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Honduras
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The Honduras Solidarity Network of Canada and the United States, and its member organizations, have been organizing to demand justice for the murder of Berta Caceres, leader of the indigenous land and environmental group, COPINH. 
Donate to support COPINH and Berta’s Family
On the Assassination of Berta Cáceres
El español sigue el ingles
The Honduras Solidarity Network of North America
On the Assassination of Berta Cáceres
With indignation and sadness, the organizations that form the Honduras Solidarity Network of North America denounce the assassination of Berta Caceres, leader of the indigenous Lenca organization COPINH and a tireless fighter for social justice and for the defense of the environment and indigenous territories. Recognized around the globe for her leadership and spirit in 2015 she received the world’s leading environmental award the Goldman Environmental Prize. Many of our members knew Berta and have witnessed first hand her courage and integrity. We join the multitude of voices in Honduras and the world raised against this outrage
Berta became an activist when she was still a teenager and continued even in the face of violence from the government and oligarchy, arrests and threats. After the 2009 coup, Berta and COPINH took up an important role in the resistance movement despite the unleashing of a ferocious repression against that resistance and the peoples’ movement in Honduras and against leaders like Berta.
After the coup, attacks on the indigenous and campesino communities in Honduras escalated as land grabbing by the government, the oligarchy and international mining and hydroelectric companies increased. Berta and COPINH are in the forefront of the struggle of the indigenous people for their land and a number of COPINH members have been assassinated and others arrested and threatened during this struggle.
Over the past few weeks, repression and threats escalated. On February 20th, Berta and other members of COPINH and the community of Rio Blanco were physically threatened by police and military trying to stop a peaceful activity in defense of the Gualcarque River which is threatened by a hydroelectric project of the Honduran company DESA with international financing. On February 25th another Lenca community supported by COPINH was violently evicted from their land.
We strongly support human rights defenders in Honduras and internationally in demanding that there be a serious and complete, independent international investigation of Berta’s murder so that all those involved are identified and brought to justice rapidly. We reject any attempt to criminalize the leaders and members of COPINH. Berta was a recipient of an order for protective measures by the Inter-American Human Rights Court due to the constant threats and harassment against her and we are concerned and angered to hear pronouncements by Julian Pacheco, Minister of Security at a press conference this morning that can only be seen as an attempt to sidestep responsibility for her security and to blame the victim of this political crime.
We have read the communique of condolences issued by the US Embassy in Honduras earlier today and can only say that, “actions speak louder than words”. The US government has been and is the main economic and political support for the governments in power since the 2009 coup, including the current government of Juan Orlando Hernandez. The US government bears its own responsibility for the militarization and downward spiral in all spheres of life in Honduras, and for the grave human rights situation. We reiterate the demand that US aid and training to the Honduran security and military apparatus be stopped immediately because it, in action, supports human rights violations such as the murder of Berta Caceres.
We express our most profound condolences to Berta Caceres’ family, her organization, her community, and the Honduran people and their organizations in struggle as well as our own determination to redouble our solidarity.
March 3, 2016
The Honduras Solidarity Network of North AmericaThe HSN is made up of more than 30 organizations in Canada and the United States.
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Comunicado sobre el asesinato de Berta Caceres
Con indignación y tristeza, las organizaciones que integramos la Red de Solidaridad con Honduras de América del Norte, denunciamos el asesinato de Berta Cáceres, la dirigente de la organización indígena lenca COPINH y una luchadora incansable por la justicia social y por la defensa del medio ambiente y los territorios indígenas. Ella es reconocida en todo el mundo por su liderazgo y su espíritu. En el 2015 ella recibió el premio ambiental más importante del mundo, el Premio Ambiental Goldman. Muchos de nuestros miembros conocían a Berta y han sido testigos de primera mano de su valor e integridad. Nos sumamos a la multitud de voces en Honduras y en el mundo que están alzadas en contra de este acto ultrajante.
Berta se convirtió en una activista cuando todavía era un adolescente y continuó, incluso en la cara de la violencia por parte del gobierno y la oligarquía, y las detenciones y amenazas. Después del golpe de estado del 2009, Berta y el COPINH jugaron un papel importante en el movimiento de resistencia a pesar del desencadenamiento de una represión feroz contra esa resistencia y el movimiento popular en Honduras y en contra de líderes como Berta.
Después del golpe, los ataques a las comunidades indígenas y campesinas de Honduras se intensificaron con cada vez más acaparamiento de tierras por parte del gobierno, la oligarquía y las compañías mineras e hidroeléctricas internacionales. Berta y el COPINH han estado en la vanguardia de la lucha de los pueblos indígenas por sus territorios y varios miembros del COPINH han sido asesinados, detenidos y amenazados durante esta lucha.
