On the morning of April 30, a significant development unfolded as the Spanish website Diario Red and the television channel Canal Red started releasing a series of leaked audio recordings, which would eventually become known as HondurasGate, involving powerful right-wing figures in the Americas. By May 6, these outlets had released a total of 37 messages, comprising WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram communications, revealing a shocking network that sought to undermine leftist leaders in the region. This network, which has been exposed through these leaked recordings, is one of the biggest political scandals to have emerged in the Americas in recent years, and it has far-reaching implications, involving the Trump administration, Israel, Argentina's libertarian president, and numerous right-wing Honduran officials in underhanded activities aimed at taking down their political opponents. Furthermore, thousands of dollars were funneled into a right-wing propaganda outlet, allegedly based in the United States, highlighting the extent of the scandal. The authenticity of these messages has been independently verified on two separate occasions, confirming that they are genuine and not generated by artificial intelligence. Despite the significance of these revelations, it is likely that many people have heard little to nothing about them
In the region of Latin America, a profound scandal has been unfolding.
MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: On the morning of April 30, the Spanish website Diario Red and the television channel Canal Red began to release a series of leaked audio recordings between influential right-wing figures in the Americas, shedding light on a complex web of corruption and deceit. By May 6, these outlets had released a total of 37 WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram messages, which have been painstakingly analyzed to reveal a shocking network pushing to destabilize elections and undermine leftist leaders in the region. The implications of these leaks are far-reaching, and they constitute one of the biggest political scandals in the Americas in years, involving the Trump administration, Israel, Argentina's libertarian president, numerous right-wing Honduran officials, and many others in underhanded activities designed to take down political opponents. Furthermore, thousands of dollars have been funneled into a right-wing propaganda outlet, allegedly located in the United States, highlighting the scope and sophistication of this operation. It is worth noting that the messages have been independently verified twice, confirming that they are not AI-generated, which adds to their
To clarify, it's essential to note that Republican lawmakers are also implicated in this scenario. The implications of these events extend far beyond local or national borders, having a global reach. The individuals behind these conversations are not merely attempting to exert influence over local or state elections, but rather, they are engaged in a broader effort to shape the political landscape. Specifically, they discuss the production of journalistic hit pieces targeting leftist presidents in countries such as Colombia, Mexico, and former presidents in Honduras. The individuals targeted in these messages, including Gustavo Petro, Claudia Sheinbaum, Manuel Zelaya, and Xiomara Castro, are prominent leftist leaders who have been vocal in their opposition to Trump's policies towards Latin America and the right-wing wave that has swept across Central and South America. Furthermore, the leaked messages reveal that these right-wing Honduran politicians have discussed the use of real violence against those who resist their efforts.
Before delving deeper into the details of these leaks, it's crucial to provide some context, as many of these leaks revolve around the figure of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez and his current bid to regain power in Honduras. We previously explored
MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Hernandez, often referred to as JOH in Honduras, responded to the resistance against his fraudulent reelection with extreme force, demonstrating a clear disregard for the rights and safety of his citizens. KAREN SPRING: During the 2017 electoral crisis, it is documented that over 30 individuals were shot and killed by state security forces, with these victims being primarily protesters who took to the streets to express their opposition to the electoral fraud. This violent crackdown occurred at the same time as the US was certifying the elections, highlighting a stark contrast between the international recognition of the election results and the brutal suppression of dissent on the ground. Furthermore, hundreds of people were detained illegally during this period, with 22 individuals being held for extended periods, including my partner, who was imprisoned for 19 months in a maximum-security facility. These individuals were essentially political prisoners, detained as a result of their involvement in the 2017 electoral fraud protests. Additionally, there were several reported disappearances during this time, further exacerbating the climate of fear and repression. In the Aguan Valley region alone, from 2013 or 2014 until
Many people viewed Castro's victory as a significant step towards restoring democracy in the country, following the tumultuous period of fraudulent rule under the leadership of Juan Orlando Hernandez, who had been in power after a coup. Xiomara Castro assumed office in early 2022, marking a new beginning for the nation. Then, on April 21 of that year, a notable event occurred.
XIOMARA CASTRO: Good afternoon, everyone. Today, Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, was extradited to the United States to face federal charges. Hernandez is charged with participating in a corrupt and violent drug trafficking conspiracy, which aimed to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the United States from 2004 to 2022. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: In 2024, he was convicted by a New York court and subsequently sentenced to 45 years in prison, a significant verdict. This conviction was a landmark moment, as Hernandez became the first high-profile former president from Latin America to be convicted and sentenced in the United States for drug trafficking since the case of Panamanian president Manuel Noriega, which occurred three
I want to take you through these messages, so you can hear the individuals involved in their own words, which is particularly important given the shocking content that they contain.
