Central America

Former president of Honduras found guilty of drug trafficking by U.S. justice

The prosecution, alleging that the former president created a narco-state during his presidency (2014-2022), accused him of conspiring to traffic drugs to the United States, as well as conspiring to traffic arms, offenses that carry potential life sentences.

Former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, was declared guilty of drug trafficking and arms trafficking by a federal jury in New York on Friday, concluding a landmark trial that could see him spend the rest of his life in prison.

On its second day of deliberations, the 12-member jury announced its unanimous verdict shortly before 13:30 local time, finding Hernández guilty on all three charges brought by the prosecution.

“I am innocent, tell the world, I love you,” Hernández said as he left the court, addressing his family, including two sisters-in-law, and the three generals who came to testify on his behalf in this trial.

Flanked by his lawyers, moments before Judge Kevin Castel called the parties to hear the verdict, 55-year-old Hernández appeared to be praying.

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Afterwards, he reacted to the verdict by shaking his head in disbelief as the jury spokesperson responded to each of the judge’s questions to establish his guilt.

The prosecution, asserting that the former president created a narco-state during his presidency (2014-2022), accused him of conspiring to traffic drugs to the United States, as well as conspiring to traffic arms, offenses that carry potential life sentences.

The judge is yet to announce the former president’s sentence in the coming weeks or months.

According to the U.S. prosecution, Hernández participated in and protected a network that sent over 500 tons of cocaine to the United States between 2004 and 2022, while he was a congressman, president of the Congress, and later president of the Republic. In exchange, he allegedly received millions of dollars from cartels, including Mexican drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who was sentenced to life in prison in the United States.

Extradited in April 2022 to the United States, three months after handing over the presidency to leftist successor Xiomara Castro, the convicted individual is known for the infamous phrase “We are going to put the drugs in their noses (to the Americans) and they won’t even notice,” according to a witness.

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Asked by AFP, defense attorney Renato Stabile, with tears in his eyes, said that “obviously the verdict is harsh, but mentally, he is very strong.”

This staunch ally of Republican President Donald Trump (2017-2021) once boasted about Washington’s praise for his government’s efforts in the fight against drug trafficking.

Prosecutor Jacob H. Gutwillig reminded the jury that while the accused publicly promoted laws against drug trafficking and the extradition of drug lords to the United States, he also met with U.S. officials behind closed doors. However, “none of this undoes what the accused did behind closed doors.”

“He is a drug trafficker,” Gutwillig concluded.

Since 2014, Honduras has extradited 38 people accused of drug trafficking to the United States. Others surrendered to U.S. authorities or were arrested outside the country.

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Former police chief Juan Carlos “Tigre” Bonilla and former police officer Mauricio Hernández, who were to be tried with the former president, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking a few days before the trial began. Their sentences will be announced in the coming months.

Many of the dozen witnesses presented by the prosecution highlighted the corruption and close ties between politics and drug trafficking.

“The political elite, which is also the economic elite, has operated in complete impunity” over the past 15 years, since the 2009 coup, emboldened by “the support it received from foreign governments despite knowing that it was heavily involved in drug trafficking,” says American activist Karen Spring of the Honduras Solidarity Network to AFP.

“All state institutions are heavily penetrated by drug trafficking, particularly the police and the military,” she asserts.

Extradited in April 2022, three months after leaving office, the former president will follow in the footsteps of his brother Tony Hernández and Geovanny Fuentes, a close associate of his brother, who are serving life sentences in the United States, as well as Fabio Lobo, son of former President Porfirio Lobo (2010-2014), and lawmaker Fredy Renán Nájera, all convicted of drug trafficking.

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Central America

Bukele Announces Education Investment Exceeding 8% of El Salvador’s GDP

El Salvador will increase its annual investment in education to more than $3 billion, equivalent to over 8% of gross domestic product (GDP), President Nayib Bukele announced Sunday.

“We are going to increase investment to more than $3 billion a year, which is three times what previous governments invested, equivalent to more than 8% of GDP,” Bukele said while addressing approximately 30,000 public school students.