Durante las últimas semanas, la represión y las amenazas se intensificaron. El 20 de febrero, Berta y otr@s miembros y miembras del COPINH y de la comunidad de Río Blanco fueron amenazad@s físicamente por la policía y por los militares quienes pretendían detener una actividad pacífica en defensa del Río Gualcarque, lo cual se ve amenazado por un proyecto hidroeléctrico de la empresa Hondureña DESA con financiamiento internacional. El 25 de febrero otra comunidad lenca apoyado por el COPINH fue desalojada violentamente de sus tierras.
Apoyamos firmemente a las defensoras y los defensores de derechos humanos en Honduras e internacionalmente en la exigencia de que el asesinato de Berta sea seriamente, completamente, independientemente e internacionalmente investigado de manera que todos los participantes sean identificados y llevados ante la justicia rápidamente. Rechazamos contundentemente cualquier intento de criminalizar a los y las líderes y miembr@s del COPINH. Berta había recibido medidas cautelares por parte de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos debido a las constantes amenazas y hostigamiento en contra de ella. Estamos sumamente preocupados y enfurecidos al escuchar las declaraciones de Julián Pacheco, Ministro de Seguridad, en una conferencia de prensa esta mañana que sólo puede ser visto como un intento de eludir la responsabilidad del estado por la seguridad de Berta y de culpar a la víctima misma de este crimen político.
Hemos leído el comunicado de pésame emitido por la Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Honduras el día de hoy y sólo podemos decir que, “las acciones hablan más que las palabras.” El gobierno de Estados Unidos ha sido y sigue siendo la fuente principal de apoyo económico y político al gobierno hondureño desde el golpe de estado del 2009, incluyendo al gobierno actual de Juan Orlando Hernández. El gobierno de Estados Unidos tiene su propia responsabilidad por la militarización y el deterioro en todos los ámbitos de la vida en Honduras, y por la grave situación de los derechos humanos. Reiteramos la exigencia de que se detenga de inmediato toda la ayuda de los Estados Unidos al aparato de seguridad y militar y el entrenamiento a los mismos en Honduras, ya que representa apoyo directo a las violaciones de los derechos humanos, tales como el asesinato de Berta Cáceres.
Expresamos nuestras más profundas condolencias a la familia de Berta Cáceres, a su organización, a su comunidad y al pueblo hondureño y sus organizaciones en lucha, así también expresamos nuestra propia determinación de redoblar nuestra solidaridad.
El día 3 de Marzo 2016
La Red de Solidaridad con Honduras – Honduras Solidarity Network
en Norteamérica
La HSN esta compuesta de más de 30 organizaciones en Canada y EEUU
Webinar on Honduras and Solidarity: Sign up now!
Webinar: Honduras, What is the story?
There is still time to register for the Honduras Solidarity Network’s educational webinar and conversation on Sunday, January 17, 2016.
We will hear from presenters with unique expertise in Honduras. They will share their perspective on its history and current political-economic situation, the resistance and social justice movements, and the role of the United States government in the region. Register Here Now
Professor Rodolfo Pastor Fasquelle: Professor Pastor has a Doctorate in History and is an expert on Latin American history, politics and colonialism. He was Minister of Culture in President Manual Zelaya’s government and had to flee the country as a political refugee right after the June 28, 2009 coup. He later returned to Honduras and now lives in San Pedro Sula.
Gerardo Torres Zelaya: Gerardo became a political activist as a student and was a member of the organization Los Necios at the time of the coup in 2009. Since the coup he has been an active member of the National Front for Popular Resistance (FNRP) and the opposition political party LIBRE. He is a journalist and analyst and currently is the Central American correspondent for TeleSUR English.
Annie Bird: Annie has worked in Guatemala and Honduras investigating and documenting human rights violations and conditions in indigenous and small farming communities. From 1997-2014 she was Co-Director for the organization Rights Action and now is the director of the Rights and Ecology program of the Center for Political Economy. Over the last several years she has published numerous reports on US policy, militarization and human rights in Honduras.
Join us: Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 1pm – 3pm Pacific Time; 2pm – 4pm Mountain; 3pm – 5pm Central; 4pm – 6pm Eastern
The webinar is free of charge but you must register to participate: Register Here Now
For more information contact: honsolnetwork@gmail.com
Help Save Lives – Human rights accompaniment in Honduras
New Opportunities to Visit Honduras and Walk with the People! See our upcoming delegations here.
Help Save Lives – Support Human rights accompaniment in Honduras :
Click here to make a tax-deductible donation by credit card online, or send a check with “accompaniment” in the memo line to:Honduras Solidarity Network c/o Alliance for Global Justice, 225 E 26th St., Ste. 1, Tucson, AZ 85713
A Honduras cooperative leader is picked up by police in the Aguan Valley. Demonstrating students at the Autonomous University in Tegucigalpa are surrounded by police. An army unit sets up camp in the middle of a farming cooperative. A political prisoner is transported to court amid death threats.
