US Pardons Drug Lord Dictator, Cites 'Strategic Alliance'
Juan Orlando Hernández, who helped funnel tons of cocaine into the U.S. and received a 45-year prison sentence, is now a free man, courtesy of former President Donald Trump. While Bloomberg focuses on the pardon itself, they conveniently omit the dirty little secret: Hernández was a long-time, enthusiastic recipient of U.S. aid and political backing, particularly after the 2009 coup that ousted
democratically elected Manuel Zelaya. The U.S. effectively greenlit his rise despite mounting evidence of corruption and human rights abuses, not to mention his brother's drug conviction. So, the U.S. government—which previously championed Hernández as a democratic ally (despite persistent allegations of election fraud in 2013 and 2017 documented by human rights groups and even the OAS)—now
releases him after a brief stint in jail for the very crimes they seemingly overlooked. It makes one wonder: Is the 'war on drugs' actually just selective enforcement for geopolitically inconvenient figures, while 'strategic partners' get a free pass—and even a pardon—after serving their purpose?