Honduras and the new administration of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, agreed to continue a bilateral extradition pact that the Xiomara Castro government had suspended in August 2024.
The president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, announced on Tuesday that he reached an agreement with the administration of the American president Donald Trump for reinstate the extradition treaty Between both countries, suspended by the Honduran government in August 2024.
The continuation of the pact includes “the necessary safeguards for the state of Honduras, guaranteeing its objective application,” Castro said in a message posted on his X account.
The Honduran president added that the new agreement respects “the integrity of the Armed Forces, an institution responsible for defending sovereignty.”
The details of the agreement were given by the Honduran Chancellor, Enrique Reina, who explained that the treaty was not only reactivated but also extended for one more year.
Initially, the complaint against the treaty would be effective until February 28, 2025, at which time the agreement would expire. However, not only the complaint has been raised, but the treaty was extended until January 27, 2026.
“We have reached an important agreement that implies the continuity of the treaty in this period. (…) It will remain the new government, of the new administration (Honduran) decide whether it maintains the complaint or does not maintain it,” the official explained.
The US government has not expressed itself in this regard.
The administration of Castro ended this agreement in August in August 2024, arguing interference of the management of former president Joe Biden in internal affairs of Honduras.
The controversy arose after the then Washington ambassador to Tegucigalpa, Laura Dogu, expressed concern about a meeting between high Honduran military commanders with Venezuela's Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino, accused of drug trafficking in the US.
According to Dogu, he was “worrying” and “surprising” to see the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff of Honduras sitting next to a drug trafficker in Venezuela. That comment was cataloged by the Honduran government of “Injencista” and “interventionist“so he ended the agreement.
This time, Honduras secured, according to the foreign minister's words, that the extradition treaty does not have “implications for the armed forces or the electoral process.”
“We understand that under the validity of the treaty, extradition remains a valid tool in the fight against crime, without implying an affectation to our armed forces or the electoral process,” he added.
The complaint against the treaty then generated various reactions, including criticism of political, social and economic sectors that questioned the end of a treaty that allowed in the past to deliver to the drug bosses to the North American country. Among them to the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández.
“A very positive relationship”
Honduras not only agreed to reactivate the extradition treaty between the two countries, but also advanced that they have also reached agreements in four more areas: migration, military cooperation, review of free trade agreements, especially in food products, and future investment.
Although he did not give details, he clarified that the relationship with Washington has been “very positive and pragmatic.”
“The relationship with the Trump administration is very positive, very pragmatic speaking frankly with the White House (…) we believe that this is very positive for our relationship with the United States,” Queen added.
According to the official, the new scheme of diplomatic relations with the United States is based on “mutual respect, respect for the sovereignty of Honduras and not interference in internal affairs.”