Elections the US and Canada called ‘fair and democratic’

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April 27, 2022
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US and Canadian-backed Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez used drug-trafficking money to rig elections the US and Canada called ‘fair and democratic’
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Who will investigate the USA, Canada and Spain, the World Bank, IDB and IMF, and transnational corporations (mining, African palm, bananas, maquilas, tourism) - that all maintained beneficial relations with 12 years and 7 months of these "democratic allies" in Honduras, including the theft of three fraudulent and violent elections (2009, 2013, 2017)?
* Below: Criterion.Hn news report

Everyone knew
Will there be any legal investigations into how these governments and international actors lied about and/or covered up this information?

But for the unconditional support of this "international community", it is not conceivable that the military coup of June 2009 would have succeeded, followed by 12 years, 7 months of narco-military "open for business" regimes in Honduras.

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Juan Orlando Hernandez committed electoral fraud in 2013 and 2017: New York Prosecutor's Office
April 25, 2022, CRITERION.HN news
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The truth is reaffirmed that, in 2017, cost the lives of at least 23 people - Juan Orlando Hernandez committed electoral fraud, "including in connection with the 2013 and 2017 Honduran presidential elections".

The information comes from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York following the extradition of Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado, former president of Honduras, to the United States.

Hernández Alvarado faces three charges: conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

The report states that the defendant "used these drug trafficking proceeds to enrich himself, finance his political campaigns and commit electoral fraud, including in connection with Honduras' 2013 and 2017 presidential elections."

The 20-page document makes 12 mentions of the word election, at least 11 of which are made in the context of using drug proceeds to finance Hernández's election campaign and bribe "certain politicians and election officials."

Regarding the 2013 elections, it states that prior to the presidential election period, Juan Orlando Hernández "ordered CC-1 and others to bribe certain politicians and election officials using Hernández's campaign funds, which were financed in part with drug trafficking proceeds, to ensure that Hernández won the election."

"As part of these efforts, CC-1 and others traveled to several municipalities that were not sufficiently supportive of Hernandez and bribed officials who controlled the polling places to manipulate the vote count in Hernandez's favor. In exchange for this electoral fraud, Hernández protected and supported the drug trafficking activities of [Amílcar Alexander "Chande"] Ardón Soriano.

The document does not mention names, nor who were the officials at the vote counting centers who allegedly received the illicit money.

In both the 2013 and 2017 elections, the entity in charge of organizing the elections was the Superior Electoral Tribunal, now the National Electoral Council. In 2013, this institute was under the command of David Andrés Matamoros Batson, as presiding magistrate; Enrique Ortez Sequeira, proprietary magistrate; and Saúl Escobar Andrade, secretary magistrate.

In 2017, with Sequeira out, Erick Mauricio Rodríguez Gavarrete, former schoolmate in Gracias, Lempira, of Juan Orlando Hernández, entered the TSE as presiding magistrate. David Andrés Matamoros Batson, proprietary magistrate, and Saúl Escobar, secretary magistrate, remain in the electoral body.

It is important to highlight, and it is something that the U.S. Attorney's indictment of Juan Orlando Hernandez does not cover, that the shadow of electoral fraud followed Hernández since the 2012 primary elections, where some analysts pointed out that the real winning candidate of the primary elections of the National Party of Honduras was Ricardo Antonio Álvarez Arias.

At that time, Alvarez - under the Nationalist movement "Salvemos Honduras" - stated that he would request a vote-by-vote recount by the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ). However, the complaint did not go any further, and finally Alvarez would become the presidential designee of Juan Orlando Hernandez.

Nor does the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York indictment mention that by 2017, the cries of electoral fraud were deafening. Juan Orlando Hernández's blind desire to perpetuate himself in power cost the lives of at least 23 Hondurans, according to data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Honduras.

However, the numbers could be even higher. Forensic Medicine confirmed use of police and military weapons in 27 deaths and human rights organizations counted up to 43 crimes in the 2017 post-election crisis.

Back to the indictment. It states that in/or about 2017, Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado while campaigning to be re-elected president of Honduras, held a meeting with Ardón Soriano in Copán. In that meeting, Hernández said that he "was concerned about getting enough votes for reelection and asked Ardón Soriano to finance his campaign activities in Copán and Lempira, Honduras, in exchange for continuing to protect Ardón Soriano from arrest and extradition."

Ardón Soriano allegedly accepted and delivered US $1,500,000 "in drug trafficking proceeds to, among other things, bribe other politicians and electoral officials to support Hernández in the 2017 elections. Hernández was then re-elected as president of Honduras."

In addition to Ardón Soriano, Juan Orlando Hernández "received millions of dollars from multiple drug trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere, including from former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias 'El Chapo' ('Guzmán Loera'), the document from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York states.

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Former Honduran President to face drug-trafficking charges in US
Will there be any accountability for 12 years, 7 months of illegal US & Canadian support for the Honduran narco-state?
By Grahame Russell, Rights Action
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JOH’s luck runs out, by John Perry
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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks Announcing Charges Against Juan Orlando Hernandez, Former President of Honduras
Washington, DC, April 21, 2022
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A triumphant day. A day of many tears
End of the U.S./Canadian-backed Narco-regime in Honduras
By Grahame Russell, Rights Action, December 4, 2021
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Other solidarity/NGO groups doing work related to Honduras
* School of Americas Watch: www.soaw.org
* Honduras Solidarity Network: www.hondurassolidarity.org
* Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective: www.solidaritycollective.org
* Friendship Office of the Americas: [link removed] ([link removed])
* Alliance for Global Justice: www.afgj.org
* CODEPINK: www.codepink.org

Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)
To support land, human rights and environmental defender groups, and democracy and justice activists 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

Credit-Card Donations: [link removed]
Donations of securities in Canada and the U.S.? Write to: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

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