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Trump’s confounding pardon of a drug lord, briefly explained
The former president of Honduras was convicted of trafficking cocaine. Why did Trump pardon him?
Cameron Peters is a staff editor at Vox.
Welcome to The Logoff: The former president of Honduras, who was serving a 45-year sentence for trafficking huge amounts of cocaine into the US, was freed from prison on Tuesday following a pardon from President Donald Trump.
What happened? Trump promised to pardon Juan Orlando Hernández late last week after receiving an ingratiating letter from the former Honduran president, who described himself as a fellow victim of “political persecution” by the Biden administration.
What did Hernández do? Hernández, who served two terms as president of Honduras, was convicted on drug trafficking and firearms offenses last year by a federal district court in New York; prosecutors said he abused his powers as president to help deliver more than 400 tons of cocaine into the United States and accepted bribes from drug lords like El Chapo.
Why does this matter? This pardon is a big deal for many reasons, but its intersection with another Trump administration policy makes it especially lurid. The Trump administration is currently on the brink of war with Venezuela, which it has painted as a narco-state headed by President Nicolas Maduro. As my colleague Josh Keating has written, that’s misleading for multiple reasons — and much closer to the reality of Hernández’s case. But instead of threatening military force, Trump has seen to it that a key perpetrator will walk free.
What’s the big picture? Trump’s Hernández pardon may be one of the most high-profile abuses of the president’s clemency power, but it’s far from his only one. He’s also granted clemency to fraudsters, corrupt politicians, the founder of an online drug marketplace, and every person convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, including some who assaulted police officers.
Other pardons, like that of billionaire crypto tycoon Changpeng Zhao in October, raise the possibility of self-dealing by Trump; Zhao’s crypto exchange Binance has partnered with the Trump family to massively enrich Trump.
And with that, it’s time to log off…
Today is Giving Tuesday, an international day for giving back on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Vox’s Future Perfect section is marking the occasion with their guide to doing good, better: a package dedicated to the most effective ways to donate to charity, where to donate if you want to support specific causes like animal welfare, and how to give more than money (specifically, blood donations; need always spikes during the holiday season).
As my colleague Sigal Samuel writes, giving can feel difficult, especially if money is tight, but it can also be joyous: “Giving felt so good, not only because I knew it was helping others, but because it reminded my brain that I’m not a solitary, atomized being; I’m connected to everyone else.” It’s a good reminder (and the rest of her column is worth a read too). Have a great evening!
