Honduran ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez returned to his country on Sunday, almost eight months after US President Donald Trump controversially pardoned his 45-year prison sentence for drug trafficking.
Hernandez arrived on a private flight at Palmerola Airport near the capital Tegucigalpa and was greeted by his family and supporters, AFP journalists observed.
"We are very happy and very excited" to welcome him back, said Eva Amador, 56, a supporter of the former president, as she held a banner with a message thanking Trump.
Hernandez led the Central American nation from 2014 to 2022, but was extradited shortly after leaving office by his left-leaning successor, Xiomara Castro, to face US drug trafficking charges.
A US court found him guilty in 2024 of having helped smuggle hundreds of tons of drugs into the United States and sentenced him to decades behind bars.
But in a surprise move just days before Honduras's presidential election last year, Trump pardoned Hernandez.
The US president also threatened to withhold aid to the country if Hernandez's ally and fellow conservative Nasry Asfura did not win.
Trump's intervention sparked outcry in Honduras and claims by Castro and her allies of foreign interference in the election, which was ultimately won by Asfura.
The pardoning of Hernandez also sparked accusations of hypocrisy in the United States, as Trump had recently launched his major military campaign against drug traffickers in Latin America, striking boats alleged to be cartel-affiliated.
Hernandez is expected to appear in Honduran court on August 3 to face corruption charges.
He denies wrongdoing, and previously said he was returning "without any electoral ambitions."
Upon granting the pardon last year, Trump claimed -- without evidence -- that Hernandez was "set up" by the administration of former US president Joe Biden.
Latest stories
Sports Norris grabs first race win of season in Hungary
World champion Lando Norris claimed his first win of the season and 12th of his career with a resounding triumph for McLaren ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen in...
Sports Sooryavanshi's 81 steers India to Zimbabwe T20 series sweep
Teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored his second half century in four days for India, who beat Zimbabwe by 35 runs on Sunday for a...
Climate and Environment French firefighters face 'pyrocumulonimbus' for first time
The gigantic wildfire ravaging southwest France has created an extremely dangerous "pyrocumulonimbus" -- a phenomenon never before seen in the country -- the spokesman for the country's National Firefighters...