"The capture of Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Saturday, in an operation rarely seen in the region, marks this new paradigm. Drugs have once again become the number-one public enemy for the U.S., just as Islamist terrorism had been until recently. However, Trump's recent moves reveal certain contradictions, which are exemplified by the nowpardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, former president of Honduras."
"Hernandez, who was convicted a year and a half ago in New York the same city that will host Maduro's trial received a pardon from Trump just a month ago. The decision was controversial, given the conviction of the former Central American leader, who governed Honduras from 2014 to 2022. The jury found him guilty of drug trafficking and possession of automatic weapons the same crimes the U.S. justice system has charged Maduro with"
"The Republican later justified his decision by claiming that the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden, had framed Hernandez. The people of Honduras really thought he was set up and it was a terrible thing [...] I looked at the facts and I agreed with them, the U.S. president said. Trump provided no evidence of how Biden allegedly set up the former Honduran leader nor did he say which people of Honduras had told him this."
The capture of Nicolas Maduro in Caracas marks a U.S.-led resurgence of the war on drugs in Latin America. Drugs have returned as the primary U.S. security focus after a period dominated by concerns about Islamist terrorism. Maduro faces charges similar to those for which former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez was convicted in New York: drug trafficking and possession of automatic weapons. Hernandez was sentenced to 45 years before receiving a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. Trump alleged without evidence that the Biden administration framed Hernandez and cited Honduran opinion to justify the pardon. The actions create an apparent contradiction in U.S. policy.
Read at english.elpais.com
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