Honduras Solidarity Network long-term human rights accompaniers Greg McCain and Karen Spring rush to the scene, ready to respond. When they arrive, authorities know that the eyes of international human rights organizations are now on them and that North Americans will soon be calling the police station, the university rector’s office, the commanding general, and the court judges.
International accompaniers save lives and liberty in Honduras. Just this month “Chabelo,” a campesino farmer was found innocent after spending eight years in prison for a crime he did not commit. For the past three years Greg McCain and the Honduras Solidarity Network accompanied Chabelo and his family through repeated court hearings amid increasingly serious death threats to his final exoneration. There is no such thing as justice for campesinos in Honduras. Only because of international mobilizations and accompaniment was he finally set free. You can help free future Chabelos or stop their murders by supporting HSN’s human rights accompaniment by donating now.Since the US-backed coup on June 28, 2009, security forces who commit human rights violations, violent evictions, extrajudicial executions, and torture know that they can commit their crimes with total impunity. But the government is still sensitive to international opinion so when international observers are present they are more likely to restrain the violence.
Long-term and short-term human rights accompaniment is among the most important solidarity that we can provide to the brave people of Honduras who struggle for justice and democracy. Short-term accompaniment delegations, organized by many of the 30 groups in the Honduras Solidarity Network, are important, indeed vital. But there are many times when there is no delegation in the country. At those times Greg McCain and Karen Spring put their own safety on the line to expose human rights violations and to mobilize international solidarity. They are a physical presence and they assist with on-going human rights cases and investigations, community projects, informing international press, and sending out articles and opinion pieces to frame the debate about the US and Canadian role in Honduras.
It costs money to house, feed, an
d transport long-term accompaniers so they can do this important work. Greg raises his own costs. Karen, who is also the in-country coordinator of the HSN, is supported by the Network.
d transport long-term accompaniers so they can do this important work. Greg raises his own costs. Karen, who is also the in-country coordinator of the HSN, is supported by the Network.Will you make a tax-deductible donation today to help save lives in Honduras? We will split your contribution evenly to support Greg and Karen. We can’t all be in Honduras to do the work on the ground, but we can all give something…no matter how small…to support those who are risking their lives to help ensure that yet another Honduran mother does not have to bury the broken body of her son or husband.
Click here to make a tax-deductible donation by credit card online, or send a check with “accompaniment” in the memo line to:
Honduras Solidarity Network
c/o Alliance for Global Justice
225 E 26th St., Ste. 1
Tucson, AZ 85713
Please support the work of the Honduras Solidarity Network by donating now!
Letter in Support of Chabelo Morales
HSN member organizations and others (32 total) joined in a letter in support of Chabelo Morales (English letter below) as he goes to his third trial for the same charges. 
September 2015
As representatives from the international human rights and solidarity community, we come together to demand justice for José Isabel “Chabelo” Morales during his retrial. In that there are currently over 5000 campesinos with judicial proceedings against them, Chabelo’s case is emblematic of the criminalization of peasant farmers (campesinos) who struggle for access to land.
In light of the persistent violations to human rights in Honduras, we demand:
⦁ That Chabelo’s retrial scheduled for September 28th – October 9th, 2015 be fair and impartial. Further, we demand unconditional freedom for Chabelo.
⦁ A full investigation into human rights violations and judicial irregularities surrounding all of Chabelo’s judicial hearings.
⦁ A full investigation into the ongoing threats and intimidation against the Morales family and community of Guadalupe Carney.
⦁ A full investigation into the abuse of authority of Colonel Henry Osorto Canales who was recently nominated for advancement from Sub-Commissioner of the National Police to the position of Commissioner.
⦁ A suspension of aid to Honduran police, military and security until the human rights violations perpetrated by these forces ceases; specifically, the continued aid by the United States to the National Police and funding to the Public Prosecutors office (Ministerio Publico) given the ongoing abuses.
José Isabel “Chabelo” Morales López, 39, was in prison for 6 years, 9 months, and 7 days for a crime that he did not commit. He and his family are campesinos in the Aguán Valley in the heart of the African palm-producing region of the northern coast of Honduras. His arrest and imprisonment were aimed at punishing and criminalizing the campesino movement in Honduras as well as being products of the well-documented corruption and impunity that has this country in its grip. Chabelo is recognized as being unjustly imprisoned by numerous human rights and rural advocacy groups including Via Campesina, SOAW, FIAN International, COFADEH and ERIC-SJ.
Chabelo was arrested in October 2008 after heavily armed members of Henry Osorto’s family and private security attacked the campesinos in an attempt to illegally take land that had been legally granted to the campesinos. One campesino was killed by shots from the Osorto house and 11 members of the Osorto group were left dead. In a clear conflict of interest and abuse of authority, Henry Osorto led the investigation which was incomplete, inconsistent, and forensically questionable.
