2009

Honduras: Reinstaure las Libertades Civiles, Proteja los Derechos Humanos

Apelamos al gobierno de facto de Honduras para que restablezca las libertades civiles garantizadas en la Constitución, respeten los derechos humanos y la libertad de expresión, acepte la supervisión y mediación internacional, y retome el diálogo con la administración del constitucionalmente elegido Presidente Manuel Zelaya.  Apelamos a todos los hondureños para que resuelvan este conflicto por medios pacíficos. 

Estamos muy preocupados por la decisión del gobierno de Micheletti de suspender, mediante el decreto publicado en el boletín oficial el 26 de septiembre de 2009, las libertades civiles garantizadas constitucionalmente.  También nos preocupan las violaciones a los derechos humanos y a la libertad de expresión que vienen teniendo lugar desde que regresara a Honduras el Presidente Manuel Zelaya el pasado 21 de septiembre.  Apelamos al gobierno para que cese de inmediato con el uso abusivo de la fuerza por parte de los efectivos policiales y militares contra protestantes pacíficos; con las detenciones arbitrarias; y con el acoso, la vigilancia y los ataques contra defensores de los derechos humanos.  Exhortamos al gobierno a poner fin a los actos de hostilidad y acoso dirigidos contra de la Embajada brasileña.  Estamos sumamente preocupados por las restricciones que tiene la libertad de prensa, entre ellas la suspensión de las garantías de libertad de expresión ordenada en el decreto del 26 de septiembre y las medidas de corte de energía, ocupación y clausura de los medios de comunicación.

Exhortamos al gobierno de facto a aceptar de inmediato a los mediadores de la Organización de Estados Americanos y apelamos a la Corte Suprema y al Congreso de Honduras para que accedan al pedido de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos de realizar una visita para verificar las denuncias de abusos a los derechos humanos desde el 21 de septiembre.  Asimismo apelamos al gobierno para que permita el ingreso de otros relatores especiales de la ONU y la OEA para vigilar la situación de los derechos humanos.

Por último, exhortamos al Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos a que abogue decididamente por la protección de los derechos humanos y las libertades civiles, y a que utilice todos los medios diplomáticos para restituir el orden constitucional en Honduras y propicie, junto con la Organización de los Estados Americanos, un proceso de diálogo nacional. 


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Honduras: The Time Is Now

On September 21st, President Manuel Zelaya returned clandestinely to Honduras and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy in the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Honduran police fired tear gas to disperse Zelaya’s supporters gathered around the embassy. They also launched tear gas at the human rights group COFADEH, where men, women and children had taken refuge after the attack at the embassy.   People detained for violating a newly established curfew are being held at the football stadium, where observers saw people who had been severely beaten. The situation in the capital and elsewhere is extremely tense.

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NGOs and Faith Groups Call on Honduran Government: Respect Civil Liberties and Human Rights

Para leer en español, haga clíc aquí.

We call on the de facto government of Honduras to restore constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties, respect human rights and freedom of expression, accept international monitoring and mediation, and establish dialogue with the constitutionally elected administration of President Manuel Zelaya. We call on all parties in Honduras to resolve this conflict through peaceful means.

We are greatly concerned about the Micheletti government’s decision to suspend constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties through the decree published on September 26th, 2009 in the official government newspaper.  We are also concerned about the violations of human rights and freedom of expression that have taken place since President Manuel Zelaya returned to Honduras on September 21st.  We call upon the government to immediately cease excessive use of force by police and military directed at peaceful protestors; arbitrary detentions; and harassment, surveillance and attacks against human rights defenders.  We urge the government to cease acts of hostility and harassment directed at the Brazilian Embassy.  We are gravely concerned about restrictions upon the freedom of the press, including the suspension of guarantees of freedom of expression included in the September 26th decree and actions to cut off power to, occupy and close media outlets.

We urge the de facto government to immediately accept Organization of American States mediators, and call upon the Honduran Supreme Court and Congress to accept the request of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to conduct a visit to verify the reports of human rights abuses since September 21st.  We further call upon the government to provide access to other UN and OAS special rapporteurs to monitor the human rights situation.

Finally, we urge the U.S. State Department to advocate strongly for protection of human rights and civil liberties, and to use all diplomatic means to restore constitutional order in Honduras and support, in conjunction with Organization of American States, a process for national dialogue. 

Jean Stokan
Director
Institute Justice Team, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

Reverend John L. McCullough
Executive Director and CEO
Church World Service

Vicki Gass
Senior Associate for Rights and Development
Washington Office on Latin America

Robert E. White
President
Center for International Policy

Jennifer Atlee
Co-Director
Quixote Center

Viviana Krsticevic
Executive Director
Center for Justice and International Law

Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister
Michael Neuroth, Policy Advocate on International Issues
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries

LaMarco Cable
Program Associate for Advocacy and Education
Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ

James E. Winkler
General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society
United Methodist Church

John A. Nunes
President and CEO
Lutheran World Relief

T. Michael McNulty

Justice and Peace Director
Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Sarah Stephens, Executive Director
Bart Beeson, Program Associate
Center for Democracy in the Americas

Mary B. Campbell
Associate Director for Companionship, Advocacy,
and Education for Latin America and
the Caribbean, Global Mission
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Erin Kliewer
Executive Director
STITCH

Amanda Martin
Director
Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA
 
Eric LeCompte
National Organizer
SOA Watch

John Lindsay-Poland and Susana Pimiento Chamorro
Co-Directors
Fellowship of Reconciliation Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean

Marie Dennis
Director
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Nan McCurdy
President
CEPRHI, Ecumenical Committee of English Speaking Church Personnel, Nicaragua

Stephen Coats
Executive Director
US Labor Education in the Americas Project - USLEAP

Kristen Moller
Executive Director
Global Exchange

Dave Robinson
Executive Director
Pax Christi USA: National Catholic Peace Movement

Roz Dzelzitis
Executive Director
May I Speak Freely Media

Laura Carlsen 
Director, Americas Program
Center for International Policy

Barbara Mecker
Staff Liaison, Latin America/Caribbean Committee
Loretto Community

Sharon Hostetler

Executive Director
Witness for Peace

Mary Ellen McNish
General Secretary
American Friends Service Committee

Sarah Aird
Board Member
Amnesty International USA

Manuel Pérez Rocha
Associate Fellow
Institute for Policy Studies, Global Economy Project

Jim Vondracek
Managing Director
Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)

Jose Artiga
Executive Director
SHARE Foundation

Ruth Messinger
President
American Jewish World Service



Coordinated by Latin America Working Group

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Senator DeMint's Wall of Dreams: A Border Nightmare

Do you remember Kevin Costner's blind determination in the movie Field of Dreams to build a baseball field based on the direction of a mysterious voice? Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has heard a similar voicing stating, "If you build it, they won't come."

He wants a 700-mile wall of pedestrian fencing built along the U.S.-Mexico border --a measure that will harm communities and the environment of the borderlands and do nothing to fix our broken immigration system. 

Click here to help to stop this latest attempt to expand on the failed policy of constructing more walls along our SW border.


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Zelaya Is Back

The democratically elected President, Manuel Zelaya, is back in Honduras! During the past three days, thousands of people have been gathering in the streets outside the Brazilian Embassy--where Zelaya is currently staying--to show their support. But the Honduran security forces have used tear gas and violence to break up this demonstration.

What does this mean for a concerned activist in the United States like you? If you were ever going to act, now is the time!

Click here to contact the State Department today to urge them to take strong, swift steps to support human rights and democracy in Honduras.

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