Twenty one Members of Congress call on Sec. of State John Kerry to suspend training and support for Honduran military and police due to human rights abuses.
The letter, sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), was signed by Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs, Reps. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and House Foreign Affairs Committee member Karen Bass (D-CA) among others; it details concerns about the militarization of police in Honduras and government failure to address human rights abuses committed by Honduran state security forces.
The twenty one members of Congress also raised concerns about reports that, in May of this year, a team of “300 US military and civilian personnel, including US Marines and the FBI” trained Honduran FUSINA agents, despite repeated reports of this agency’s involvement in human rights violations.
Amidst ongoing torch lit protests, hunger strikes and ongoing calls on the part of civil society for an international commission against impunity in Honduras, this letter is making headlines.
As the US State Department pushes Congress to approve a new billion dollar plan for Central America that will triple funding for militarization in Honduras, this letter comes at a crucial moment.
https://friendshipamericas.org/sites/default/files/2015.8 Johnson Letter.pdf