Author: Andrea Fernández Aponte
More than 120 human and land rights defenders have been killed in Honduras since 2009, and countless others have been threatened or attacked. Rural communities standing up for land rights and the environment experience shocking levels of violence—and the projects they’re protesting can usually be traced back to well-connected Honduran political and business elites.
The United States has also played a strong role in this humanitarian crisis, through direct funding and through its contributions to multilateral banks providing loans to the very projects that are associated with the attacks. Being the largest aid donor to Honduras, the United States has the responsibility to ensure that its money and investments are not putting the lives of rural Honduran communities and leaders in danger.
In response to this dire situation, members of the House have started circulating a Dear Colleague letter addressed to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Contact your representative TODAY and ask them to sign the letter! >>>
The letter urges Secretary Tillerson to enforce human rights conditions on Honduras vigorously, withholding aid where needed, to work with the Department of the Treasury to oppose investments in Honduran industries implicated in human rights violations, and to hold the Honduran government accountable for attacks against human rights defenders and environmental and land rights activists.
[[First_Name]], please take a minute to urge your representative to sign this crucial letter.>>>
We must do everything in our power to speak truth to power and protect those who are putting their lives on the line for their communities and the environment.
