As we approach the second anniversary of the murder of the renowned indigenous, feminist human rights defender Berta Cáceres, the need for the Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras Act is as great as it has ever been. With the support of US financing and training for police and military forces, the Honduran government has become one of the most repressive in the world, engaged in a murderous crackdown of pro-democracy demonstrators, with state security forces routinely murdering and firing live bullets at protesters and bystanders. There also continues to be targeted campaigns of violence, arbitrary detention, and assassinations against journalists, human rights activists, LGBT Hondurans, and Black and Indigenous community leaders. Much of the pattern of targeted harassment, defamation campaigns, and criminalization that led to Berta’s assassination is being repeated with other Honduran leaders. What’s more, many of the irregularities that plague the prosecution of her murder are being repeated in the cases of political prisoners arrested in the wake of the 2017 election.
Two years on, the investigation into Berta’s assassination and the criminal case against 8 alleged material authors has been characterized by numerous irregularities and problems. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has consistently failed to turn over all the necessary information to the family’s lawyers in the prosecution of the accused, disobeying the judge’s order to do so, and resulting in hearings being suspended six times. Furthermore, authorities have refused to arrest and prosecute the high-level intellectual authors, despite an independent report by international legal experts finding that the Public Prosecutors Office has had information identifying some of the intellectual authors since May 2016.
This is a troubling but not altogether surprising development in a country where impunity is the norm, and human rights conditions have reached tragic new lows since the election. At least 35 people have been killed during post-election protests, the vast majority by state security forces, and their cases remain in impunity. Thousands have been arbitrarily detained, with widespread reports of torture, forced disappearance, kidnapping, and the systematic use of excessive force against peaceful protests. The Honduran administration has denied access to OAS human rights investigators, while failing to investigate and prosecute the state security forces responsible for murdering, injuring, and torturing demonstrators, much less those who gave the orders to do so.
Against this backdrop, dozens of political prisoners have been held in newly built US-style maximum security prisons. The political prisoners have been targeted for their role in the opposition and anti-fraud protests, and have faced draconian charges including accusations of terrorism, in some cases reviewed by judges embedded in military led task forces. As in Berta’s case, their cases have been plagued by the refusal of the US-supported Honduran state prosecutors to share information with their attorneys. US-backed security forces have not only carried out the arbitrary detentions of political opposition and social movement leaders, but in some cases run the prisons. Human rights defenders, journalists, and even the attorneys and families of the accused have been denied access so it’s impossible to verify their conditions, but we know that they’ve been held for long periods in solitary confinement and denied their essential rights under the law.
Berta Cáceres’s case has become emblematic of the deep structural violence perpetrated by the Honduran state, and of the United States’ role in supporting the militarization of the country and the criminalization of its people. Given the extreme level of repression and murder perpetrated against the Honduran people by the current regime, suspending US security aid to Honduras, as the Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras Act (HR1299) calls for, is a moral imperative and the least that Congress should do. US taxpayer dollars should not be spent propping up an illegitimate regime that uses that money to terrorize its people.
Please join over 70 of your fellow Representatives as a co-sponsor of the bill TODAY to send the clear message that the US government will not finance the torture, forced disappearance, and murder of Honduran human rights defenders, journalists, and protesters.
Thank you for your action at this critical time.