Many of the communications are between key figures, including Juan Orlando Hernandez, the president, Nasry Asfura, and other prominent right-wing politicians in Honduras. It's worth noting that Hernandez has been residing in the United States since his release from prison. A significant number of the messages are focused on his potential return to Honduras and, more specifically, his future return to power. Hernandez is quite direct in his communications, and this is evident in one voice message from March 18, in which the former president Hernandez tells Tomás Zambrano, the conservative president of Honduras' National Congress, that the 67-year-old Asfura, who entered office as president just a few months ago, is old and confused, and that he should start taking orders from him. In this message, Hernandez explicitly states, "Listen to me, I'm the one who's going to set the pace from here on out," which clearly conveys his intention to exert control.
In another voice message from March
On March 18, Hernandez sent a message to National Assembly president Zambrano, in which he emphasized the necessity of certain qualities for Honduras, stating that "Honduras needs strength, it needs logistics, it needs blood." He also expressed his belief that in order to control people, one must oppress them and generate violence to counter their actions, referencing the words of president Trump, who he claimed would be in power forever. Hernandez advised against being soft and letting emotions get in the way of work, quoting the infamous Colombian drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, who was the most iconic and powerful figure in Latin American drug trafficking history and the focus of the Netflix series Narcos. This reference from Hernandez, spoken from one drug trafficker about another, reveals a great deal about his mindset, suggesting that Honduras is open for business and that he believes he and his allies have been given the green light by Trump to unleash violence against anyone who opposes them or gets in the way of their bid for power and far-right agenda. This includes killing, jailing, and bribing members of the Honduran congress, with Marlon Ochoa being a particular target. Ochoa
Salvador Nasralla, a seasoned politician who has run for president three times and served in Xiomara Castro's government, was the closest challenger to Asfura in the 2025 election, making him a significant figure in Honduran politics. Iroshka Elvir, Nasralla's wife, is a former beauty queen and a member of congress, representing the conservative Liberal Party, which further highlights the complex political landscape in Honduras. These right-wing politicians, including Nasralla and Elvir, seem to be fixated on Marlon Ochoa, apparently believing that removing him from power is essential to regaining complete control. According to Cossette Lopez-Osorio, as stated in a voice message from two weeks later, "From my point of view, Marlon should be objective number one," which suggests that Ochoa is a major obstacle to their goals.
Two weeks after that message, Cossette Lopez-Osorio leaves another voice message, in which she expresses her frustration and urgency to take action against Ochoa. "Listen, tell me how we are going to continue without taking out this bastard Marlon from
In a voice message dated January 20, former President Juan Orlando Hernandez explicitly mentions Benjamin Netanyahu, stating, "The Israeli Prime Minister is going to support us," and expresses his gratitude towards him. Hernandez acknowledges that Netanyahu and his team played a significant role in his negotiations and eventual release from prison, saying, "They had a lot to do, in fact, everything to do, with the negotiations and my leaving prison."
In another message, Hernandez criticizes his allies in Honduras, claiming that certain individuals are obstructing his return to the country. He asserts, "You didn't even pay the money for my pardon. It didn't come from you. It came from a group of rabbis. And people that supported Israel." Hernandez then confidently declares, "I am going to win the next elections in Honduras." This message raises several questions, including whether the Trump administration received payment in exchange for pardoning Hernandez, and if not, what the purpose of the money was, with lobbying being a likely possibility.
The interest of a group of rabbis, Israel, and Prime Minister Netanyahu in Hernandez's release can be attributed to Hernandez's deep-seated ties with
They have sent you money, and I am currently here in the United States, actively engaging in lobbying efforts.
It is certainly no coincidence that, in the middle of January, even before his official inauguration, the President of Honduras, Nasry Asfura, traveled to Jerusalem to meet with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his delight in welcoming President Asfura, stating, "I'm delighted to welcome you, Mr. President. We're refashioning the relationship between Israel and Honduras to the traditional lines of friendship, but we also want to seize the future… with you and the people of Honduras. I look forward to working with your government, both in economic fields and agriculture and technology in any of the areas that I think are laid before us. You should know that as far as Israel is concerned, the sky is the limit."
Michael Fox, in his narration, then highlights that, on February 7, just ten days into his term, President Asfura met with former US President Donald Trump in Mar-A-Lago, Florida. It becomes clear from the leaks that the right-wing victory in Honduras — whether fraudulent
I had the opportunity to visit Roatan a few years ago, and my trip was primarily focused on reporting on the Prospera ZEDE, a project that has significant implications for the region. To put it bluntly, the entire scheme is yet another major reason why Honduras holds considerable importance for powerful and wealthy individuals within the United States. This is also a key factor that contributed to Trump's keen interest in the election that took place late last year. Additionally, there have been discussions about the potential establishment of a new U.S. military base in Honduras, which further underscores the country's strategic significance. It was Vice President Maria Antoineta Mejia who conveyed this message to Hernandez shortly after Asfura's visit to Mar-A-Lago, highlighting the various issues that were on the table.
