Americas Alliances*
Chicago, IL
The criminal trial against the former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández, in the Southern District of New York, puts the reality faced by the Honduran people in the sights of the American public: endemic corruption in the upper echelons of government, which has profound socioeconomic impacts, especially among the most impoverished population and human rights defenders, many of whom have been forced to flee the country in the past 20 years.
Juan Orlando Hernández coordinated a criminal network that infiltrated all spheres of the State, using his position to facilitate drug trafficking and other illicit activities, in his eight years as president of the country, according to the accusation against him. This corruption and the constant climate of impunity perpetuates violence and instability in Honduras, which directly impacts the human rights of the population.. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize that this case is not simply about a former official accused of crimes, but about a corrupt institutional system that needs to be dismantled and reformed.
In Honduras, violence, impunity and corruption are closely intertwined, which constitutes the greatest challenge for current President Xiomara Castro. The sectors of Honduran civil society and the international community are closely observing the steps towards the implementation of an International Commission against Impunity in Honduras (CICIH), in order to strengthen the Honduran judicial system and provide it with the necessary tools to strengthen independence and impartiality of the administration of justice.
Honduras needs all the necessary support to strengthen its challenging economic, social, and political situation.. As part of the measures that may be decisive for the country, is the extension and a new designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to protect Honduran people living in the United States. The expansion of the TPS is vital to provide protection to thousands of Honduran people who, if deported, will face extremely difficult conditions, especially violence, poverty and lack of opportunities, which are worsened by corruption and impunity, as evidenced the criminal proceedings against former President Hernández.
The TPS has proven to improve the lives of more than 76 thousand Honduran people who have lived with such protection in the United States since 1999. Extending the same protection to those who lack it is a concrete and effective foreign policy measure on the part of the USA. Furthermore, it would send a clear message of solidarity and support from the US to the Honduran people in their fight for justice and democracy.
*Americas Alliance is the leading transnational Latin American migrant rights advocacy network working in the United States, across the Americas, and around the world to create an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable way of life for communities in North and Central America. and from the South.
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