School of the Americas Watch (SOAW)
Witness for Peace (WFP)
WFP and SOAW join over 250 Honduran, US, and International human rights organizations, environmental organizations, labor unions, and faith communities in endorsing the Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras Act, including the AFL-CIO, the United Steelworkers (USW), the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), the Sierra Club, the Latin American Working Group (LAWG) and many more. Organizations that have endorsed the Berta Cáceres Act include the following:
About Face: Veterans Against the War
AFL-CIO
All African People’s Revolutionary Party
Agricultural Missions Inc
Alianza Americas
Alliance for Global Justice
American Federation of Government Employees, Local 3354
American Friends Service Committee
American Jewish World Service
ANSWER
Arrowhead Indivisible
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (AFL-CIO)
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
Bay Area Latin America Solidarity Coalition (BALASC)
Bautistas por la Paz
Benedictine Sisters of Erie
Bernardine Franciscan Sisters OSF
Brazilian Expats for Democracy and Social Justice
Brooklyn Greens/Green Party
Casa Baltimore/Limay, MD
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Boston College
Center for International Environmental Law
Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha
Center on Conscience & War
Central Americans for Empowerment at UC Berkeley
Centro Presente
CIP Americas Program
Chicago ALBA Solidarity Committee
Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America
Chicago Teachers’ Union
Church Women United in New York State
Climate Justice Alliance
Climate Justice Committee of the Rochester, Minnesota Franciscans
Code Pink
Colectiva Centroamericana – Spain
Colombia Human Rights Committee
Colombian Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
Coloradans for Immigrant Rights, AFSC Colorado Office
Community Alliance for Global Justice
Congregation of Notre Dame US Province – Justice and Peace Office
Congregation of St. Joseph Peace and Justice Team, Nazareth MI
Congregational UCC Global Ministries Team, Ashland, Oregon
Cross Borders Network
Denver Justice and Peace Committee
Doctors for Global Health
Dominican Sisters – Grand Rapids, MI
Dominican Sisters of Houston
Environmental Association for Latin America
8th Day Center for Justice
El Comité de Apoyo a Trabajadores Agricolas
Human Rights Observation Honduras
Family Farm Defenders
Farmworker Association of Florida
FAU-AL
Fellowship of Reconciliation USA
Friendship Office of the Americas
Friends of the Earth
Food Chain Workers Alliance
Labour Friends of Progressive Latin America
Heal-Online.org
Houston Peace and Justice Center
Houston Peace News
GAIA
Global Exchange
Grassroots Climate Solutions Fund
Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
Grassroots International
GreenFaith
Greenpeace
GreenRoots, Inc
Groundswell International
Grupo de Solidaria – Arenal
Guatemala Human Rights Commission
Guatemala Partnership Committee, Congregational Church of Needham
Guatemala Solidarity Project
Indigenous Environmental Network
Institute for Policy Studies, Global Economy Project
International Capoeira Angola Foundation
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines — US Committee
International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity for the Peoples
International Labor Rights Forum
InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia
Ivestor Church of the Bretheren Mission and Outreach Team
JELMS
Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States
JASS (Just Associates)
Just Foreign Policy
Justicia
Justice and Compassion Ministries Cal-Pac Conference of the United Methodist Church
Justice Commission Committee of the Sisters of Providence
Justice for Muslims Coalition
Justice Peace and Integrity for Creation Committee of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Karani Media
Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights
Intercommunity Ecological Council of LCWR Region 10
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
International Action Center
Inter Religious Task Force on Central America, Cleveland, OH
Latin America Solidarity Committee–Milwaukee
Latin America Task Force of Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, Michigan
Latin America Working Group
La Voz de los Abajo, Chicago
Leadership Team of the Felician Sisters of North America
Leicester Masaya Link Group
MADRE
Mayflower Church Global Justice Advocacy Team, MN
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Minnesota Break the Bonds Campaign
Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light
Minnesota National Lawyers Guild
MN 350
Movement Generation: Justice and Ecology Project
Nagat-Yamauchi Educational Fund
National Immigrant Solidarity Network Action LA Coalition
National Lawyers Guild
NISGUA
New Haven Leon Sister Cities Project
New Mexico Faith Coalition for Justice
New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light
Newton/San Juan del Sur (Nicaragua) Sister City Project
Nicaragua Center for Community Action
Occupy Bergen County
Oceano Organics Co-Op
Office of Peace, Justice, and Ecological Integrity – Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
Other Worlds, U.S.
