- The Biden administration has barred former Honduran President Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo Sosa and his wife, Rosa Elena Bonilla Avila, from entering the United States
- The State Department accused Lobo Sosa of accepting bribes from a drug trafficking gang, and Rosa Lobo of fraud and the misappropriation of public funds
- Rosa Lobo was earlier sentenced to prison for misusing $779,000 in funds from international donations and public money designated for social programs
WASHINGTON D.C.: The Biden administration has barred former Honduran President Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo Sosa and his wife, Rosa Elena Bonilla Avila, from entering the United States due to what was called their “significant corruption” while in office.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the announcements, also banning their children.
“These designations reaffirm the U.S. commitment to combating the corruption and disregard for the rule of law that hinders progress in Honduras,” Blinken said. “The Department will continue to use all available tools to promote accountability for corrupt actors and combat impunity, in the region and globally.”
The State Department accused Lobo Sosa of accepting bribes from a drug trafficking gang, and Rosa Lobo of fraud and the misappropriation of public funds.
“While their corrupt acts undermined the stability of Hondura’s democratic institutions, former President Lobo has not yet been convicted and Rosa Lobo has been released from prison awaiting a retrial,” Blinken said.
Rosa Lobo was earlier sentenced to prison for misusing $779,000 in funds from international donations and public money designated for social programs. She is now awaiting a new trial.
Their son, Fabio Lobo, was sentenced in 2017 to 24 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2016 to U.S. drug charges.
Lobo Sosa was president of Honduras from 2010 to 2014.