Arrest warrants for 36 residents of Chabelo’s community were issued without evidence that theindividuals were involved. Chabelo was one of them, he and one other person were the only ones arrested and charged with 11 counts of murder, arson, and robbery despite there being no concrete evidence of their involvement. At his trial over two years after his detention (a clear violation of the Honduran Penal Code, and notably after the military coup in June 2009) the charges were reduced to one count of homicide. The other person was found not guilty due to contradictions in the testimony of the prosecution witnesses and yet they let these same contradictions stand in the conviction of Chabelo.
The panel of judges found Chabelo guilty despite a lack of evidence and the contradictory stories, but sentencing was delayed for over 2 years. Because of that and many other irregularities, the Honduran Supreme Court annulled his conviction and ordered a new trial which took place in January 2014. The new trial was moved to another department, but was assigned judges from the Aguán, including two who had refused to release Chabelo from prison pending the new trial, a clear violation of the Supreme Court order. The defense asked for the two judges to recuse themselves but lost the decision.
Prosecution witnesses including Henry Osorto perjured themselves once again, radically changing their testimony and contradicting their sworn statements in an attempt to incriminate Chabelo. The judges refused to allow the defense to place those contradictions into the record. The prosecution echoed statements made by Osorto about the small farmers in general being violent terrorists rather than giving evidence as to Chabelo’s involvement. Defense witnesses presented the same testimony as previously, noting that Chabelo was not present at the scene when the confrontation and deaths occurred. The judges found Chabelo guilty and he was sentenced to 17.5 years. Chabelo’s defense lawyers filed an appeal, which was finally reviewed by the Supreme Court.
The court once again annulled the conviction and sentencing based on procedural inconsistencies on the part of the prosecutor and judges, but once again ordered a retrial. The Defense also solicited the court to free Chabelo pending the retrial based on numerous violations to the penal code. This was the seventh solicitation in five years based on these violations.
The initial hearing of the retrial was held on July 24th, 2015 in La Ceiba. The magistrates quickly ruled in favor of Chabelo’s release based on the violations and scheduled the retrial to be held between September 28th and October 9th in Trujillo.
Based on the clear violations to the human rights of Chabelo Morales, we demand his unconditional freedom. In addition to the demands stated above we further demand protection from retaliation on the part of Colonel Henry Osorto Canales against Chabelo Morales and his family.
Signed,
1) La Voz de los de Abajo, Chicago
2) Alliance for Global Justice
3) Nicaragua Center for Community Action (NICCA), Berkeley, CA
4) International Action Center
5) Michigan Emergency Coalition Against War and Injustice
6) Colectivo Honduras USA Resistencia=libre (D19/New York)
7) Task Force On the Americas
8) San Francisco School of the Americas Watch (SOAWSF)
9) Latin America Solidarity Committee, Milwaukee
10) Bay Area Latin American Solidarity Committee (BALASC)
11) The Cross Border Network, Kansas City, MO
12) Portland Central America Solidarity Committee
13) Hondureños Por La Pachamama
14) Oakland – School of the Americas Watch, USA
15) Hondureños D19 Northern California
16) Radios Populares, Chicago
17) Witness for Peace Southwest
18) Gay Liberation Network, Chicago
19) US El Salvador Sister Cities
20) Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America, St. Louis
21) School of the Americas Watch (SOAW)
22) Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)
23) FIAN Internacional – Sección Honduras
24) Movimiento Ambientalista Santabarbarense (MAS)
25) Foro de Mujeres por la Vida
26) COLLETTIVO ITALIA CENTRO AMERICA, CICA
27) Grassroots International
28) Observatorio Permanente de Derechos Humanos del Aguán
29) Voices for Creative Nonviolence
30) Workers World Party
31) Loretto – Kansas City
32) 8th Day Center for Justice, Chicago
September 28 – Action for Chabelo
U.S. Congressional Letter to Secretary of State Again Expresses Opposition
Below is an article from CEPR analyzing the most recent (August 19, 2015) Congressional letter to the U.S. Secretary of State calling for an end to US Security Assistance to Honduras due to the ongoing human rights crisis. The letter itself can be read here in English or Spanish.
Photo : Toussaint Losier published in Honduras Resists
Congressional Democrats Voice Renewed Opposition to U.S. Security Assistance to Honduras – Will Kerry Finally Listen?
- Written by Alexander Main
Over the last few months, military police agents have reportedly threatened and harassed journalists, community leaders, and members of the indigenous organization COPINH; forcibly evicted small farmers without a warrant; raided the home of a student leader involved in recent protests; and shot and killed an unarmed woman selling mangos, among other alleged crimes. As reported by Al-Jazeera, Defensores en Linea and Today Media Network, these forces have also allegedly conducted raids against the homes of opposition activists, and participated in the killing of land-rights activists and peaceful demonstrators.
