On the 5-year anniversary of the assassination of Honduran environmental and indigenous rights leader, Berta Cáceres, Congressman Johnson re-introduced the Berta Cáceres Act for Human Rights in Honduras with 44 original co-sponsors.
The Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras Act will suspend U.S. funding for police and military operations, and prohibit international loans providing security assistance from being dispersed until the Honduran government investigates and prosecutes blatant human rights violations by their police and military forces.
“We provide millions of dollars in security assistance to Honduras every year, but these same forces have been attacking and killing environmental, labor and human rights activists like Berta Cáceres …This rampant impunity cannot continue. It’s time for our government to send a stronger message by leveraging security assistance and multilateral loans in order to put real and lasting pressure on the Honduran government to protect its activists and pursue those responsible for these outrageous crimes. I continue to stand in solidarity with Berta’s family, COPINH, and the entire activist community that has committed their lives to sweeping justice for Hondurans.” Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA)
“This critical legislation will make sure that we immediately suspend US aid that arms and trains the Honduran military and police until human rights defenders are protected and security forces are prosecuted for their gross human rights violations.” Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)