Rights Action
January 29, 2018
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Canadian government issues High Risk travel alert to Honduras, blames violence on demonstrators, maintains full relations with repressive, corrupt government
(Honduran regime tear-gas attack on pro-democracy protestors during January 27, 2018 inauguration of fraudulently elected, repressive and corrupt regime of Juan Orlando Hernandez.)
Risk level: Honduras - Exercise a high degree of caution
https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/honduras
Last updated: January 19, 2018 07:53 ET
Exercise a high degree of caution in Honduras due to violent demonstrations following the November 26, 2017 elections, and violent crime.
Chamelecón, Choloma and Cofradía - Avoid all travel to Chamelecón, Choloma and Cofradía in the department of Cortés due to high levels of violence and crime. “There is an extreme risk to your personal safety and security. You should not travel to this country, territory or region. If you are already in the country, territory or region, you should consider leaving if it is safe to do so.”
Global Affairs Canada calls for “dialogue” in Honduras
Foreign Policy CANVerified account @CanadaFP
https://twitter.com/CanadaFP
[The Canadian government] acknowledges confirmation of Juan Orlando Hernandez as President of #Honduras. We urge the Government to protect #humanrights & ensure that those responsible for violations are held accountable. Political dialogue is urgently needed for peace & stability for all Hondurans.
This is a misleading call for “dialogue”
In 2009, after the U.S. and Canadian-backed military coup ousted the legitimate government of Honduras, the Canadian government recognized the post-coup regime and called for "dialogue" between illegal coup plotters and the ousted government. Now, after the electoral fraud of Nov.26, 2017, and ensuing government repression (over 40 dead, 100s wounded, dozens of political prisoners), the Canadian government calls for “dialogue” between the fraudulently elected regime and the anti-electoral fraud, pro-democracy protesters.
Would the Canadian government call on victims of domestic and sexual violence to dialogue with their abusers, while the Canadian government continued doing business with the abusers?
Would the Canadian government call on the victims of armed robbery to dialogue with the robbers, while the Canadian government continued doing business with them?
From the 2009 military coup forward, the Canadian government has maintained full relations with successive corrupt, repressive regimes, signed a “free trade agreement” with them, supported the expansion of Canadian investments in mining, tourism and the garment “sweatshops” industries, all while ignoring systemic repression, corruption (including drug-trafficking organized crime infiltrating all branches of the government and state) and impunity.
The Canadian government is misleading the public about the underlying causes of the repression and violence, corruption and impunity in Honduras, and about the role of the Canadian government and business interests in Honduras.
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Letter from 85 faculty members at Canadian universities to Canadian government
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs
January 22, 2018
We, 85 faculty members at Canadian universities, encourage the Canadian government to boycott the inauguration of Juan Orlando Hernández as president of Honduras on January 27, 2018.
Canada should rescind its overly hasty acceptance of the fraudulent election results of November 26, 2017 and withhold recognition until such time that new general elections are conducted under international supervision, as recommended by the Organization of American States (OAS).
The profound political crisis in Honduras is reflected in: the multiple acts of fraud that led OAS observers to conclude that the November electoral process was of “poor quality”, marked by “irregularities, mistakes and systemic problems”; the suspension of constitutional guarantees as part of the violent police and military repression of peaceful national protests by tens of thousands of Hondurans who did not accept the questionable official count; the persecution and imprisonment of people who participated in those protests; and the killing of an estimated forty persons since the end of November, in addition to the hundreds of injuries, some permanent, inflicted during protest events.
These facts have been broadly circulated by both mainstream media and human rights organizations around the world.
However, this crisis did not begin with the fraudulent November 26 elections. The recent abusive acts of the Honduran government result from a corrupt, repressive recent history in which, most unfortunately, Canada has played a part that must be brought to light in order to frame better government policies for the future.
Last fall’s fraudulent elections were the inheritance of a government that came out of a coup d’etat in 2009. The OAS and most Hondurans rejected both the 2009 coup and the recent ‘government approved’ vote count of 2017. Yet, instead of promoting democratic rights, the Canadian government supported the coup and has tacitly endorsed the Honduran state’s 2017 vote count.
