Los Necios
El día 28 de mayo de 2014, 108 miembros de la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos, encabezados por la legisladora demócrata por Illinois, Jan Schakowsky, enviaron una carta al Secretario de Estado en la que se muestran preocupados por la situación de los derechos humanos de los indígenas, los campesinos, la comunidad LGTB, los comunicadores sociales, los defensores por los derechos humanos y derechos por la tierra y los legisladores y activistas de la oposición urgiéndolo examine la ayuda a Honduras destinada a la policía y los militares.
Estimado Secretario Kerry:
Escribimos para expresar preocupación sobre la situación existente de derechos humanos en Honduras. Como un nuevo Presidente y Congreso han recientemente asumido sus cargos, pedimos que el Departamento de Estado use su influencia para urgir que el gobierno hondureño proteja los derechos humanos fundamentales de sus ciudadanos, termine el uso de fuerzas militares como cuerpos de seguridad, investigue y lleve al juicio los abusos, y, más ampliamente, recupere el estado de derecho.
Casi cinco años después del golpe de 2009 que destituyó al Presidente Zelaya, las atroces violaciones de derechos humanos siguen. La Associated Press ha documentado asesinatos estilo escuadrón de muerte por policías hondureñas; estos asesinatos siguen. Los medios independientes de comunicación y organizaciones de derechos humanos siguen reportando que grupos vulnerables – incluyendo a miembros de la comunidad LGBT y activistas indígenas y campesinas – están siendo acosados y asesinados. Derechos laborales básicos son violados rutinariamente, y líderes sindicales han recibido amenazas de muerte, incrementado en meses recientes.
En vez de implementar reformas para enfrentar esos problemas invasivos, el gobierno hondureño adoptó políticas que amenazan la situación de derechos humanos. Las administraciones anterior y actual han promovido la militarización de las fuerzas policiales y usan sus fuerzas armadas para hacer cumplirlas leyes domésticas. En agosto del 2012, una nueva Policía Militar fue creada; se anticipa que habrá al menos 5,000 miembros de la fuerza. Esa fuerza ha cometido abusos de derechos humanos mientras trabaja en el ámbito policial, como la redada de octubre de 2013 en la casa del activista de oposición Edwin Espinal. Miembros de las fuerzas armadas también están implicados en el asesinato de Tomás Garcia en julio de 2013. Por la evidencia crónica de los abusos de derechos humanos por el ejército y la policía, Miembros del Congreso han llamado repetidamente por una cesación de ayuda EE.UU. a las fuerzas de seguridad del país.
Esos y otros abusos de derechos humanos no han sido ni investigados ni enjuiciados efectivamente en años recién. Según el Comisionado Nacional de Derechos Humanos, durante la última administración, decenas de abogados y periodistas fueron asesinados y el 97 por ciento de los casos con respeto a estos presuntos abusos de derechos humanos quedan en la impunidad. El grupo no gubernamental Rights Action cita alegaciones de casi 100 asesinatos de activistas promoviendo el derecho a la tierra en la región del Bajo Aguán. Según un estudio de Human Rights Watch, hay “impunidad virtualmente completa por los crímenes” que se consideran asociados con los conflictos de la tierra en esa región del país.
También estamos preocupados por los hechos recientes que impiden la libertad de expresión y asociación de los hondureños. En los primeros dos meses de 2014, el gobierno hondureño publicó un nuevo decreto que revoca el estatus legal de más de diez mil organizaciones sin fines de lucro, incluyendo una gama amplia de grupos de oposición. Esos grupos incluyen organizaciones de mujeres y ambientales, un grupo reconocido que regularmente informa sobre cuestiones de libertad de la prensa, y algunas escuelas.