The U.S. government’s response to these alarming developments has been to request more security assistance for Honduras, in particular through an increase in funding for the opaque Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). There’s no indication that the administration is concerned about Honduras’ militarization or that it is seeking to leverage U.S. security assistance to try to reverse the trend. On the contrary, it has been providing direct support to militarization efforts, as the Johnson/Schakowsky letter notes:
We are concerned about Honduran media reports that in mid-May of this year, a team of 300 U.S. military and civilian personnel, including Marines and the FBI, conducted “rapid response” training with 500 [agents from] FUSINA [a militarized security task force combining personnel from police, military, intelligence and judicial agencies], using U.S. helicopters and planes, despite allegations regarding the agency’s repeated involvement in human-rights violations.
Similarly, U.S. green beret special forces have been training a militarized Honduran police unit called the TIGRES [which stands for Intelligence Troop and Special Security Response Groups], “instilling fundamental principles of close quarters battle and knowing how to execute them amidst the chaos that is combat”, according to a U.S. Army article published in March. Though touted as an exemplary, elite force, nearly two dozen TIGRES agents, trained and vetted by the U.S. government, were caught stealing over $1.3 million in drug money following a counter-narcotics operation late last year.
In addition to asking for security assistance to Honduras to be put on hold, the Johnson/Schakowsky letter makes a series of detailed requests which focus on getting the State Department to genuinely implement human rights safeguards required by law and to increase transparency around security aid programs in Honduras.
The letter asks for:
– “The State Department’s strict evaluation of U.S. support and training for the Honduran police and military in accordance with human rights conditions placed in the FY2015 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act.” [A Senate Appropriations Committee report that accompanies the FY2015 SFOPS Act specifies that 50% of security assistance allocated to Honduras under International Narcotic Control and Law Enforcement and Foreign Military Funding headings be withheld pending State Department certification of Honduran government compliance with six human rights and rule of law conditions that include the investigation and prosecution of “army and police personnel who are credibly alleged to have violated human rights.” In the past, the State Department has generally certified the Honduran government as compliant with conditions set by the Committee, despite the strong misgivings expressed by 21 U.S. senators (i.e., 1/5th of the Senate). It’s worth noting that the Committee report attached to pending FY2016 appropriations legislation has conditioned 75% of all assistance under State and Foreign Operations appropriations to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, and includes, among its new set of conditions, State Department certification that the governments are taking “effective steps” to “create a professional, accountable civilian police force and end the role of the military in internal policing” and to “prosecute and punish in civilian courts members of security forces who violate human rights.”]
– “Full implementation of the Leahy Law…” [which prohibits the departments of State and Defense from providing support to foreign military units that violate human rights with impunity.]
– “A detailed description of how the Department of State is currently implementing these statutes [i.e., the conditioning of security assistance under Leahy Law and existing appropriations legislation], including what metrics the Department is using to assess whether the Honduran government has adequately addressed human rights abuses.” [The State Department hasn’t revealed the methodology it employs to enforce Leahy Law provisions or SFOPS appropriations human rights conditions on aid.]
– “Urge the Honduran government to implement serious and concrete measures to address military and police abuses, and to halt the continued involvement of the military in domestic law enforcement.” [As mentioned above, these are among the aid conditionalities that the Honduran government would need to meet under the pending FY2016 appropriations legislation. There is little indication that the Honduran government is interested in implementing these measures. In early 2014, the ruling National Party eliminated a widely respected police reform commission and ignored its recommendations for cleaning up the country’s notoriously corrupt police. Under growing pressure from Congress and human rights groups, the government recently announced a series of reforms to the police – designed in tandem with U.S. advisors – that appear to amount to little more than an administrative reorganization. Given that Honduran officials still fail to acknowledge abuses by security forces, there is deep skepticism surrounding the announcement. Not to mention that there is no sign that the government is scaling back its militarization efforts].
– “Finally, we request a full itemized report on the use of funds allocated for U.S. security assistance to Honduras in the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations law for FY2015 and for upcoming FY2106 appropriations legislation.” [Effective independent scrutiny of how U.S. security assistance is used is extremely difficult given the total lack of transparency surrounding the disbursement process. Tens of millions of dollars in security assistance have been funneled to Honduras through the State Department’s notoriously opaque Central America Regional Security Initiative. As yet there is no public record of where and how the funds have been used, nor are there any clear metrics available on what sort of impact CARSI assistance has had].
Though largely ignored by the U.S. press (with the exception of one article in an inside-the-Beltway outlet and articles in the Spanish-language press), the Johnson/Schakowsky letter has received massive media attention in Honduras. The question is, will Secretary of State John Kerry pay attention to this new appeal from Congress?
Honduran people demand an end to corruption, impunity, and militarization
El español sigue el ingles
The statement below from the Honduras Solidarity Network was delivered to the US Embassy by the HSN member, Alliance for Global Justice, delegation the morning of Friday, July 31, 2015. The delegation presented the letter in a meeting with the Deputy Political Counselor, the Deputy Director, INL and the Director of the USAID/Honduras program office in order to express the HSN member organizations’ stand in support of the Honduran people and against US policy in Honduras.
