Anti-Militarism: News & Updates

Over the last 12 months, there have been 1,482 ICE removal flights, mostly to Latin America and the Caribbean. Notably, there is a focus on removal flights to countries like Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, raising concerns about the impact on individuals' rights and well-being. Three-quarters of removal flights are to those three countries. 

The lack of access to asylum at ports of entry has led to distressing situations for asylum seekers. US lawmakers are considering stricter restrictions on asylum, jeopardizing the safety and well-being of vulnerable individuals. The need for improving access to asylum and addressing the challenges faced by asylum seekers, especially women and children, is crucial. 

Read the full IRTF Migrant Justice Newsletter each month at https://www.irtfcleveland.org/blog .

The Colombian government has extended a cease-fire with the FARC-EMC rebel group until July 15. The cease-fire, part of peace talks in Bogota, requires the rebels to cease attacks on civilians in areas under their control. The FARC-EMC splinter group, not part of the 2016 peace deal, has around 3,500 fighters. Despite previous cease-fires, critics argue that rebel groups continue recruiting, extorting, and kidnapping civilians. The new cease-fire also prohibits threats to community leaders and restrictions on villagers' movements. Talks may address economic projects for rural transformation and sustainable development to combat deforestation.

Nicaraguan authorities released 19 clergymen, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez, a prominent government critic, and handed them over to the Vatican. Bishop Álvarez had been convicted of treason and sentenced to 26 years in prison. The release followed Pope Francis' New Year's Day address expressing concern about the attacks on the church in Nicaragua. The government expressed gratitude to the Pope for coordinating the release. President Daniel Ortega's regime has targeted opposition leaders, dissidents, and the Catholic Church. Over 782 acts of aggression against the Church have been documented since 2018, including physical assaults on priests. The recent releases involve priests praying for Bishop Álvarez and follow a pattern of clergy persecution in Nicaragua. While the release is positive, critics condemn the government for forcing religious leaders into exile. Bishop Álvarez gained prominence as a critic during the 2018 government crackdown on protests.

As Guatemala's new president, Bernardo Arévalo, prepares to take office amidst challenges to his legitimacy, Indigenous leaders reflect on the past indefinite national strike defending democracy. Despite the Constitutional Court's affirmation and Arévalo's upcoming inauguration, concerns linger over the inclusivity of the new government. The Indigenous-led #ParoNacionalIndefinido successfully mobilized communities nationwide, highlighting the power of Indigenous leadership. The struggle, rooted in historical Indigenous resistance, extends beyond electoral politics. Interviews with organizations involved in the national strike shed light on broader Indigenous struggles in Guatemala, emphasizing the need for structural change and justice beyond the political transition. The disappointment with Arévalo's cabinet appointments underscores the ongoing Indigenous-led resistance and the promise of the future.

When the trial of former U.S. and Canadian-back Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez (“JOH”) begins in New York on February 5th, Karen Spring of the HSN and Honduras Now will report from the trial, and make the links between the drug-trafficking and violence of the Honduran military-backed regimes, led by JOH, and close to 13 years of unconditional political, military and economic relations with the US and Canadian governments and numerous global corporations and banks.

Human Rights & Community-based organizations call for public investigations & inquiries regarding U.S. and Canadian support for Juan Orlando Hernández & the coup as the former president goes to trial on February 5, 2024.

Click here to watch the press conference: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1716997388822153

The implications of the Monroe Doctrine in Mexico, Central America, and Honduras, highlighting the failures of US policies like the Merida Initiative and drug war strategies. It emphasizes the devastating impact on these regions, resulting in violence, human rights abuses, and corruption. The focus is on adopting new paradigms, shifting away from punitive drug policies to prioritize human well-being, domestically and internationally. It also sheds light on the US influence in Honduras, pointing out interventions, support for corrupt regimes, and obstructing reforms. Furthermore, it addresses immigration, stressing the need for a humane approach rather than militarization. Recommendations include investigating DEA activities, reforming drug policies, anti-militarism measures, non-interference in Honduran affairs, and prioritizing human rights in immigration reforms.

Border security continues to be a hot button issue in Congress. And some congressional leaders are holding hostage other non-border issues because of their tough stance on immigration and desire to gut US asylum law. 

In last month’s newsletter, we shared an article about a one-page document that three Republican senators submitted to President Biden on November 6, summarizing the border and migration proposals they demand to include in the supplemental budget request that the president is submitting for the war in Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, and the US-Mexico border. The draconian measures include: ban asylum access for people who did not cross the border at ports of entry; ban asylum access for people who pass through other countries without seeking asylum there; heighten eligibility standards to pass a credible fear interview; expand migrant detention (including families and children); restrict temporary humanitarian parole.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) responded in a combined letter on December 14, denouncing that: “Republicans continue to hold funding for America’s allies hostage at the expense of migrants and to pass Trump-era border policies.”

Articles in this monthly newsletter: 1) ICE Air: update on removal flight trends. 2) How US Policy Toward Latin America Has Fueled Historic Numbers of Asylum Seekers. 3) WOLA Urges Congress to Protect Asylum and Update Obsolete Border Policies. 4) At the Border: Recent Incidents. 5) Governor Abbott Signs Law to Arrest Anyone in Texas without Immigration Papers.

See the Take Action items listed at the bottom of this newsletter. Our advocacy is needed to maintain some modicum of humanity in the nation’s immigration system and to address root causes of migration.  1) Stop Border Militarization. 2) Take Action Now Against Extreme Asylum Restrictions.  3) Help Migrants and Refugees in Cleveland. 

Read the full IRTF Migrant Justice Newsletter each month at https://www.irtfcleveland.org/blog .

Guatemala Election Watch #44

An important summary of the Indigenous reality of what "Guatemala" is, for more than 500 years, now leading the struggle in defense of the August 20, 2023 election results, and the construction of a different Guatemala for the future.

Amnesty International declared that El Salvador is undergoing a severe human rights crisis, attributing it to President Nayib Bukele's aggressive anti-gang measures. The report alleges that the approximately 74,000 individuals detained in the crackdown faced "systematic use of torture and other mistreatment." The Americas director for Amnesty International, Ana Piquer, expressed deep concern over the documented deterioration in human rights, linking it to Bukele's repressive security policy and the erosion of the rule of law. The report, based on 83 interviews, highlighted instances of abuse, while former inmates, interviewed by The Associated Press, recounted severe beatings by prison guards. Critics argue that Bukele's broad sweep in detaining suspected gang members has ensnared individuals based on factors like low-wage jobs, limited education, or place of residence. Local rights groups claim 327 people are missing, and at least 190 have died due to the crackdown. Despite the controversial policy's success in reducing the homicide rate and boosting Bukele's popularity, he aims to seek re-election, challenging a constitutional prohibition.