Finalmente, estamos preocupados por los informes que indican que la elección del año pasado en Honduras no fue libre y justa. El grupo de derechos humanos COFADEH reporta que al menos 18 miembros del partido principal de oposición, LIBRE, fueron asesinados en el período previo a las elecciones, y otros seis individuos afiliados con LIBRE y un periodista progresista bien conocido fueron asesinados en las semanas después de las elecciones. Observadores electorales documentaron que hubo extensas actividades de compro de votos, actos de intimidación, y casos de ciudadanos cuyos nombres fueron eliminados de los registros de votación. Los reclamos de parte de los partidos de oposición con respeto a las discrepancias en el voto no fueron resueltos transparentemente por el Consejo Supremo Electoral.
Pedimos que usted preste atención especial a estos asuntos, evaluando estrictamente el apoyo de EE.UU. y entrenamiento para la policía y ejército hondureños de acuerdo con las condiciones de derechos humanos elaboradas en la Ley de Asignaciones de Operaciones Extranjeras y del Estado del 2014. También pedimos que usted aplique completamente la ley de Leahy, la cual prohíbe el financiamiento de individuos o unidades vinculados con cualquier cuerpo policial o militar extranjero que comete violaciones atroces de los derechos humanos en estado de impunidad. El Departamento de Estado, junto con nuestra embajada en Honduras, tiene que tomar una posición consistente y pública apoyando a los que se encuentran amenazados con abusos de derechos humanos y alentamos fuertemente la investigación y enjuiciamiento de los que perpetran los crímenes, incluyendo a los agentes del estado.
Gracias por su atención a este asunto importante.
Saludos cordiales,
Miembros del Congreso
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Texto de la carta original en inglés
May 28th, 2014
The Honorable John Kerry
Secretary of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry:
We write to express concern about the ongoing human rights situation in Honduras. As a new President and Congress have recently taken office, we ask the State Department to use its leverage to urge the Honduran government to protect the fundamental human rights of its citizens, end the use of military forces for law enforcement, investigate and prosecute abuses, and, more broadly, restore the rule of law.
Almost five years after the 2009 coup ousting President Zelaya, egregious violations of human rights continue. The Associated Press has documented ongoing death-squad style killings by Honduran police. Independent media and human rights organizations continue to report that vulnerable groups, including members of the LGBT community and indigenous and campesino activists, are being targeted and killed. Basic labor rights are routinely violated and union leaders have received increased death threats in recent months.
Instead of implementing reforms to address those pervasive problems, the Honduran government adopted policies that threaten to make the human rights situation even worse. The former and current administrations have promoted the militarization of police forces and use their armed forces for domestic law enforcement. In August 2012, a new Military Police was created, with a projected size of at least 5,000. That force has committed human rights abuses while engaged in policing, such as the October 2013 raid on the home of opposition activist Edwin Espinal. Members of the armed forces are also implicated in the killing of Tomás Garcia in July 2013. Because of a continuing record of human rights abuses by the Honduran police and military, Members of Congress have repeatedly called for a cessation of U.S. aid to the country’s security forces.
Those and other human rights abuses have not been effectively investigated or prosecuted in recent years. According to the National Commissioner for Human Rights, during the last administration, dozens of lawyers and journalists were killed and 97 percent of cases regarding these suspected human rights abuses remain unpunished. The non-governmental group Rights Action cites allegations of almost 100 killings of lands rights activists in the area of Bajo Aguán. According to a Human Rights Watch study, there is “virtually complete impunity for crimes” believed to be associated with land conflicts in that region of the country.
We are also concerned about recent developments impeding Hondurans’ freedom of speech and association. In the first two months of 2014, the Honduran government published a new decree revoking the legal status of over ten thousand non-profit organizations, including a wide range of opposition groups. Those groups include women’s and environmental organizations, a prominent group that regularly reports on press freedom issues, and schools.
Finally, we are concerned about reports that last year’s election in Honduras was not free and fair. The human rights group COFADEH reports that at least 18 members of the leading opposition party LIBRE were assassinated in the lead-up to the election, with an additional six LIBRE-affiliated individuals and a well-known progressive journalist killed in the weeks after. Election observers documented widespread vote-buying activities, acts of intimidation, and cases of citizens’ names being eliminated from voting rolls. Challenges by opposition parties regarding discrepancies in the vote were not transparently addressed by the Supreme Electoral Council.