Statement from the Honduras Solidarity Network of North America
Honduran people demand an end to corruption, impunity, and militarization
As members of The Honduras Solidarity Network (HSN) of North America, we declare our solidarity with the many thousands of Hondurans who have been protesting for months with vigils, marches with torches, and an ongoing hunger strike. We support their demands for the resignation of President Juan Orlando Hernandez; the installation of an international independent commission (CICIH), to investigate the government corruption after the massive theft of hundreds of millions of dollars from the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS) by the ruling National Party; and a thorough investigation into the more than 3000 deaths in the health system during this crisis. This is a peoples’ movement in which the political opposition, the social movements, and the majority of the society are confronting obstacles to a better future for their country.
We recognize that this outrageous and extraordinary corruption is one more example of actions outside the law, and against all the democratic principles committed by the Honduran political and economic elite, supported by the US government, which began with the 2009 military coup, and has continued with the subsequent coup governments. The most recent corruption scandal comes after 6 years of attacks against human rights defenders, agrarian and indigenous activists, and the entire political and social opposition movement. It comes as part of an attempt to consolidate illegitimate power that includes the removal of more independent Supreme Court justices in 2012 when the current president was the head of Congress and the subsequent decision, after Hernandez came to power in 2014, by the new court to declare null and void the anti-reelection clause of the Honduran constitution.
We strongly condemn the fact that the US Government’s support for the regime in Honduras continues. In fact as corruption was devastating the public health system, creating conditions in which thousands of people died; as the Honduran people and a diverse political opposition united their voices demanding President Hernandez’s resignation, the US Ambassador announced, “Our relationship (with the Honduran government) has never been better”. We are deeply concerned that the very few statements/actions by the US government about impunity and corruption, such as the agreement brokered between Transparency International, Association for a More Just Society, and the Honduran government, are aimed at whitewashing the crimes of the Honduran regime with token investigations and the possible prosecution of a handful of officials in order to gain support in the US for the so called “Alliance for Prosperity” — the $1-billion dollar package proposed for the countries of the Northern Triangle under the Biden Plan in the U.S. Congress. The rise of the recent movement against corruption is a demonstration of the failure of the existing agreement.
We reject the common agenda the United States government shares with international corporations, the IMF and the Honduran oligarchy represented by Juan Orlando Hernandez. That agenda is an aggressive neoliberal program to privatize education, health care, and infrastructure while putting the country’s land and resources in the hands of foreign mining companies, hydroelectric, and mega-touristic projects, and powerful agribusiness interests. This agenda is backed up by the US economic and military power. As if to make clear its support for the regime the US recently sent another group of 300 Marines to Honduras and conducted military helicopter exercises even as the corruption scandal was being revealed.
We stand in solidarity also with the call from the indigenous, campesino, and trade union organizations, and other social sectors for solutions to the labor, agrarian, and territorial crises that affect their vulnerable members and communities. We are outraged and concerned about the criminalization of their movements and the ongoing violence against them which is the responsibility of the Honduran State.
We are profoundly concerned with the continuing attacks on, and obstruction of the work of human rights defenders and journalists, without whom the population is totally defenseless against impunity and corruption.
We support the demands of the Honduran people and we demand that the US government stop supporting militarization and impunity in Honduras now:
1. That President Obama and the US Congress immediately stop military and police training, and military aid to Honduras!
2. That the US Congress not pass or fund the Alliance for Prosperity or other taxpayer-funded schemes that further militarize governments and increase human rights violations.
3. That the US Embassy stop lending verbal and material support to the illegitimate government of President Juan Orlando Hernandez and instead demand of his administration an end to impunity and criminalization of human rights defenders and social movement leaders.
4. We continue to demand an investigation for all of the assassinations committed in Honduras since the military coup of 2009, and punishment for the both the intellectual and material authors of those crimes.
July 30, 2015
Honduras Solidarity Network USA/Canada
Español
La declaración que sigue fue presentada a funcionarios en la embajada norteamericana en Tegucigalpa el dia 31 de Julio por una delegación de la HSN dirigida por Alliance for Global Justice. El proposito era de expresar bien nuestra posición en solidaridad con el pueblo de Honduras y nuestra inconformidad con la política de los EEUU en Honduras.
