Honduras: News & Updates

Cultural and territorial rights of the Afro-descendant Indigenous Garífuna people along the Atlantic coast of Honduras are under attack.

Starting in 2003, OFRANEH (Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras) began filing several cases with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (based in Washington, DC) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (based in San Jose, Costa Rica) for their government’s violation of its cultural and territorial rights.  When OFRANEH got their first favorable ruling in 2015, they weren’t exactly hopeful that the administration of the narco-dictator President Juan Orlando Hernández would do anything. But after President Castro, of the left-leaning LIBRE party, took office in January 2022, they did expect advancement of their cause.

A big stumbling block is that the communities that won their cases in the Inter-American Court (2015: Triunfo de la Cruz and Punta Piedra; 2023: San Juan) are fighting private corporations and foreign investors who have a lot at stake. Some have already illegally usurped lands and built tourist resorts. It will be tricky to figure out how to return ancestral lands to the Garífuna people and compensate the companies and investors for their losses. Also at stake is the very security of Garífuna communities. Since Garífuna leaders have become more vocal after the 2015 ruling, the persecution against them has increased—surveillance, intimidation, violence, criminalization.

During the first week of June 2024, a delegation of Garífuna leaders with OFRANEH are visiting US legislators on Capitol Hill to gain support for a US House resolution to affirm the rights of the Garífuna people.

You can read the press release from Rep. Cori Bush who introduced the resolution here.

News articles in this month’s Migrant Justice Update:

(1) See Us. Here Us. #ReuniteUS. (2) ICE Air: Update on Removal Flight Trends. (3) Migration Declining. (4)  At the Border: Recent Incidents at and around the US-Mexico Border. (5) Guatemalan Youth Defy Tragedy, Continue Trek to US Despite Familial Losses.  (6) Kidnapping of Migrants and Asylum Seekers at the Texas-Tamaulipas Border Reaches Intolerable Levels.  (7) President-elect of Panama pledges to close the Darién Gap.  (8) Trans & Nonbinary Migrants File Complaint Over Treatment at ICE Detention Facility in Colorado

TAKE ACTION items:

(A) Migrant Families in Cleveland Need Household Items. (B) Root Causes: Cut US Militarism in Latin America. (C) Root Causes: Stop Deportation Flights to Haiti. (D) Root Causes: Redesignate TPS for Nicaraguans. (E) Support Migrants in Detention.

Immigration enforcement continues to be top of mind for many in the US electorate. We’re likely to see the two presidential candidates duke it out on who pledges to be tougher on immigration.

With changes in presidential administrations in two of the countries that the US sees as crucial partners in stemming migration (Panama and Mexico), it’ll be interesting to see how things unfold over the next several months leading up to the US elections on November 5.

In Panama, conservative José Raúl Mulino was elected on May 5 and will be sworn in on July 1. He has  pledged to close down the treacherous Darién Gap, through which more than a half a million migrants crossed last year. “The border of the United States, instead of being in Texas, moved to Panama.” He also pledged to “repatriate all these people.”

In Mexico, a new president will be elected on June 2 and inaugurated on October 1. The Biden Administration has worked closely with the current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to stem the steady streams of immigration into Mexico headed toward the US southern border.  Mexico has been cracking down on migrants at the Guatemala border and within its borders.  Mexico’s migration enforcement set a record in November 2023 with 97,969 apprehensions, only to break that record in January 2024 (120,005 apprehensions) followed by a short dip in February (119,943). And the Mexican government is busing migrants away from its northern border and sending them to destinations deep in the country’s interior or back to the southern border.  The large numbers of people currently bottled up throughout Mexico is causing harm to migrants and is unsustainable.

The next administration in the US will face political challenges with respect to border enforcement. Thousands of migrants currently in Mexico will likely try to head north again—not to mention the thousands yet to depart their home countries. Migrant justice advocates in the US continue to stress the urgent need for an increase in funding for the asylum process and efficient adjudication of those cases. The system dedicates fewer than 725 judges to a backlog of 3 million cases. The US government needs to invest in an immigration and asylum system that is faster, fairer, more humane, and sustainable.

A new report from the Organization of American States (OAS) highlights the severe human rights crisis in Honduras, focusing on violence against environmental defenders, particularly in agrarian land disputes affecting Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. The report underscores that many human rights abuses, including threats, murders, and violence, are disproportionately targeted at those defending the environment, land, and territory. The OAS recommends that the Honduran government improve land titling and strengthen institutions to hold perpetrators accountable. Long-standing agrarian conflicts, inadequate land titles, and large-scale industrial projects have exacerbated violence and social unrest. The report calls for better legislation to protect collective territories and ensure prior consultation processes for affected communities.

