Hondurans are glued to their former president's drug trafficking trial in a New York courtroom
Hondurans call it the “Trial of the Century,” but it’s occurring in a New York courtroom some 3,500 miles away
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Hondurans call it the “Trial of the Century,” but it’s occurring in a New York courtroom some 3,500 miles (5,630 kilometers) away.
Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández has been on trial since February in a federal courthouse in Manhattan, accused of taking bribes to protect drug traffickers, even as he portrayed himself publicly as an ally in the U.S. drug war.
Testifying Tuesday and Wednesday in his own defense, Hernández denied conspiring with drug dealers or taking bribes. “Never,” he insisted, adding that he was once warned that a drug cartel wanted to assassinate him. Deliberations were scheduled to start Thursday.
The trial is not televised, but some Honduran news outlets sent their own reporters to New York to cover the prosecution, with each pre-trial motion dissected by local news outlets. Others simply follow a handful of people who have been live-tweeting testimony and summarizing the day’s courtroom developments.
