Retired Honduran General Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez has reported connections between the Honduran government and the Cartel de los Soles in a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also stated that Xiomara Castro and her husband, former president Manuel Zelaya, are intensively pursuing him politically.
Vásquez Velásquez, who played a crucial role in upholding constitutional order in 2009 by opposing the agenda of 21st Century Socialism and the São Paulo Forum, accused the Zelaya couple of criminalizing him through unfounded legal accusations. He has been wrongfully linked to a death in 2009 and is facing charges of money laundering, which aim to neutralize him as a political opponent.
The general raised alarms about direct threats to his life, mentioning a bounty placed on his capture. He is seeking humanitarian political asylum and international support from the U.S. government.
Zelaya’s Ties to Drug Trafficking via the Cartel de los Soles
Retired Division General Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Honduras, is a key witness with sensitive knowledge regarding the infiltration of Chavismo in Central America.
This information includes Zelaya’s government’s links to drug trafficking through the Cartel de los Soles and the usage of programs like ALBA and Petrocaribe for ideological and criminal expansion.
He claims to be subject to intense political persecution from the Honduran government led by Xiomara Castro. In the report sent to Marco Rubio, he detailed how the Honduran government’s campaign against him involves manipulating the judicial system and making direct threats against his life.
He indicates that these actions are retaliation for his role in maintaining constitutional order during the 2009 crisis when the Armed Forces, under his command and by order of the Supreme Court, prevented then-President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales from enforcing an illegal referendum to modify the Constitution according to the 21st Century Socialism model.
Ideological Infiltration and Drug Trafficking
Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez stands as a witness with firsthand knowledge of the connection between the ideological expansion of Chavismo and organized crime operations in the region during his tenure as a military chief.
In this context, he denounces political funding from the Venezuelan government through mechanisms like ALBA and Petrocaribe, which have been used as tools for institutional subordination.
Additionally, he states that between 2007 and 2009, Honduras’s Armed Forces observed a marked increase in flights of small planes from Venezuela to clandestine airstrips in Honduras, linked to operations of the Cartel de los Soles.
He asserts that due to his position, he possesses sensitive information about:
- Political and economic penetration methods of Chavismo in Central America.
- Routes, actors, and air transit operations of the Cartel de los Soles.
- The manipulation of ALBA and Petrocaribe as instruments for drug trafficking.
He claims that his role in temporarily halting this advance in 2009 made him a top target for the interests he confronted.
Vásquez Velásquez: Emblem of Civic Resistance
The report directed to Marco Rubio indicates that Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, now the president of the Honduran Patriotic Alliance Party, is a symbolic figure of civic resistance against authoritarianism in Honduras.
His discourse centers around security, order, and the fight against corruption, positioning him as a threat to the current government.
Repression Strategy of the Honduran Government
The document explains that the Honduran government implements a multifaceted repression strategy:
- Judicial Instrumentalization: The justice system is weaponized to bring baseless criminal charges against him, aiming to politically neutralize and discredit his leadership.
- Defamation Campaign: A media campaign is orchestrated to stigmatize him by portraying him as an enemy of the state.
- Direct Threats: Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez alleges that he and his family have received death threats, supported by reliable intelligence about plans to physically eliminate him. These threats occur within a context of political violence and collusion between power structures and organized crime.
- Exacerbated Risk from the Government: The Honduran government has publicly offered a reward of 30 million lempiras (approximately USD 1.2 million) for his capture, dramatically increasing the danger to his safety and that of his family.
- Internal Exile: Due to the high risk, General Vásquez Velásquez has had to shelter in mountainous areas of the country, where he continues his political activism.
Context of the Honduran Constitutional Crisis of 2009
The report recontextualizes the events of 2009, arguing that Vásquez Velásquez’s role was in defense of legality and not a “coup d’état,” as characterized by international actors.
- The “Fourth Ballot Box”: The then-president, José Manuel Zelaya, attempted to impose an illegal popular consultation known as the “fourth ballot box.”
- Final Objective: The real aim was to summon a Constituent National Assembly to replace the Honduran Constitution with one aligned with the agenda of “21st Century Socialism,” promoted by Hugo Chávez and the São Paulo Forum.
- Declaring Illegality: The project was declared illegal by the National Congress, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Supreme Court, violating constitutional articles that prohibit reelection and protect the republican form of government.
- Action of the Armed Forces: Acting under a direct order from the Supreme Court, the Armed Forces —led by General Vásquez Velásquez— detained President Zelaya to preserve the Rule of Law. All actions were executed within the constitutional framework and under civil authority oversight.
Fabricated Judicial Cases
In the document addressed to Marco Rubio, General Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez states that the criminal charges against him are evidence of the Honduran judicial system’s manipulation, as these are fabricated cases with political motives and no legal basis.
Fifteen years after the events, the Prosecutor’s Office accused Vásquez Velásquez concerning the death of a protester —Isis Obed Murillo— during Manuel Zelaya’s illegal attempt to return to the country on July 5, 2009.
The accusation ignores key facts:
- Irregularities and Key Facts: The general was not present at the site (Toncontín Airport).
- No evidence exists that he ordered firing on demonstrators. The death was an isolated incident; an order to fire would have resulted in multiple casualties.
- The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) recognized it as a confused situation, where the shot could have come from the crowd itself. Public order responsibility lay with the National Police, with the Armed Forces merely in a supportive role.
It is noteworthy that the reactivation of the case coincides with the return to power of Zelaya’s political group through his wife, Xiomara Castro, in 2022.
Regarding the money laundering charges based on alleged ties to drug trafficking since 2006, Vásquez Velásquez describes it as a mechanism of political vengeance to justify his capture and silencing, replicating tactics used by authoritarian regimes in the region.
He claims his legal team faces multiple judicial obstacles and a lack of due process, highlighting the political nature of the proceedings. He mentions that nullity actions were improperly dismissed due to lack of evidence, and amparo resources were ignored for due process violations.
Threat to Democratic Stability: 2025 Elections
The report from Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez also warns of serious risks for the upcoming electoral process in Honduras.
- Risk of Electoral Manipulation: There are indications of possible manipulation in the general elections, coordinated with external structures linked to the São Paulo Forum.
- Role of Smartmatic: There is particular concern regarding the hiring of Smartmatic for the preliminary results transmission system (TREP). This company has faced scrutiny for its role in irregular electoral processes in other countries.
- Replication of Fraud Strategies: There are warnings about the intention to replicate the Venezuelan model of 2022, where the regime prematurely proclaimed itself winner using data control and media narratives.
- Hemisphere-wide Consequences: An electoral fraud in Honduras could destabilize the region, increase drug trafficking, and empower authoritarian regimes.
Petition and Call to Action Internationally
Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez makes a clear call to action, directed at both the international community and the U.S. government specifically.
Call to the International Community:
- Publicly denounce the political persecution of General Vásquez.
- Demand that Honduras respects due process and judicial guarantees.
- Expose the use of the penal system as a repression tool.
- Promote an international investigation into the threats and the reward for his capture.
- Provide protection and international support given the risk of physical elimination.
Requests to the U.S. Government:
- Grant protection and humanitarian political asylum to General Vásquez Velásquez and his family.
- Provide logistical and humanitarian support for one year to ensure his safety in U.S. territory.
- Closely monitor the political situation in Honduras ahead of the elections.
- Promote ongoing technical international oversight of the 2025 electoral process, emphasizing data transmission system audits.
Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez seeks a private meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to present sensitive information and evidence regarding the Foro de São Paulo’s infiltration and its links to drug trafficking and electoral manipulation, which cannot be disclosed in writing for security reasons.