The United States revealed this Monday, February 7, that it included former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández on the list of “corrupt and anti-democratic actors”, which makes him ineligible for visas and admission to US territory.
“The United States is promoting transparency and accountability in Central America by making public the visa restrictions against the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, due to corrupt acts. No one is above the law,” tweeted the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, announcing the decision.
Hernández, who left the presidency of Honduras on January 27 after eight years in power, has been accused by New York prosecutors of having links with drug trafficking. His brother, former deputy Tony Hernández, is serving a life sentence in the United States for that crime. Both deny the charges.
In a statement, Blinken said that “according to multiple credible media reports,” Hernandez “has engaged in significant corruption by committing or facilitating acts of corruption and drug trafficking, and by using the proceeds of illicit activities for political campaigns.”
“In addition, Hernandez was identified by name in the testimony of a sworn witness in a federal criminal proceeding in the United States for having received proceeds from drug trafficking as part of the financing of his campaign,” it added.
The Joe Biden administration is determined to fight corruption and promote the rule of law in the Northern Triangle, which it believes contribute to the exodus of undocumented migrants from those three countries to the US southern border.
