Honduran retired general Romeo Vásquez Velásquez issues message from exile

Retired Honduran military leader Romeo Vásquez Velásquez has reappeared via social media videos to criticize right-wing political actors. Currently considered a fugitive after failing to appear for a judicial hearing in March 2025, Vásquez Velásquez accused political sectors of abandoning him to face legal proceedings alone.

In his digital message, the former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff referenced a supposed prophecy from the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez, stating that right-wing politicians who demanded his sacrifice would ultimately leave him to his fate. He noted that while he never shared Chávez’s ideology, he now finds those words relevant.

The legal case against Vásquez Velásquez stems from incidents near Toncontín Airport, where military personnel suppressed citizen demonstrations during his tenure. While he and other former military leaders were initially under house arrest, an appeals court upgraded the charges to murder and attempted murder and ordered preventive detention. Vásquez Velásquez and his family continue to demand the dismissal of all pending charges.