OWS Special Projects Affinity Group
Partners for the Land & Agricultural Needs of Traditional Peoples
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi, Indianapolis, IN
Peace Action of Staten Island
Peace and Justice Center, Vermont
Peace House, Ashland OR
Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane
PeaceWorks
Pesticide Action Network North America
Pioneer Valley Workers Center
Portland Central America Solidarity Committee
Portland Jobs with Justice
Presbyterian Church USA
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
Project Hondureno
Quixote Center
Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, Western American Province
Rights Action, Canada
Rights Action, USA
Rights and Ecology
Rochester Committee on Latin America
Sacramento Action for Latin America
Samuel Rubin Foundation
San Jose Peace and Justice Center
Sanctuary DMV
Santa Clara County Peace and Freedom Party
Schools Sisters of Notre Dame in Honduras
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Houston TX
Sisters of Charity of New York Office of Peace, Justice and Integrity of Creation
Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team
Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Justice Team
Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston, Justice and Peace Office
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, Province of USA & Canada
Sisters of the Precious Blood
Sisters of Providence Leadership Team of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN
St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America
Student Organization for Latin American Studies at the University of New Mexico
SHARE Foundation
Sierra Club
SOA Watch
SOA Watch, Boulder CO
SOA Watch, Illinois
SOA Watch, Oakland CA
SOA Watch San Francisco
Solidarity Committee of the Capital District
SouthWest Organizing Project
Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville
Task Force on the Americas
The Adorers of the Blood of Christ, US Region
The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice
Thousand Currents
Tonatierra
Trade Justice New York Metro
Travelogue Media
Unidad Latina en Accion
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
United Steelworkers
Unitarian Universalist Faith Action New Jersey
Unitarian Universalist Sevice Committee (UUSC)
UU Faith Action, NJ
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
US-EL Salvador Sister Cities
US Peace Council
Veterans for Peace
WhyHunger
Win Without War
WITNESS
Witness for Peace
Witness for Peace Midwest
Witness for Peace Northwest
Witness for Peace Southeast
Witness for Peace Southwest
Women Against War
World March of Women, US Chapter
350 New York City
Honduras: Asociación de Jóvenes en Movimiento (AJEM)
Asociación de Jueces por la Democracia (AJD)
Asociación de Mujeres Intibucanas Renovadas (AMIR)
Asociación Feminista Trans (AFeT)
Asociación FIAN Honduras
Asociación Hermanas Misioneras de San Carlos Borromeo Scalabrinianas
Asociación Intermunicipal de Desarrollo y Vigilancia Social de Honduras (AIDEVISH)
Asociación LGTB Arcoiris de Honduras
Asociación Nacional de Personas viviendo con SIDA (ASONAPVSIDA)
Asociación para una Ciudadanía Participativa (ACI-PARTICIPA)
CARITAS – Diócesis de San Pedro Sula
Centro de Derechos de Mujeres (CDM)
Centro de Desarrollo Humano (CDH)
Centro de Educación y Prevención en Salud, Sexualidad y Sida (CEPRES)
Centro de Estudios de la Mujer Honduras (CEM-H)
Centro de Estudios para la Democracia (CESPAD)
Centro de Investigación y Promoción de Derechos Humanos (CIPRODEH)
Centro para la Prevención, Tratamiento y Rehabilitación de Víctimas de la Tortura y sus Familiares (CPTRT)
Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras – COPINH
Colectivo Diamantes Limeños LGTB
Colectivo Gemas
Colectivo Unidad Color Rosa
Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos de Honduras (COFADEH)
Comité de Familiares de Migrantes Desaparecidos de El Progreso (COFAMIPRO)
Comité por la Libre Expresión C-Libre
Convergencia por los Derechos Humanos de la Zona Nor Occidental
Crisálidas de Villanueva
Coordinación de Instituciones Privadas por las niñas, niños, adolescentes, jóvenes y sus derechos (COIPRODEN)
Equipo de Monitoreo Independiente de Honduras (EMIH)
Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación (ERIC-SJ)
Feministas Universitarias
Familia Fransciscana de Honduras (JPIC)
Frente Amplio del COPEMH
Foro de Mujeres por la Vida
Foro Nacional para las Migraciones (FONAMIH)
Foro Social de la Deuda Externa y Desarrollo de Honduras (FOSDEH)
Indignados Unidos por Honduras
JASS en Honduras
Movimiento Amplio por la Dignidad y la Justicia (MADJ)
Movimiento Diversidad en Resistencia (MDR)
Movimiento de Mujeres por la Paz “Visitación Padilla”
Observatorio Permanente de Derechos Humanos de El Aguán;
Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña (OFRANEH)
Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral (OCDIH);
Pastoral de Movilidad Humana de Honduras;
Red de Mujeres Jóvenes de Cortés
Red de Mujeres Unidas de Colonia “Ramón Amaya Amador”
Red de Participación de Organizaciones de Sociedad Civil Siguatepeque (RPOSC);
Red Nacional de Defensoras de Derechos Humanos en Honduras;
Tribuna de Mujeres contra los Femicidios
Unión de Empresas y Organizaciones de Trabajadores del Campo (UTC – La Paz)