LEMPIRA, HONDURAS. –The President of Honduras, Juan Orlando HernandezHe assured on Sunday that his successor must be willing to “destroy” or “attempt to kill him,” referring to allegations of his alleged links to drug trafficking which he rejects.
After voting in the primaries, which will determine the candidates who will appear in November, he claimed he fought crime and drug lords during his two term in office, at “great expense,” but who has “met the country.”
“Ask the candidates if they are willing to risk everything (…) Yes, still, at the risk of being thrown at them, trying to kill or destroy you, (…) if you still have Always ready to continue to support the Honduran people on security matters, it is worth voting for that candidate, ”he said.
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In a trial in Manhattan federal court, the cartel leader The Cachiros Devis Leonel Rivera He said they paid a cash bribe to President Hernández during his 2012 election campaign in exchange for protection.
Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York regard the current president of Honduras as a ‘co-conspirator’ of the alleged drug lord Geovanny Fuentes in the trade in tons of cocaine to the United States.
On Wednesday, the president denied the charges. “How to believe false testimonials that I have made deals with drug traffickers when it is proven that Los Cachiros was seeking a deal with the US because of criminals’ inability to make a deal with me,” he tweeted at the time.
This Sunday, HernAndez, in power since 2014, he insisted that during his tenure he would “push” the extradition of drug traffickers and criminals, as well as promote changes in the military and police.
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At the trial in the United States, Rivera also assured that he paid bribes to former Presidents Manuel Zelaya and Porfirio Lobo, in addition to current Vice President, Ricardo Álvarez, who has denied the charges.
The country’s three biggest celebrations take part in Sunday’s primaries.
For general elections on November 28, where the next governor of Honduras, In all, 14 political groups are qualified to compete, with candidates for 128 seats in the National Congress, 20 for the Central American Parliament and 298 municipal corporations.