At trial's start, ex-Honduran president cast as corrupt politician by US but a hero by his lawyer
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was described by a prosecutor Wednesday at the start of his drug trial as a corrupt politician who let his country's biggest drug traffickers fuel his rise to power but was portrayed by his defense lawyer as a heroic leader who worked with U.S. authorities to fight the drug trade.
Hernández went on trial in federal court two years after his arrest nation from 2014 to 2022. During two terms, he was often viewed by Democratic and Republican administrations as beneficial to American interests in the region.
