UNITED NATIONS – During his speech at the United Nations' General Assembly on Wednesday, President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez said world leaders need to make a stand against President Donald Trump's lack of respect of the "sacred family unit."
The leader of the impoverished Central American nation said the unaccompanied Honduran children who were in custody of U.S. authorities needed to be reunited with their parents. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department is housing about 12,800 unaccompanied children, but it is unclear how many are from Honduras.
Recommended Videos
Hernandez blamed the mass migration to the United States on Honduras' struggles with poverty and gangs. He described MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, as a "monster with many heads" that doesn't respect "the right to life."
Hernandez also said economic injustice is also hurting the low-income nation, which is Central America's leading coffee exporter. While Honduran growers receive about 2 cents for each cup of coffee, he said U.S. consumers pay about $5 per cup. That needs to change, he said.