The president said the increase would make El Salvador the Latin American country that allocates the largest share of its economy to education. The government’s education budget for this year stands at $1.683 billion.

Bukele made the announcement at the Jorge “Mágico” González National Stadium in San Salvador, where thousands of students gathered for an event focused on educational opportunities.

The president also announced that a university scholarship program will provide financial support to approximately 50,000 students this year. The initiative will receive $100 million in financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through an agreement intended to ensure that the program does not depend solely on a particular government or annual budget.

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“These 50,000 scholarships are only for this year; next year there will be more, and more after that, until all Salvadoran young people have the opportunity to study,” Bukele said.

The president did not provide details on the total cost of the scholarship program or specify what portion of the education budget it will represent.

The planned increase would represent a significant expansion from the current education allocation and is part of the government’s strategy to increase access to higher education for young Salvadorans.

Central America

Panama’s Geisha Coffee Retains Pure Ethiopian Genetics, Studies Find

Panama’s exclusive Geisha coffee variety retains the full genetic purity of its Ethiopian ancestors and preserves a distinctive sensory profile, according to two studies presented by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (SCAP).

“Ensuring that the genetics we have in Panama remain 100% pure is vital for the country’s future,” Ricardo Koyner, president of Panama’s specialty coffee association, told EFE.

Panamanian Geisha coffee has gained international fame after breaking price records at global auctions. In the latest auction, a kilogram sold for more than $30,000.

The variety is highly sought after, particularly in Asian markets, for its complex flavor, which differs from traditional strong coffee, as well as its distinctive floral aroma.

Studies confirm genetic purity and unique flavor

A genetic analysis conducted in France found that Geisha coffee trees grown in Panama retain the same genetic lineage as the original plants from Ethiopia. Those plants are preserved at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica, through which the coffee variety reached Panama.

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“We compared Panama’s Geisha with the original Geisha from CATIE, which is the ancestral reference. The genetics are exactly the same,” explained Christophe Montagnon, director of the study.

According to Montagnon, the findings indicate that Panama has preserved the genetic heritage of the variety over the years.

A second study focused on the sensory characteristics of Panamanian Geisha coffee and identified a distinctive note of white flowers or jasmine, described as particularly sweet and similar to the sensation of drinking jasmine tea.

Fabiana Carvalho, a flavor neuroscientist at the University of Campinas in Brazil, said the characteristic is highly valued in the international specialty coffee market.

“Coffees from Panama that have these sensory markers will be perceived, and already are perceived, as authentic. The final consumer, the coffee drinker, is willing to pay more,” said Carvalho, who led the study aimed at identifying the flavor markers that distinguish Panamanian coffee.

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The findings reinforce the reputation of Panama’s Geisha coffee as one of the world’s most distinctive and valuable specialty coffees.

Central America

Honduran Lawyer and Protected Witness in Angie Peña Case Shot Dead

Honduran lawyer and former judicial official Dereck McField was shot and killed on Monday morning, according to local media reports.

The attack took place in the street as McField was returning home after dropping off his young son at school, Honduran outlet HCH reported.

The killing sparked widespread concern after Honduras President Nasry Asfura later confirmed that McField was a protected witness in the case of Angie Peña, a Honduran university student who disappeared on January 1, 2022, while riding a jet ski on an island.

Authorities suspect Peña was trafficked to a criminal network for sexual exploitation. Her jet ski, life jacket and other belongings were found days later on a cay in Belize.

Four men — three Americans and one Honduran — have been charged in connection with the case and remain in pretrial detention as proceedings continue.

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At the start of the judicial process in 2024, authorities said they had evidence indicating that Harold Green allegedly sold Peña to William James Murdock for money. Prosecutors said the case included phone records, videos, photographs and witness testimony.

Search operations have been carried out since then in an effort to locate Peña, but she has not been found. Authorities have said they continue to hope that she is alive.

The three U.S. defendants live in Honduras and have tourism-related investments in Roatán.

McField’s killing raises new questions about the safety of witnesses involved in the high-profile case and comes as authorities continue investigating Peña’s disappearance.