To: The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
Congress: End the Anti-Corruption Charade in Honduras
Just Foreign Policy
Congress should use its financial leverage against political corruption in Honduras.
Why is this important?
Millions of dollars of public funds from Honduras' health care system were funneled to the ruling National Party and the election campaign of President Juan Orlando Hernández. No charges have been brought against Hernández or other top party officials over the diversion of funds to the party. Human rights advocates in Honduras are insisting on an independent, United Nations-backed body to investigate, and 54 Members of Congress have urged Secretary of State Kerry to support this demand. [1]
In 2009, the State Department under Secretary Hillary Clinton helped a military coup in Honduras succeed by blocking efforts to restore the left-leaning president, Manuel Zelaya, to power. [2] [3] Since then, more than 100 members of Congress have called on the Obama administration to condemn human rights violations by Honduras' security forces, and have questioned U.S. "security assistance" to Honduras. [4]
The appropriations legislation in Congress for 2016 provides tools to pressure the Honduran government. It makes half the "assistance" to Honduras conditional on State Department certification that the authorities are taking effective steps to combat corruption, cooperate with commissions against impunity, and investigate and prosecute “members of military and police forces who are credibly alleged to have violated human rights.”
Urge Congress to use its leverage against corruption in Honduras by signing our petition.
References:
1. https://serrano.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-serrano-and-53-members-call-creation-un-sponsored-commission
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/16/opinion/an-anti-corruption-charade-in-honduras.html
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/wikileaks-honduras-state_b_789282.html
4. http://cepr.net/blogs/the-americas-blog/congressional-democrats-voice-renewed-opposition-to-u-s-security-assistance-to-honduras-will-kerry-finally-listen
In 2009, the State Department under Secretary Hillary Clinton helped a military coup in Honduras succeed by blocking efforts to restore the left-leaning president, Manuel Zelaya, to power. [2] [3] Since then, more than 100 members of Congress have called on the Obama administration to condemn human rights violations by Honduras' security forces, and have questioned U.S. "security assistance" to Honduras. [4]
The appropriations legislation in Congress for 2016 provides tools to pressure the Honduran government. It makes half the "assistance" to Honduras conditional on State Department certification that the authorities are taking effective steps to combat corruption, cooperate with commissions against impunity, and investigate and prosecute “members of military and police forces who are credibly alleged to have violated human rights.”
Urge Congress to use its leverage against corruption in Honduras by signing our petition.
References:
1. https://serrano.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-serrano-and-53-members-call-creation-un-sponsored-commission
2. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/16/opinion/an-anti-corruption-charade-in-honduras.html
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/wikileaks-honduras-state_b_789282.html
4. http://cepr.net/blogs/the-americas-blog/congressional-democrats-voice-renewed-opposition-to-u-s-security-assistance-to-honduras-will-kerry-finally-listen