Honduras Attorney General Johel Zelaya announced Monday that he has ordered local authorities and Interpol to enforce a 2023 arrest warrant for former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was recently pardoned and released from U.S. federal prison. Hernández had been serving a 45-year sentence for his role in facilitating large-scale cocaine trafficking to the United States.
The warrant, signed two years ago by a Supreme Court magistrate, targets Hernández for alleged fraud and money laundering, specifying it should be executed if he is freed by U.S. authorities. The charges are connected to the Pandora case, in which dozens of Honduran officials were accused of diverting government funds through NGOs to political parties, including Hernández's 2013 campaign. Hernández’s lawyer called the move politically motivated and baseless. Following his release, Hernández went into an undisclosed location for safety, as Honduras awaits the outcome of a tight presidential election. The contest between conservative candidates Nasry Asfura and Salvador Nasralla carries implications for Hernández’s future in the country, with corruption and past electoral controversies shaping voter sentiment.
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