Declaración de la Red Norteamericana de Solidaridad con Honduras
El Pueblo hondureño exige un alto a la corrupción, a la impunidad, y a la militarización
30 de Julio, 2015
Como miembros de la Red de Solidaridad norteamericana con Honduras (HSN por sus siglas en inglés), nosotros declaramos nuestra solidaridad con los muchos miles de hondureños que han estado protestando por varios meses con vigilias, marchas con antorchas, y con una huelga de hambre indefinida. Apoyamos las exigencias de la renuncia del Presidente Juan Orlando Hernández por parte del pueblo; y la creación de una Comisión Internacional Independiente que investigue la corrupción gubernamental después del masivo y descarado robo de cientos de millones de dólares de los fondos del Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS) que fueron usados para financiar la campaña presidencial del Partido Nacional actualmente en el poder; y también una profunda investigación de los casos de más de 3000 personas beneficiarias de este sistema de salud que murieron durante esta crisis. Este es un movimiento del pueblo en el cual los grupos de la oposición política, los movimientos populares y la mayoría de la sociedad hondureña está enfrentando muchos obstáculos para lograr un futuro mejor para su país.
Reconocemos que esta intolerable y descarada corrupción es un ejemplo más de las acciones fuera de la ley, y contra los principios democráticos encabezados por la élite política y económica de Honduras, apoyada por el Gobierno de los Estados Unidos que se inició con el golpe militar del 2009, y ha continuado con los subsecuentes gobiernos golpistas. El escándalo más reciente de corrupción se da después de 6 años de ataques permanentes contra los defensores de los derechos humanos, contra los indígenas y trabajadores del campo, y contra todo el movimiento politico y social de oposición. Todo esto surge como parte del intento de consolidarse como un poder ilegítimo quebrantando la actual Constitución para lograr la reelección. Este proceso se inició con el despido injustificado de varios magistrados independientes de la Corte Suprema de Justicia en el 2012 cuando el actual presidente era el líder del Congreso Nacional, y la subsecuente decisión, después que Hernández por medio de un fraude electoral se convirtiera en el presidente de Honduras en el 2014. La actual corte suprema de justicia actuando fuera de la ley, invalidó y declaró nula la cláusula de la anti-reelección de la constitución hondureña.
Con mucha firmeza condenamos el hecho de que el apoyo al régimen de Honduras por parte del gobierno de los Estados Unidos continúa. Es más, mientras la corrupción devastaba el sistema público de salud, lo que creó las condiciones por las que muchos miles de personas murieron; mientras el pueblo hondureño y una diversidad política de oposición unían sus voces exigiendo la renuncia del Presidente Juan Orlando Hernández, el embajador de Estados Unidos anunció: “Nuestra relación con el gobierno de Honduras nunca ha estado mejor”
Estamos profundamente preocupados por las declaraciones/acciones por parte del gobierno de los Estados Unidos acerca de la impunidad y la corrupción, como el caso de la ruptura del tratado entre Transparencia Internacional, la Asociación por una Sociedad más justa, y el gobierno de Honduras, están dirigidos a encubrir los crímenes del régimen hondureño con investigaciones de fachada y el posible juzgamiento de unos pocos oficiales para ganar apoyo en los Estados Unidos para el programa denominado “Alianza para la Prosperidad” – El paquete de un billón de dólares propuesto para apoyar los Países del Triángulo Norte como parte del Plan presentado por el vicepresidente Biden ante el Congreso de los Estados Unidos. El incremento del movimiento de protesta contra la corrupción es una muestra de que la existencia del presente acuerdo ha fallado.
Repudiamos la agenda común que el gobierno de los Estados Unidos comparte con corporaciones internacionales como el Fondo Monetario Internacional y la oligarquía hondureña representada por Juan Orlando Hernández. Esa agenda obedece a un programa neoliberal agresivo que busca privatizar la educación, la salud y la infraestructura mientras ponen la tierra del país y los recursos naturales en manos de compañías mineras extranjeras, así como los proyectos hidroeléctricos y los proyectos Mega-Turísticos y los poderosos intereses de la agro industria. Esta agenda es respaldada por la economía estadounidense y el poder militar. Para demostrar su apoyo al régimen de Juan Orlando, el gobierno de los Estados Unidos recientemente envió 300 Marines más a Honduras y han realizado maniobras militares usando helicópteros incluso, a pesar de que el escándalo de la corrupción ya había sido revelado.
Estamos en solidaridad también con el llamado de la población indígena, los campesinos, las organizaciones obreras y sindicales, y con otros sectores sociales que buscan soluciones sindicales, agrarias, y a la crisis territorial que afecta a los miembros y comunidades más vulnerables. Estamos muy indignados y preocupados acerca de la criminalización contra sus organizaciones y la continua violencia contra ellos con la responsabilidad directa del Estado Hondureño.
Estamos profundamente preocupados por los contínuos ataques a y la obstrucción del trabajo que realizan los defensores de derechos humanos y los periodistas, sin el trabajo de estos organismos la población estaría totalmente desprotegida contra la impunidad y la corrupción.
Apoyamos las exigencias del pueblo hondureño, y demandamos que el gobierno de los Estados Unidos suspenda la ayuda militar y la impunidad ahora! Exigimos que:
1. Que el Presidente Obama y el Congreso de los Estados Unidos suspendan inmediatamente los entrenamientos militares y policía, así como la ayuda militar a Honduras!
