A series of leaked voice notes, verified using forensic software, purportedly reveal a sprawling scheme involving former President Juan Orlando Hernández, Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Argentina’s Javier Milei to destabilize progressive governments in Latin America.
A political firestorm, being dubbed “#Hondurasgate” on social media, after the publication of 37 leaked audio recordings. The investigation, led by the Hondurasgate platform and the Mexico-based digital outlet Diario Red en América Latina, alleges the existence of a coordinated campaign funded by international right-wing actors to spread disinformation and destabilize the administrations of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
The recordings, allegedly obtained from WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram conversations between January and April 2026, place the recently pardoned former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH) at the center of a plot to build a “digital journalism unit” designed to attack leftist leaders in the region.
The Mexican Connection: A “Smear Campaign Office”
According to the transcripts, which have been authenticated using forensic voice authentication software developed by the Czech firm Phonexia, Hernández is heard discussing the need to “move the narrative in Mexico” by activating media allies.
In a conversation with current Honduran President Nasry Asfura, Hernández allegedly requests $150,000 to rent an apartment in the United States to set up a propaganda cell. “We are going to set up a cell, Mr. President. From here, from the United States, an information cell, so they can’t track us there in Honduras. It’s going to be like a Latin American news site,” Hernández says in the leaked audio.
Hernández reportedly added, “Some cases are coming up against Mexico, some cases are coming up against Colombia, and, most importantly, against Honduras,” suggesting a strategy to weaponize issues like insecurity and drug trafficking to erode public trust in the current administrations.
During her morning press conference on Wednesday, President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed she had listened to the excerpts but dismissed the operation as ineffective.
“They can set up a smear campaign office against our government in Honduras, using resources from a friendly nation. It won’t affect us, not at all,” Sheinbaum stated. “There may be days of confusion, but if we remain true to our principles … no one will be able to undermine the transformation project”.
International Support: Milei, Netanyahu, and Trump
The investigation reveals a complex web of international financing and political favors. The audios suggest that Argentine President Javier Milei pledged $350,000 to support the initiative. “I was on a call with President Javier Milei, and it was successful. Very, very good,” Hernández is heard telling Asfura.
Perhaps the most explosive claims involve the circumstances surrounding Hernández’s release from prison. The former Honduran leader was serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking but was pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump in December 2025.
In one recording, Hernández allegedly explains the geopolitical debt behind his clemency, stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “everything to do” with his release. “The pardon money didn’t even come from you. It came from a group of rabbis and people who supported Israel,” Hernández says in a leaked voice note.
Analysts cited by Middle East Eye and El País suggest that Netanyahu’s involvement points to a broader strategy to counter left-wing influence in the hemisphere, using Hernández as a proxy ally.
Reactions and Denials
The response from the accused has been mixed. While current Honduran President Asfura has remained publicly silent, Honduran National Congress President Tomás Zambrano dismissed the tapes as a “burda fabricación” (crude fabrication). Juan Orlando Hernández, speaking from his new status as a free man, has also denied the authenticity of the conversations.
However, the publishers of the Hondurasgate investigation stand by their reporting, noting that the audio was subjected to rigorous forensic analysis. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, also a target of the alleged plot, reacted on social media platform X, stating, “That’s how the extreme right’s communication networks move. The money comes from cocaine and Israel”.