India, Dec. 2 -- Juan Orlando Hernandez, better known as JOH, a former president of Honduras once convicted and sentenced to 45 years in a US prison for massive drug trafficking, was abruptly released on Monday after receiving a controversial presidential pardon from Donald Trump.

The move, confirmed by JOH's wife Ana Garcia de Hernandez - "a day we will never forget" - triggered an avalanche of criticism, raising questions about the increasingly transactional nature of US foreign policy. It also left observers wondering what Trump's real stance is on the drug trade and "rule of law" in Central America.

Hernandez, who led Honduras from 2014 to 2022, was a high-profile figure in Central American politics. US prosecutors successfully argu...