Honduras

Hondurans march through the streets to protest the June military coup

In June 2009 a coup d’etat overthrew democratically elected Manuel Zelaya.  Since the coup, human rights conditions in Honduras have deteriorated. Among those most affected by the post-coup violence are human rights advocates, journalists, women and members of the GLBT community.

Immediately following the coup, Hondurans began asking Witness for Peace to send delegations to Honduras to document the role of the United States in the crisis.  Witness for Peace responded, producing a documentary short called Shot in the Back:  the Human Impact of the Honduran Coup.

Post-coup, Honduras withdrew from ALBA, attempts have been made to roll back Zelaya’s minimum wage hike, and laws have been proposed to privatize public resources such as rivers for dam projects.  The Honduran business elite, which played a key role in instigating and financially maintaining the coup, is intimately tied to U.S. and transnational corporate interests.

Neoliberal policies and targeted political repression and violence have expanded under the government of Porfirio Lobo. Lobo became president in January 2010, amidst international claims that the elections had been fraudulent and unfair.

However, despite the flagrant human rights violations and widespread impunity, the United States continues to support Honduras both diplomatically and through military aid.

Witness for Peace delegates meet with community leaders and activists struggling for their basic rights. After returning to the United States, delegates have spear-headed letter writing campaigns, published reports, produced documentaries and spoken publicly about U.S. complacence in the Honduran crisis.