Rights Action
October 3, 2019
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Honduras “State-sponsored drug trafficking” trial to begin in New York City
There is no oversight or accountability in Washington or Ottawa for 10 years of U.S. and Canadian economic, political and military support for “State-sponsored drug trafficking” regimes in Honduras
- Below: Articles in New York Times and Univision
From the New York Times:
Since the U.S. and Canadian-backed military coup in 2009, “[Honduras] has become a gateway for huge amounts of cocaine moved through Mexico and into the United States. Honduras is also the first landing point for about 80 percent of suspected drug flights leaving from South America, the State Department has said.”
“… The [Honduran] president used drug money to help win elections in 2013 and 2017, and he offered protection to drug traffickers who supported him. […] A prosecutor said the evidence showed nothing short of “state-sponsored drug trafficking”.”
“Prosecutors said President Hernández, his brother and other co-conspirators “relied on drug proceeds to fund National Party campaigns and other political operations, to control large swaths of the Honduran government, to bribe officials who helped ensure safe passage for their cocaine, and in an effort to protect themselves from law enforcement scrutiny in Honduras and elsewhere.””
“President Hernández, like his predecessor, [post-military coup President] Porfirio Lobo “was elected president based at least in part on the proceeds of drug trafficking,” the prosecutors wrote. The memorandum outlined four occasions in which an accused Honduran drug trafficker, who was also an official in the president’s National Party, said he had paid bribes to or for President Hernández and [former President] Lobo in exchange for protection. According to the memo, the trafficker sent $2 million to Mr. Lobo to help fund his 2009 presidential election.”
Univision:
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Why are 100s of thousands of Hondurans & Guatemalans fleeing home and country?
The U.S., Canada and “international community” are helping keep in place the very regimes that force Hondurans and Guatemalans to flee their countries, every year.
Global impunity
The U.S. and Canadian governments, the World Bank and global businesses and investors (hydro-electric dams, mining, African palm, sugar cane and fruit production, garment “sweatshop” factors, tourism, etc.) maintain profitable relations with anti-democratic, corrupt, repressive governments in Honduras and Guatemala, participating in or benefitting from exploitation and repression, environmental harms and human rights violations, corruption and impunity.
There is no political or legal oversight or accountability in the U.S. and Canada for our complicity in Guatemala and Honduras’ nightmare.
Rights Action (U.S. & Canada)
Since 1995, Rights Action funds human rights, environment and territory defense struggles and projects in Guatemala and Honduras; funds victims of repression and human rights violations, health harms and natural disasters; works to hold accountable the U.S. and Canadian governments, multi-national companies, investors and banks (World Bank, etc.) that help cause and profit from repression and human rights violations, environmental harms and forced evictions, corruption and impunity in Honduras and Guatemala.
Get Informed / Get Involved
Act – Stir up the pot – Chip away
Keep sending copies of Rights Action information (and that of other solidarity groups/ NGOs) to family, friends and networks, politicians and media – always asking the question as to why our governments, companies and investment firms benefit from and turn a blind eye to poverty, repression and violence, environmental and health harms that caused the forced migrancy / refugee crisis in Guatemala and Honduras.
Other solidarity/ NGO groups in U.S. and Canada
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Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)
To directly fund our community partner groups in Honduras and Guatemala, make check to "Rights Action" and mail to:
- U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
- Canada: (Box 552) 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