Maintaining themselves in power through a series of fraudulent elections in 2009, 2013 and now in 2017, Honduras’ post 2009 coup governments have pursued policies that favor foreign corporate and investor interests while using repression against community protests that result from promoting mining expansion that contaminates water sources; dam construction that infringes on indigenous lands; agro export industries and tourism enclaves that lead to land grabbing by the big and powerful; and sweatshop garment industries where unions are not welcome. Canadian companies are invested in these sectors and Ottawa even signed a Free Trade Agreement in 2013 although evidence pointed to high-level corruption and links to narcotics trafficking in both the private and public sectors. 2
As in the case of the dubious 2017 election results, the corrupt and repressive policies of the post coup governments have been reported by a variety of news outlets and research institutions, among them the distinguished Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research where economics Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz is a member of the Advisory Board.
New Canadian policies are needed to respond to the fraud, corruption, and repression. Without a legitimate popularly elected government that respects its own citizens’ rights, social and political conflict, human rights abuses, and the impunity of the perpetrators of abuse will only increase in the coming years, as will the refugee outflows that result from ongoing crisis.
The fraudulent and repressive re-election of Juan Orlando Hernández must not be legitimized by Canada’s presence at his inauguration. Nor should Canada continue to provide any form of assistance to his discredited regime.
Respectfully yours,
Liisa North
Emeritus, CERLAC/York University
With 84 faculty members from departments of economics, international development studies, history, sociology, anthropology, environmental studies, geography, literature/languages, and other disciplines at Canadian universities
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The U.S. and Canada in Honduras
The role of the U.S. and Canadian governments, companies and investors in Honduras would be embarrassing and shameful, were this complicity not so deadly and destructive. Brought back to power by the U.S. and Canadian-backed coup in 2009, the economic, military and political elites of Honduras care about two things:
- maintaining economic and political relations with the international community, primarily the U.S., and Canada, the World Bank and a host of global companies working in the sectors of African palm, sugar cane and bananas production; garment “sweatshop” factories; mining and dams; tourism; and
- maintaining funding, training, weapons supplies from the U.S. military.
These international military, political and economic relationships are the lifeblood of the regime. This is how power and wealth, corruption and impunity work.
What to do?
The top priority of action is to directly support – with funds, international human rights accompaniment, and fair and balanced investigations and reporting on the crisis situation – the Honduran people and their civil society organizations as they suffer the direct brunt of the repression, corruption and impunity, and as they take the lead in working for full accountability and political change.
It is also a priority for the people and media of the U.S. and Canada to denounce and hold our governments, the U.S. military, and our companies and investors accountable for empowering and being complicit with electoral fraud, repression, corruption and impunity in Honduras.
Get their phone numbers and email addresses. Keep on sending them copies of this and other information. Insist that they agree to the points below. Share your efforts with the media, family, friends and networks.
Short term
The U.S. and Canadian governments must:
- Reconsider their “legitimization” of the Nov. 26, 2017 fraudulent elections and the incoming regime headed by Juan Orlando Hernandez;
- Condemn the multiple acts of electoral fraud carried out by the Honduran government;
- Condemn the repression (including the killing of an estimated over 40 people) against anti-electoral fraud protesters;
- Suspend all economic, military and political relations with the government until the political / electoral crisis has been resolved;
Medium and longer term
There must be legislative inquiries in the U.S. and Canada into the causes of Honduras’ now endemic repression and exploitation, corruption and impunity, with specific focus on the role played by the U.S. and Canadian governments:
- In support of the 2009 military coup;
- In support and legitimization of fraudulent and violent elections in 2009, 2013 and 2017;
- In support (in the case of Canada) of the signing of the “Free Trade Agreement” with the illegitimate government of Honduras;
- In support of the expansion of corporate investments in Honduras (mining, garment “sweatshop” industry, bananas, hydro-electric dams, tourism, African palm, etc.), while turning a blind eye to and – in effect – benefitting from repression, fraud, corruption and impunity.
Humanitarian relief funds - Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)
Rights Action is sending emergency health and humanitarian relief funds to our long-term partner groups in Honduras, and other community groups, for their community development, environmental and human rights defense work, and their work in response to people suffering repression. Make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to:
- U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
- Canada: (Box 552) 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
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