It is hard to focus on Honduras when Oligarchs are on the move in DC to pass an historic tax giveaway to America’s already wealthiest.
Nevertheless, we bring you troubling news from Honduras, where the sitting president appears to have lost in his re-election bid, but is using fraud and force to stay in office.
US actions can greatly influence the outcome of the brewing crisis, but today’s headlines (speculating that Trump will install CIA Director, Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State)give little comfort to our friends and allies who have taken to the streets of Tegucigalpa and others cities to protest this power grab.
We are speaking up for democracy in Honduras because our fates are linked.
The letter below is signed by several organizations. Sign-on today to Demand transparency and respect for the vote in Honduras.
You can also contact the US Embassy and your elected officials with the demand that they support the Honduran people in defense of democratic process.
US Embassy Tegucigalpa: 011-504-22385114; 011-504-22369320
US Captial Switchboard (to contact your Senators and Representatives) (202) 224-3121.
International Organizations Demand Transparency and Respect for the Vote in Honduras
As organizations in defense of human rights and democracy, we urgently call on the Honduran government to respect the vote and provide full transparency, credibility and legitimacy in all aspects of the vote count and elections results.
Recent actions of the Supreme Elections Tribunal have cast legitimate doubts on the process that must be cleared up. The Tribunal suspended public reporting of the count the night of the elections when results showed a 5-point lead for the opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla, and returned 36 hours later with numbers showing a surprise lead for the incumbent candidate, Juan Orlando Hernandez. The lack of transparency and unlikely reversal of the voting trend have raised questions regarding the Tribunal’s impartial role and professionalism and accusations of fraud that must be taken into account. Furthermore, the Constitution explicitly forbids the current president’s candidacy, and the legal maneuvers to extend his power via re-election lack consensus.
As members of the international community, we join Hondurans in demanding fair and forthright elections that enhance rather than erode the fragile democracy.
We call on our governments, and especially the US government, multilateral organizations, international finance institutions and civil society organizations to support the Honduran people in defense of democratic process. We urge the Honduran government to refrain from any acts of repression, denial of rights, censorship or criminalization of protest and commit ourselves to monitor the situation closely, using all international legal tools available to assure respect for the human rights of all and a continued commitment to non-violence.
The Honduran people have fought hard to restore rule of law since the 2009 coup d’état. Many gave their lives in this fight, which is far from over. As in 2009, what happens in this small nation will be a bellwether for the entire region that either reaffirms democracy or strengthens anti-democratic forces. We cannot be indifferent at this historic juncture.
Signed
Center for International Policy (CIP)
Alianza Américas
Global Exchange
Guatemalan Human Rights Commission
Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America
Alliance for Global Justice