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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 16 February 2022

U.S. asks Honduras to arrest, extradite ex-President Hernández

By MARLON GONZÁLEZ and sight of what we stand for
CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN and that our real partners
Associated Press are the Honduran people."
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras Dana Frank, a Honduras ex-
(AP) — The United States pert and professor of history
requested the arrest and emerita at the University of
extradition of former Presi- California, Santa Cruz, said
dent Juan Orlando Hernán- the U.S. wants to look he-
dez on drug and weapons roic for finally trying to bring
charges less than three Hernández to justice, but
weeks after he left office, that successive administra-
a move that follows years tions going back to Presi-
of accusations about the dent Barack Obama en-
Honduran leader's alleged abled Hernández.
links to drug traffickers. "Hernández was able to
Honduran security forces wreak havoc with Hondu-
surrounded Hernández's ras, with devastating costs,
neighborhood Monday in large part because the
night and on Tuesday the U.S. supported him up to
Supreme Court of Justice the last minute," Frank said.
met to choose a judge to Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez answers questions from the Associated Press, Tues- Honduran criminal lawyer
handle the extradition re- day, Aug. 13, 2019, as he leaves a meeting at the Organization of American States, in Washington. Marlon Duarte said that the
quest. Associated Press extradition process against
Honduran Security Minis- Hernández, if it moves
ter Ramón Sabillón, who Nicole Navas, a spokes- serve seven-year terms, functioned as a criminal ahead, would not last more
was fired by Hernández as woman for the U.S. Depart- and most come from his enterprise, U.S. officials lost than three months.q
head of the National Po- ment of Justice, declined National Party.
lice in 2014, said Tuesday comment late Monday The U.S. moves were a long-
that Hernández had con- about the U.S. extradition awaited fall for a leader
spired "with cartels to traffic request. reviled in his home country
(drugs) and corrupt many In a video released by who enjoyed support from
public institutions, which Hernández's legal team, the Trump administration
led to social deterioration apparently from inside his but had been kept at arm's
and undermined the appli- home, attorney Félix Ávila length by the Biden White
cation of justice in Hondu- said that no arrest order House, which has targeted
ras." had yet been issued. Central America's endemic
He said the main charges Hernández released an corruption as a root cause
Hernández faces in the U.S. audio recording via Twitter of migration.
were drug trafficking, using early Tuesday thanking his Last year, U.S. Sen. Patrick
weapons for drug traffick- supporters. "It is not an easy Leahy was one of a dozen
ing and conspiracy to use moment," he said. "I don't senators who supported a
weapons in drug traffick- desire it for anyone." bill that sought to isolate
ing. He said his lawyers had in- Hernández by imposing
U.S. prosecutors in New formed the National Police sanctions on him and pro-
York had repeatedly im- that "I am ready and pre- hibiting the export of tear
plicated Hernández as a pared to cooperate and gas, pepper spray and rub-
co-conspirator during his go voluntarily ... to face ber bullets that Honduran
brother's 2019 drug traffick- this situation and defend security forces deployed in
ing trial, alleging that his myself" if an arrest order is recent years against pro-
political rise was fueled by issued. testers.
drug profits. The identity of the judge "Throughout the past eight
His brother, Juan Antonio chosen to handle the years of decay, depravity,
"Tony" Hernández was sen- case was not immediately and impunity, successive
tenced to life in prison on released. However, the U.S. administrations sullied
drug and weapons charg- court's president, Rolando our reputation by treat-
es in March 2021. At his Argueta, is known to be ing Hernandez as a friend
sentencing Assistant U.S. close to Hernández, and all and partner," Leahy said in
Attorney Matthew Laroche 15 Supreme Court justices a statement Tuesday. "By
characterized the crimes were selected by Congress making excuse after ex-
as "state-sponsored drug in 2016 during Hernández's cuse for a government that
trafficking." first presidential term. They had no legitimacy and that