Speaking at a press conference in Tegucigalpa, he argued that Washington’s recent moves show clear double standards in its public stance on drug trafficking. Torres Zelaya condemned what he described as external pressure, warning that Honduras would not accept actions that could pave the way for a return to the “narco-state” the country fought to overcome.
The remarks followed Trump’s announcement that he intends to grant a full pardon to former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who is currently serving a 45-year sentence in the United States for drug-trafficking and weapons-related offences. Trump also used his social media platform to endorse Hernández’s National Party ally, Nasry “Tito” Asfura, ahead of Sunday’s vote. The vice foreign minister stressed that a pardon would not alter Hernández’s record, insisting that the convictions remain a matter of public record.
Torres Zelaya denounced what he sees as contradictions in Trump’s position, citing past US-led anti-drug operations in the region. “Another thing that we find interesting to mention is that it carries a great load of irony and even contradiction that President Trump raises the banner of the fight against drug trafficking to generate actions against other countries, and in the case of Honduras, he is asking for the vote for the main drug lord of Central America, Mr Juan Orlando Hernandez,” he said.
He also argued that Trump’s endorsement of Asfura sends a clear political message. “It is no longer us saying it, Trump already said it: voting for Nasry Asfura is voting for Juan Orlando Hernandez. Voting for the National Party is voting for the narco-state to return and for the cartel to govern Honduras again,” he warned. Honduras is set to elect a president, members of the National Congress, representatives to the Central American Parliament, and local authorities, with more than six million citizens eligible to vote.
