Image caption: President Donald Trump met with Honduran President Nasry Asfura on February 7, 2026, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)
Summary of content — “HondurasGate” (Under the Shadow, Season 2, Episode 11)
Overview
– In late April 2026, the Spanish website Diario Red and the TV channel Canal Red published a set of leaked audio and voice messages—reported as 37 items in total—exchanged on WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram among prominent right‐wing figures in the Americas. The story has been labeled “HondurasGate.”
– Independent verification was reportedly done twice to confirm the messages are not AI‐generated.
– The leaks allege coordinated efforts to undermine left‐of‐center leaders across Latin America and to influence elections through disinformation, financial incentives and, in some messages, threats or calls for violence.
– The reporting links participants and supporters across countries and institutions, naming former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, Honduran president Nasry Asfura, U.S. officials and allies, Israel, Argentina’s president Javier Milei, and other regional actors.
Podcast details
– Episode: Under the Shadow, Season 2, Episode 11 — “HondurasGate: The Biggest Scandal You’re Hearing Nothing About”
– Host: Michael Fox, Latin America–based journalist.
– Production: A co‐production of The Real News Network and NACLA, with partial support from Global Exchange. Theme music by Monte Perdido.
– The episode summarizes the leaks, explains background context, and assesses potential regional implications.
Key allegations and themes from the leaks (as reported)
– Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH): Since his 2024 conviction in New York on drug‐trafficking charges and his 45‐year sentence, Hernández was reportedly pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump on December 1, 2025. The leaks suggest Hernández continued to direct political strategy from the United States after his release and sought to return to influence in Honduran politics.
– Influence and coordination: The messages reportedly discuss creating a U.S.-based digital news operation to publish damaging material about leftist leaders (including Manuel Zelaya and Xiomara Castro) and to target leaders in Mexico, Colombia and elsewhere. Funding discussed in the messages allegedly included money from Honduran public accounts and contributions from regional allies.
– Threats and violent rhetoric: Some voice messages attributed to Hernández and others reportedly include explicit calls for repression, using violence, and even murder against political opponents and electoral officials. One unusually explicit thread involves threats targeting Marlon Ochoa, a left‐aligned member of Honduras’s electoral council, and references to using U.S. intelligence contacts to locate opponents.
– International links: The leaks reference contacts and support from U.S. conservatives, and name specific connections to Israel and to Javier Milei in Argentina. One message claims some funds for Hernández’s pardon came from supporters connected to Israel; the materials also describe meetings between Honduran officials and Israeli leadership, and a mid‐January meeting between incoming Honduran president Asfura and U.S. and Israeli officials is noted.
– Policy and economic interests: The episode highlights plans discussed in the leaks for expanding ZEDEs (special economic zones / autonomous development projects such as Prospera), infrastructure projects and a possible expanded U.S. military presence at Honduran facilities (e.g., Palmerola / Soto Cano Air Base). These proposals are framed in the reporting as linked to investor interests and geopolitical objectives.
– Regional consequences: The leaks are presented as evidence of a broader strategy by far‐right actors and aligned governments to roll back leftist gains across Latin America, influence upcoming elections (such as in Colombia and Brazil), and align partner states with U.S. and Israeli positions. The reporting includes concerns about foreign funding of electoral manipulation and the possible criminal nature of some activities.
Background context provided in the episode
– Juan Orlando Hernández’s rule (2014–2022) is summarized as marked by contested re‐election in 2017, a crackdown on protestors, allegations of human rights abuses and later conviction on U.S. drug‐trafficking charges. Xiomara Castro’s 2021 electoral victory and her administration’s efforts to reverse measures associated with Hernández are described.
– The episode situates HondurasGate within a pattern the host and guests call “automatic alignment,” where certain Latin American governments align closely and consistently with U.S. and allied foreign policy interests.
– The podcast connects the leaks to ongoing U.S. policy moves in the region, including the “Shield of the Americas” initiative and high‐level diplomatic engagement with conservative regional governments.
Notable people featured or cited
– Host: Michael Fox
– Guests/commentators: Arturo Dominguez (journalist), Alberto Maresca (academic, Ghent University), Karen Spring (Honduras Solidarity Network co‐coordinator)
– Individuals named in the leaks: Juan Orlando Hernández, Nasry Asfura, Tomás Zambrano, María Antoineta Mejía, Cossette López‐Osorio, Marlon Ochoa, Salvador Nasralla, Iroshka Elvir, Roger Stone, Javier Milei, and references to U.S. and Israeli officials including Benjamin Netanyahu.
Resources and further reading mentioned
– Links to the original coverage and background materials: Diario Red, Canal Red, hondurasgate.ch, and a YouTube channel associated with the leaks.
– Articles referenced: pieces by Arturo Dominguez and Alberto Maresca on HondurasGate.
– The episode also provides links to Michael Fox’s Patreon and to the producing organizations (The Real News Network and NACLA).
Host conclusions and call to action
– The episode emphasizes the scale and cross‐border nature of the allegations, warning of potential impacts on regional elections and democratic institutions.
– The host notes that coverage of HondurasGate has been more prominent in Latin American media than in major U.S. outlets and encourages listeners to follow the source material, support ongoing investigative reporting, and monitor upcoming elections in the region.
Availability
– The episode is part of a narrative investigative podcast series available through The Real News Network, NACLA, and typical podcast platforms. The host also mentioned an upcoming separate podcast series focused on free speech.
This summary condenses the episode’s presentation of the HondurasGate leaks and related context. For full detail, primary sources, and audio excerpts, consult the original episode and the named reporting outlets.
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