2. Que el Congreso de los Estados Unidos no apruebe el Fondo de la Alianza para la prosperidad u otros planes o proyectos financiados con nuestros impuestos, y que sólo sirven para militarizar más a los gobiernos y el aumento de las violaciones a los derechos humanos.
3. Que la Embajada de los Estados Unidos no siga brindando apoyo verbal y material al gobierno ilegítimo de Juan Orlando Hernández y que en cambio se le exija que ponga término a la impunidad y la criminalización contra los defensores de los derechos humanos y de los líderes del movimiento social.
4. Continuamos exigiendo una investigación exhaustiva de todos los asesinatos cometidos en Honduras desde el golpe de estado del 2009, y exigimos castigo para los autores materiales e intelectuales de estos crímenes.
HSN: Solidarity Actions
Free Political Prisoner Jose “Chabelo” Morales Lopez!
IMPORTANT UPDATE! Chabelo freed pending new trial!
On July 24, 2015 a panel of judges in court in La Ceiba, Honduras ruled in favor of a motion by the defense team for Chabelo that since his conviction was annulled he should be released from prison and allowed to defend himself in the re-trial in September as a free man. He was released to his defense lawyer and has to sign-in in person at the police headquarters weekly but for the first time in almost 7 years he is home with his family.
This victory is due to the dedicated defense team and the organized solidarity with Chabelo both inside and outside of Honduras. Now we need to step up support and win his re-trial in September. We still need signatures on the petition.
Jose Isabel “Chabelo”Morales Lopez, 38, is a small farmer (campesino), whose family is part of Honduras’ agricultural communities in the Aguán Valley in the heart of the African palm producing region of the northern coast.
He has been in prison for close to 7 years for a crime that he did not commit. His arrest and imprisonment are aimed at punishing and criminalizing the campesino movement in Honduras as well as a productof the well documented corruption and impunity that has Honduras in its grip. This has contributed to its being one of the poorest countries in the region and one of the most violent in the world. Chabelo is recognized as unjustly imprisoned by numerous human rights and rural advocacy groups such as, Via Campesina; SOAWatch; FIAN International; the Committee of the Families of the Disappeared Detainees (COFADEH); and the Jesuit institution in Honduras: ERIC‐SJ.
!No to Militarization! Sign our petition
We, the undersigned, oppose the continued militarization by the US government of its foreign and domestic policies on behalf of the military and prison industrial complexes for the benefit of transnational corporations. June 28 marks the sixth anniversary of the US-supported military coup in Honduras, a country that exemplifies the moral bankruptcy of this policy, and serves as a warning for what is happening in our own communities. We demand:
1. End military and police training and aid to Honduras, Central America, and the militarization of US local police forces.
2. Close the infamous School of the Americas (Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation).
3. Demilitarize the Drug War at home and abroad and pay reparations to the families of those murdered by a DEA operation in Ahuas, Honduras.
4. Dump the Alliance for Prosperity which will only increase militarization of Central America, and increase human rights violations and pressure on people to migrate.
For more info on US Militarization in Honduras
Honduras Solidarity Network at the US Social Forum
Join us at the San Jose and Philadelphia Social Forums June 25-June 28, 2015
Look for the HSN table at both sites, sign our petitions and participate in the HSN workshop and in workshops organized by some of our member organizations.
Philadelphia
Honduras: Last Gasp for Neoliberalism? Sponsored by D19 and Honduras Solidarity Network. Saturday June 27, 5pm @ Student Center 217 B
Empire of Prisons: How the United States is Spreading Mass Incarceration around the World. Sponsored by Alliance for Global Justice. Friday June 26, 10:30am @ Temple U., Mitten Hall Room 250. (1913 North Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19122 ).
Militarization, Terror and Resistance from the US to Central America. Sponsored by La Voz de los de Abajo. Friday June 26, 8:30am @ Temple U, Student Center 217 B
Resisting the Drug War Across the Americas sponsored by School of the Americas Watch. Saturday June 27, at 9 am @ Temple U, the Student Center Cinema
San Jose
Honduras: Last Gasp for Neoliberalism? Sponsored by Honduras Solidarity Network and D19. Thursday, June 25, 1pm @East Carnegie Library, 1102 E Santa Clara St.
US Militarism in Latin America: The Need for Left Unity. Sponsored by Bay Area Latin America Solidarity Coalition (BALASC). Friday June 26, 6pm @ Unitarian Sanctuary, 160 N. 3rd St.
Cuba, Venezuela and U.S. relations. Sponsored by Task Force on the Americas. Saturday, June 27,
8:30am @ 405 S. 10th St.
For more information check out:
US Social Forum Website https://www.ussocialforum.net/
Alliance for Global Justice https://afgj.org/join-afgj-at-the-us-social-forum-this-june
SOA Watch https://soaw.org
