(Español aquí) Photo credit: Erik McGregor / Via AP
Our organizing is working. Public pressure from all over the U.S. and internationally has led to massive coverage of the situation in Honduras, even in mainstream media, this year. That media had largely point to—and still often continues to focus on—gangs and drugs as sources for the widespread violence to which Hondurans have been subjected. Meanwhile at CRLN, we’ve been all too aware of the escalating state-sponsored attacks on human rights defenders since the 2009 coup, and working to hold U.S. decision makers accountable for funds and training provided to the Honduran police and military.
And then, in March of this year, world-renowned environmental and Indigenous rights activist Berta Cáceres was killed.
The shock and outrage at her assassination escalated the work of Honduran human rights defenders and sparked increased indignation and energy in the international community. Since March, solidarity organizers in the U.S., working with Berta’s daughters and leaders of COPINH (the organization Berta co-founded and led), have demonstrated publicly, hosted caravans, heckled public officials, moved Congress to act, published hard-hitting articles and letters, and so much more.
Whereas one year ago, many in the mainstream might not have found Honduras on a map, today more people have a sense that Honduras is not just a country with a migrant crisis: there are reasons why people are fleeing political violence in Honduras, and it has much to do with U.S. tax dollars.
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Now three dozen members of Congress are co-sponsoring the “Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras” bill, H.R. 5474.
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The New Yorker is publishing journalism that begs the question, “Should the U.S. still be sending military aid to Honduras?”
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The New York Times is getting massive push-back both from U.S.-based activists and Honduran social movement leaders (also see the attached letter from the Coalition Against Impunity) for their rosy, one-dimensional reportingon San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
Organizers and activists from across the country are calling members of Congress, urging that they co-sponsor H.R.5474. You can be part of the momentum by clicking here and making your phone call to keep the pressure up. If your Rep. is Jan Schakowsky, Luis Gutierrez or Danny Davis, you can call to say, “Thank you!” Otherwise, click here to follow the script and urge your Member of Congress to get behind the increasing demands for accountability for U.S. security funding in Honduras. To honor Berta’s legacy, help CRLN and organizers from all over the country demand that the U.S. support human rights in Honduras.