According to Maria Antoineta Mejia, Asfura's visit to Mar-A-Lago was aimed at negotiating several key points, including the return of Juan Orlando Hernandez, the expansion of the ZEDEs, the territorial expansion of manufacturing plants, and the possible creation of a new tax-free zone. Moreover, she emphasized that Roatan is poised to become the central
He stated that they would take it out of INSEP, which refers to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Services. Following his conversation with Asfura, Hernandez had a discussion with Vice President Mejia, during which he expressed his need for financial resources, explaining that they were planning to establish an office with the support of some Republicans, with the primary objective of attacking and uprooting the influence of the left in Honduras and throughout Latin America. He mentioned to President Asfura that they could potentially have a conversation with Javier Millei, who was willing to provide support in the amount of $350,000, and additionally, they had another ally in Mexico who was also offering support, with a focus on addressing issues related to Mexico. He expressed his optimism, stating that they were well-prepared and hopeful that this initiative could move forward, as he emphasized.
The Vice President responded by saying, "President, if you want, forget the details, I just want to confirm the amount, now that I know, I will take care of all the details, $300,000 it is." This revelation exposes a significant issue, where funds are being diverted from
The rhetoric surrounding Greenland and Canada suddenly becomes more comprehensible, and it is clear that the underlying motivation is about exerting control over these regions, much like the situation in Latin America. The revelations brought to light by HondurasGate, which suggest that Hernandez is orchestrating a broader campaign to destabilize the region, are particularly alarming in the context of Colombia, a country that is on the verge of holding high-stakes elections at the end of the month. In Colombia, leftist senator Iván Cepeda is currently leading the polls, but far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella is only a few points behind, which has sparked concerns that Trump may attempt to use his influence to sway the vote in favor of De la Espriella, much like he did in Honduras for Asfura. Colombia's leftist president, Gustavo Petro, has consistently demonstrated his willingness to stand up to Trump and his interference in Latin American affairs, and this month, he called for an investigation into the leaks and their potential impact on the upcoming election, stating that the information revealed by HondurasGate must be investigated as a potential electoral crime. As Petro emphasized, "We are in an
When I inquired about the possibility of Trump being behind the entire network or at least being aware of its existence, I was presented with an alternative perspective. ALBERTO MARESCA stated, "I don’t think it’s Trump, I think it’s Rubio," referring to Marco Rubio, who serves as Trump's Cuban-American Secretary of State. MARESCA further elaborated, "I don’t think that Trump knows about it, I honestly doubt that Trump has an interest in this, especially now, with what’s going on in Iran." It appears that MARESCA believes Rubio is more likely to be involved due to his strong connections with Israel and the Latin American conservative sector, which aligns with the interests and initiatives in question.
As MARESCA noted, "I am sure that Rubio has a very strong connection because this is something only a person with strong connections with Israel and the Latin American conservative sector has, which is the case of Marco Rubio. So I’m pretty sure that it’s Marco Rubio that is kind of networking those initiatives and those figures." This raises an intriguing question, as MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION
The concept of automatic alignment is the central theme of his most recent article, titled "'Hondurasgate' and the tragedy of automatic alignment in Latin America". Alberto Maresca explains that automatic alignment is an academic concept that, in contrast to non-alignment, refers to the practice of Latin American countries aligning themselves with the United States and, to some extent, bandwagoning with its foreign policy, under the assumption that this alignment would inherently benefit Latin America. This is the essence of the tragedy of automatic alignment, which Maresca writes about in his pieces, where a given Latin American government unconditionally aligns itself with the US. The ties with Israel, the acceptance of deportees from the US in Latin American countries, and the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard of Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah as terrorist groups are all crucial aspects of this phenomenon, and they all fall under the umbrella of the Shield of the Americas. On this historic day, a brand new military coalition was announced, aiming to eradicate the criminal cartels that plague the region, as stated in a statement.
If one recalls, this was part of Trump's summit and initiative, which
MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Alternatively, you have Juan Orlando Hernandez taking similar actions, demonstrating a clear example of strategic maneuvering. ALBERTO MARESCA: That is a prime illustration of automatic alignment, where governments willingly advance their interests, even in the absence of direct intervention from the United States. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: According to him, the case of Millei in Argentina serves as a great example of this phenomenon, and several countries in Central America are also following suit. ALBERTO MARESCA: El Salvador is definitely one of them, and there are numerous instances of this trend in the Caribbean, as well as in the rest of South America. I am concerned about the region's ability to find a unified voice that can express its autonomy on the international stage, because if this is not achieved at a regional level, it is unlikely that a single country, with the exception of Brazil, which is a unique case, will be able to exert such influence. MICHAEL FOX [NARRATION]: Brazil, similar to Colombia, is another country in Latin America where crucial
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