Photograph: President Donald Trump meeting Honduran President Nasry Asfura on February 7, 2026, at Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian.
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On April 30, the Spanish-language outlet Diario Red and the television channel Canal Red published a set of leaked audio and voice messages—termed “HondurasGate”—that implicate influential right-wing figures across the Americas in coordinated efforts to undermine leftist leaders.
By May 6, the outlets had released 37 messages exchanged via WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram. The material, independently authenticated, outlines plans to destabilize political opponents, organize disinformation campaigns, and channel funds to a purportedly U.S.-based media operation. The leaks mention actors linked to the U.S. administration, Israeli officials, Argentina’s libertarian president, and prominent Honduran politicians.
The messages have been verified by independent checks and are widely reported in Latin America; they have received limited coverage in major U.S. outlets. In this episode, host Michael Fox examines the content, context, and regional implications of the leaks.
This episode is Episode 11 of Under the Shadow, Season 2.
Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast that revisits historical moments and traces how U.S. foreign policy and regional politics intersect today. Season 2 focuses on recent developments involving the Trump administration and its approach to Latin America.
Hosted by journalist Michael Fox, based in Latin America.
The podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA.
Support for the podcast includes backing from Global Exchange.
Theme music is by Michael Fox’s band Monte Perdido. Their 2024 album Ofrenda is available on common streaming platforms.
Additional music sources include Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.
Script editing by Heather Gies. The series is hosted, written, produced, mixed, and edited by Michael Fox.
Guests
Arturo Dominguez
Alberto Maresca
Karen Spring
Resources
Further information and related reporting:
Michael Fox’s Patreon: patreon.com/mfox.
Article by Arturo Dominguez: “How Far Will Trump Go to Destabilize Latin America” (Antagonist Magazine).
Article by Alberto Maresca: “‘Hondurasgate’ and the tragedy of automatic alignment in Latin America” (Latinoamerica21).
Primary leak archive and documentation: hondurasgate.ch and the project’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/@hondurasgate.
Reporting by Valeria Duarte at Diario Red, which first published the story.
Canal Red Latinoamérica’s YouTube channel: Canal Red Latinoamérica, the broadcast outlet that released the leaks.
Selected related episodes of Under the Shadow are available on The Real News site.
Support Under the Shadow
If you wish to support the podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting, consider his Patreon: patreon.com/mfox. Supporters receive exclusive content, images and interviews.
Michael Fox also hosts The Battle for Free Speech podcast, available on major podcast platforms.
Transcript
Summary of the episode transcript:
The episode explains the HondurasGate leaks and outlines their central claims: a cluster of voice messages and texts shared by high-level right-wing figures describe coordinated efforts to discredit leftist leaders across Latin America, organize disinformation campaigns, and use funds to influence outcomes. The leaks reference former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández (convicted in U.S. courts on drug trafficking charges and later pardoned by President Donald Trump), incoming Honduran president Nasry Asfura, other Honduran officials, and international actors.
Key points covered:
– The leaks, published by Diario Red and Canal Red, comprise dozens of short voice notes and messages exchanged in early 2026. Independent verification has confirmed they are authentic.
– The material shows Hernández and allies discussing plans to regain political power in Honduras and to target critics and political opponents. Some messages include explicit calls for violence, threats, and proposals to fabricate the appearance that political violence is the work of opponents.
– Leaked conversations describe funding arrangements to create a media operation reportedly based in the United States to publish damaging material about leftist leaders in Honduras and elsewhere in Latin America. The messages mention cooperation with Republican operatives and lobbying contacts.
– The leaks name foreign actors, including references to Israel and to high-level contacts between Honduran figures and Israeli leaders, suggesting diplomatic and lobbying support for Hernández’s release and political aims. They also mention cooperation with conservative leaders in other countries.
– The episode places the leaks in broader context: Hernández’s presidency (2014–2022) involved allegations of electoral fraud, corruption, and violent repression of protests. His 2024 conviction in New York and subsequent 2025 pardon by President Trump are central to the narrative, as is Trump’s public support for right-wing Honduran candidates during Honduran elections.
– The episode highlights the regional stakes: the leaks potentially affect upcoming elections in Colombia and Brazil and reflect a pattern described by interviewed analysts as “automatic alignment,” where governments align closely with U.S. and Israeli policy preferences and act in ways that advance those interests even without direct U.S. intervention.
– Guests and experts interviewed in the episode—journalists and academic commentators—offer analysis on the scope of the network, the nature of the threats, and the geopolitical implications of the revelations.
The episode also gives background on Honduran politics, including former president Hernández’s ties to powerful security and international partners, the contested 2017 re-election and subsequent repression, Xiomara Castro’s 2021 victory and 2022 presidency, and the contested 2025 election that brought Nasry Asfura to office amid narrow margins and fraud allegations.
Specific allegations and actions described in the leaks include:
– Voice messages in which Hernández and associates discuss exerting pressure on the Honduran congress, targeting members of the national electoral council, and using funds to secure votes or carry out disinformation campaigns.
– Threats against specific Honduran officials and public figures, including discussions in which interlocutors suggest imprisonment, exile, or worse as ways to neutralize opponents.
– Plans to establish a U.S.-based media outlet to publish dossiers and coordinated attacks against leftist governments and leaders in the region, financed by a mix of domestic and foreign sources mentioned in the messages.
Experts interviewed in the episode emphasize that these revelations are significant both for Honduras and for regional politics: they show how transnational networks of money, media and political influence can be mobilized to reshape political outcomes and how those dynamics intersect with U.S. foreign policy and private lobbying.
The episode notes reactions from regional leaders: for example, Colombia’s president called for investigations into the potential electoral implications of the leaks. Analysts warn that efforts to influence elections and civic life through disinformation, funding, and intimidation are destabilizing and require scrutiny.
The episode closes with a call to follow ongoing reporting, links to resources, and information on how to support the podcast’s work. It also notes upcoming episodes in Michael Fox’s new series on free speech and his broader reporting on the region.
Credits and acknowledgments: Under the Shadow is a co-production of The Real News and NACLA. Script editing by Heather Gies; production, hosting and editing by Michael Fox. Theme music by Monte Perdido.
For continued coverage and documentation of the HondurasGate leaks and related developments, consult the referenced resources and the reporting of the outlets and analysts cited in the episode.
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