Asfura ultimately won the presidency.

Despite the US pardon, Hernandez still faced domestic legal challenges in Honduras related to the Pandora corruption scandal, which involved allegations that officials funneled approximately $10.8m in state funds to political campaigns between 2010 and 2013. Hernandez was accused of receiving about $2.3m, some of which allegedly financed his presidential campaign. Although he faced a domestic arrest warrant, it was suspended to allow his return in July.

While analysts expressed concern over potential bias given the National Party's governmental control, the Honduran judiciary maintained that the evidence failed to establish Hernandez's participation in the investigated events. Other politicians linked to the Pandora scandal, including former President Porfirio Lobo and ex-Finance Minister Wilfredo Cerrato, have also had their charges dismissed.