San Pedro Sula, Honduras, currently has the worst air quality in the Americas due to forest fires exacerbated by El Niño and climate change. IQAir reported PM2.5 levels at 249.1 mcg/m³, far above the WHO's safe limit of 5 mcg/m³. Authorities have issued high-level health warnings, closed schools, and advised residents to stay indoors. The health sector has seen a 20% rise in respiratory infections, with increased emergencies among children and seniors.

Thick smog has disrupted air travel, forcing flight diversions and airport closures. The El Niño phenomenon has intensified droughts and wildfires, particularly affecting Central America's "dry corridor." Over 2,500 fires have burned 211,292 hectares in Honduras this year. La Tigra national park near Tegucigalpa was nearly destroyed, harming the ecosystem.

Officials warn that without policy changes, such environmental crises could become more frequent, threatening millions. The International Federation of the Red Cross anticipates more climate-related disasters across Central America, highlighting the need for enhanced response preparations.

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was recently found guilty of drug-trafficking in a New York court, revealing the complicity of the U.S. and Canada in supporting his regime for over 12 years. The Under the Shadow podcast series discusses the U.S.-backed military coup in 2009 and subsequent support for the narco regime. Karen Spring, a former Rights Action colleague, provides insight into the trial, exposing the regime's violence and corruption, enabled by U.S. and Canadian support. The trial highlights the failure of the "war on drugs," institutional corruption, media complicity, and the challenges faced by the new Honduran government in repairing the damage. Despite this, there is a lack of accountability for the actions of U.S. and Canadian governments, leaving the Honduran population to suffer the consequences of their support for oppressive regimes.

Honduras is set to withdraw from the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) on August 25, a significant departure from its trade and investment policies of the past four decades. President Xiomara Castro's decision, announced in early March, comes amidst ongoing ICSID claims totaling at least $12 billion USD, equivalent to 40% of GDP or nearly three-quarters of the national budget. The move raises legal complexities as Honduras is party to multiple trade agreements, including CAFTA-DR, which specifies ICSID as the dispute forum. The government's rationale for withdrawal remains unclear, though concerns over investor-state dispute procedures have been voiced. Private-sector groups criticize the decision, anticipating economic repercussions and legal challenges. Meanwhile, discussions with China for a free-trade agreement suggest a strategic shift in Honduras' economic alliances. Despite skepticism about the move's long-term impact, it underscores the Castro administration's stance on national sovereignty and economic policy.

To read the full article: Migrant Justice Newsletter - April 2024 | InterReligious Task Force on Central America (irtfcleveland.org)

Welcome to IRTF’s March 2024 newsletter on Migrant Justice and the current situation at the US-Mexico border. After you’ve looked through the articles, we hope you can take a few minutes to see the TAKE ACTION items at the bottom. In this newsletter, please read about : 1.  Changing Trends in Migrants at US-Mexico Border. 2. ICE Air: Update on Removal Flight Trends . 3. Study Reveals: Border Wall Height Exacerbates Trauma Incidents . 4. At the Border: Recent . Incidents at and around the US-Mexico Border . 5. Border Patrol and Local Law Enforcement’s Patterns of Abuse in Ohio’s Immigration Enforcement. 6. Raising the Credible Fear Screening Standard Will Endanger Lives but Won’t Fix The Border . 7. Children in US-Mexico Border Camps. 8. Migrants Mired in Transit as Mexico Becomes US’s Immigration Enforcer. 9. Kidnapping of Migrants and Asylum Seekers at Texas-Tamaulipas Border Reaches Intolerable Levels . 10.  Migrant Deaths in New Mexico and Western Texas . 11. Human Rights in the Darién Gap of Panamá.

 TAKE ACTION NOW. Here is what you can do to take action this week in solidarity with migrants and their families. (See details at the bottom of this newsletter.) A) SPEAK UP FOR DEMOCRACY IN EL SALVADOR. B)  SPEAK UP FOR PEOPLE IN HAITI. C) STOP DEPORTATIONS TO HAITI . D) PROTECT UNACCOMPANIED MINORS. E) VISIT CAPITOL HILL: #ReuniteUS. F) HELP REFUGEES & MIGRANTS IN CLEVELAND. 

Approximately eleven years ago, Berta Cáceres led a group of activists to block a road, initiating a struggle against the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam in Honduras. Despite their victory and the halting of operations in 2018, the community still faces threats and violence. Since Cáceres' murder in 2016, 70 environmental activists have been killed in Honduras, making it the most dangerous country for nature defenders. The cancellation of the project led to division within the community, with some seeing it as a victory for their rights while others anticipated development opportunities. Despite challenges, there have been some strides towards justice, with evidence implicating individuals linked to the powerful Atala family in Cáceres' assassination. However, impunity remains a pervasive issue, and the community continues to face threats and harassment. The struggle for justice continues amidst ongoing violence and institutional weaknesses in Honduras.