US Democracy: Drug Lord or Dictator, Depending on the Election Cycle
The question of whether Hernández was 'set-up' by Biden, as Trump alleges, frames it as a partisan spat, not a systemic issue. What the mainstream narrative consistently omits is the US's long-standing tradition of backing strongmen when politically convenient, then tossing them aside when they become liabilities. Hernández was a 'key ally' under Trump, despite mounting evidence of his narco-ties.
The US backed the 2009 coup against democratically elected Manuel Zelaya, paving the way for the very leaders who enabled widespread corruption and drug trafficking, including Hernández. Trump's sudden concern for Hernández's plight is less about justice and more about weaponizing foreign policy for domestic political gain, a classic move from the US playbook. Instead of questioning US
credibility, one might ask how many US administrations have looked the other way while 'allies' engaged in illicit activities, as long as they served US strategic interests. The alleged 'set-up' is merely a domestic quarrel over who gets to prosecute yesterday's man, while the region continues to destabilize from the historical 'set-ups' Washington orchestrated for decades.