We ask that you pay close attention to those issues, strictly evaluating U.S. support and training for the Honduran police and military in accordance with human rights conditions placed in the 2014 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations law. We also ask that you fully enforce the Leahy Law, which prohibits assistance to individuals or units of any foreign military or police body that commit gross human rights abuses with impunity. The State Department, along with our embassy in Honduras, must take a consistent and public stance supporting those threatened with human rights abuses, and strongly encourage the investigation and prosecution of those perpetuating crimes, including state agents.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Members of Congress
Texto de la carta original en inglés
May 28th, 2014
The Honorable John Kerry
Secretary of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry:
We write to express concern about the ongoing human rights situation in Honduras. As a new President and Congress have recently taken office, we ask the State Department to use its leverage to urge the Honduran government to protect the fundamental human rights of its citizens, end the use of military forces for law enforcement, investigate and prosecute abuses, and, more broadly, restore the rule of law.
Almost five years after the 2009 coup ousting President Zelaya, egregious violations of human rights continue. The Associated Press has documented ongoing death-squad style killings by Honduran police. Independent media and human rights organizations continue to report that vulnerable groups, including members of the LGBT community and indigenous and campesino activists, are being targeted and killed. Basic labor rights are routinely violated and union leaders have received increased death threats in recent months.
Instead of implementing reforms to address those pervasive problems, the Honduran government adopted policies that threaten to make the human rights situation even worse. The former and current administrations have promoted the militarization of police forces and use their armed forces for domestic law enforcement. In August 2012, a new Military Police was created, with a projected size of at least 5,000. That force has committed human rights abuses while engaged in policing, such as the October 2013 raid on the home of opposition activist Edwin Espinal. Members of the armed forces are also implicated in the killing of Tomás Garcia in July 2013. Because of a continuing record of human rights abuses by the Honduran police and military, Members of Congress have repeatedly called for a cessation of U.S. aid to the country’s security forces.
Those and other human rights abuses have not been effectively investigated or prosecuted in recent years. According to the National Commissioner for Human Rights, during the last administration, dozens of lawyers and journalists were killed and 97 percent of cases regarding these suspected human rights abuses remain unpunished. The non-governmental group Rights Action cites allegations of almost 100 killings of lands rights activists in the area of Bajo Aguán. According to a Human Rights Watch study, there is “virtually complete impunity for crimes” believed to be associated with land conflicts in that region of the country.
We are also concerned about recent developments impeding Hondurans’ freedom of speech and association. In the first two months of 2014, the Honduran government published a new decree revoking the legal status of over ten thousand non-profit organizations, including a wide range of opposition groups. Those groups include women’s and environmental organizations, a prominent group that regularly reports on press freedom issues, and schools.
Finally, we are concerned about reports that last year’s election in Honduras was not free and fair. The human rights group COFADEH reports that at least 18 members of the leading opposition party LIBRE were assassinated in the lead-up to the election, with an additional six LIBRE-affiliated individuals and a well-known progressive journalist killed in the weeks after. Election observers documented widespread vote-buying activities, acts of intimidation, and cases of citizens’ names being eliminated from voting rolls. Challenges by opposition parties regarding discrepancies in the vote were not transparently addressed by the Supreme Electoral Council.
We ask that you pay close attention to those issues, strictly evaluating U.S. support and training for the Honduran police and military in accordance with human rights conditions placed in the 2014 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations law. We also ask that you fully enforce the Leahy Law, which prohibits assistance to individuals or units of any foreign military or police body that commit gross human rights abuses with impunity. The State Department, along with our embassy in Honduras, must take a consistent and public stance supporting those threatened with human rights abuses, and strongly encourage the investigation and prosecution of those perpetuating crimes, including state agents.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Members of Congress
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