Action Alerts

Call Today to Support Democracy in Honduras

by The Latin America Working Group on July 10, 2009

The coup deposing democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya that took place in Honduras on June 28, 2009 has been condemned by the Organization of American States and governments from around the world --including the United States. Now the U.S. government needs to stay on the right side of history and make its message unmistakable. Will you take action to help ensure that the White House stands firmly for democracy in Honduras and our Congress joins the deafening chorus signaling, in no uncertain terms, that coups are a ghost of the past and will not be tolerated?

*Please call your congressional representative. Tell her/him to support the Delahunt-McGovern House Resolution on Honduras!

:2009, Action Alerts, Latin America

Obama Hears Our Message on Colombia, But Now We Need Action

by Vanessa Kritzer and Lisa Haugaard on July 09, 2009

Well, it wasn't the ringing call for respect for human rights and freedom of expression that we longed for --that's for sure. But when President Obama met with Colombian President Uribe on June 29th, it was clear that he had been listening to our message on Colombia.

:2009, Action Alerts

Making Displaced Colombians Visible

by Travis Wheeler and Lisa Haugaard on June 01, 2009

We're emailing to say "¡gracias!" for participating in the 2009 Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia. Whether you mailed postcards to President Obama, organized a prayer service for your local congregation, or simply sent good vibes in our direction, you were part of the largest national call for peace in Colombia and change in the United States' approach since 2003. Give yourself a pat on the back—you deserve it!

:Action Alerts

Uribe's First Visit to the Obama White House

by Travis Wheeler, Vanessa Kritzer, and Lisa Haugaard on June 24, 2009

So it's going to happen. Colombian President Uribe will make his first visit to the Obama White House next Monday to discuss the future of Plan Colombia and the stalled U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with President Obama. While the two leaders met at the Summit of the Americas in April, this could be the moment when President Obama makes clear his positions on Colombia. It's up to us to use this opportunity to make sure that he sets the right course from the get-go by making human rights a priority in U.S. policy towards Colombia.

:2009, Action Alerts

What's Needed Now

by Travis Wheeler and Lisa Haugaard on May 26, 2009

Earlier this month the Obama Administration submitted its foreign aid budget request to Congress, giving us the first clear indication of where the administration intends to take Colombia policy. The administration has said many good (and needed) things since coming to office, but now that they're showing us the money—and repeating the Bush Administration's military aid request—it's clear that these positive words are not yet being backed up with positive deeds.

:Action Alerts

Cuba, We're So Close

by Mavis Anderson and Paulo Gusmao on June 03, 2009

We're soooo close! We are within reach of changing "travel-to-Cuba" policy. Now we just need YOU to get us one more co-sponsor. Will you? There are specific members that we need; read on for details. Within the last few short weeks we've seen some promising developments in U.S.-Cuba policy coming from the White House - on travel and remittances for Cuban Americans and on some limited diplomatic re-engagement. This is good news, and we hope to see these changes continue in a positive direction.

But, as you probably know, only an act of Congress can actually end the full travel ban. That's why we are asking you to contact your members of Congress AGAIN today using a new advocacy tool that presents you with either a letter thanking your member of Congress for cosponsoring the "Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act"; or, if they have not yet cosponsored the bill, the letter urges them to do so.

Contact all your members of Congress at once here!

:Action Alerts

We Need Your Voice in the Mexico Debate

by Christa Schelter and Jenny Johnson on May 19, 2009

You and I know that military hardware isn't the solution to Mexico's challenges--and it sure isn't the way to acknowledge the United States' "shared responsibility" for spiraling drug violence. We need to act today.

:2009, Action Alerts, Jennifer Johnson, Mexico