Honduras has vowed to end its extradition treaty with the United States after the U.S. ambassador denounced Honduran officials and implied they were working with “drug traffickers.” The U.S. accusation came after Honduran Defense Minister José Manuel Zelaya met with his Venezuelan counterpart, Vladimir Padrino, who was indicted by the U.S. on drug trafficking charges in 2020. This is Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina.

Enrique Reina: “International relations must be based in mutual respect, in dialogue, and not meddling and trying to impose policies, no matter the other state’s positions based on its interests. They cannot force another country to take the positions they want, and must respect Honduras’s stance.”

The U.S. has long supported narcotraffickers in Honduras, most famously former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who received unconditional U.S. backing during his rule but was extradited in 2022 and in June of this year sentenced to 45 years by a U.S. court.