PRESS RELEASE 

For immediate release 

December 1, 2025

Contact: press@alianzaamericas.org / (773) 638-4278

Chicago, IL. Alianza Americas, a network of migrant-led organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean in the United States, is disgusted and rejects President Trump's announcement of the pardon of Juan Orlando Hernández, ex-president of Honduras, convicted for drug trafficking charges in federal court and sentenced to 45 years in prison and a fine of $8 million. 

‍The President appears to view the administration of justice not as an institutional process belonging to the United States of America, but as something subject to his personal will.  He rewards his friends and seeks convictions against his foes. A presidential pardon is a constitutional power that this Head of State has frequently exercised, raising questions about the administration of justice. The pardon power should be used restrictively. It is unethical for the President to use his pardon power for political motives. It weakens the presidency and undermines the rule of law.

‍The conviction of Juan Orlando Hernández sent a clear message that no one, including former heads of state, was immune from criminal prosecution for drug trafficking crimes. Pardoning Hernández weakens drug enforcement efforts in Latin America and in the U.S. and sends the message that everyone is not equal under the law. This action further disregards the immense harm Hernández inflicted on the Honduran people, leaving the country impoverished while profiting from the very safety and dignity of its citizens, and it signals a troubling tolerance for impunity at the highest levels.

‍It is incoherent and inconsistent to claim that one of the U.S. foreign policy agenda priorities is drug trafficking while pardoning a former head of state who accepted bribes and used his position of power to facilitate drug trafficking. The president should be focusing on criminal investigations and prosecutions, rather than considering diminishing the effects of those efforts that have produced substantial results. Pardoning Hernández would have devastating effects on the administration of justice and on Latin America. 

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Alianza Americas is a transnational network of migrant-led organizations in the United States. We advocate for social justice, equity and human rights in the Americas.