Reps. Omar, Garcia, Bush Join Congressional Delegation to Honduras

Statement

Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective (WFPSC) and School of the Americas Watch (SOA Watch) recently received a delegation of members from the U.S. House of Representatives including Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Congressman Chuy García (IL-04), Congresswoman Cori Bush(MO-01), as well as representation from the office of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky(IL-09) in Honduras.

The delegation met with President Xiomara Castro who is the first woman president of Honduras and was inaugurated in January following historic elections in which the Honduran people turned out in massive numbers to reject the corrupt U.S.-backed regimes that have devastated Honduras since the 2009 coup d'etat.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) said, "It has been inspiring to see the return of democracy and the will of the Honduran people represented by President Castro. It is an inspiring moment, and an opportunity for the United States to support her anti-corruption and human rights agenda. It will not be easy, but I look forward to continuing to work with President Castro and Honduran social movements to achieve a more just and peaceful future."

President Castro and members of her cabinet shared a number of challenges facing Honduras following the Hernandez dictatorship, including skyrocketing debt that severely limits the new administration's ability to invest in schools, hospitals, and other urgently needed social programs. The U.S.-backed regimes that governed Honduras over the past twelve years took out significant loans from international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while also emptying the country's coffers through widespread corruption. As a result, President Castro has inherited a government with huge debt and very few resources. President Castro also shared the advances her administration has made toward the demilitarization of society following twelve years of military repression and human rights abuse.

WFPSC Honduras Program Director Allison Lira commented, "The U.S. must now lead the way in ensuring cancellation of Honduras' debt so that the new, democratically elected government has the chance to invest in education, health, and human rights. Honduran voters clearly rejected the continuation of a regime that facilitated massive looting of its healthcare and other public resources and it is worrisome that the new government's investment in these sectors will be limited by international financial institutions such as the IMF, which has deprioritized spending on health and human needs."

"After 12 years of dictatorship in Honduras it is uplifting to hear President Castro's commitment to uproot corruption and defend human rights. But for her administration to succeed, the U.S. must break from its history of human rights violations in the region that has driven internal displacement and migration for decades. Instead, we must actively promote equitable development and human rights in Central America," said Congressman Chuy García (IL-04).

"I return home with a renewed determination to defend democratic governments like President Castro's throughout the Americas and work to protect oppressed communities in Honduras and around the world."

Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) said, ""As a nurse, activist, and St. Louis Congresswoman, I came to Congress to save lives and do the absolute most for those who have the least. This weekend's meeting with President Castro reaffirmed that our work as lawmakers must be rooted in protecting the human rights of marginalized communities across the globe. I am encouraged by what my colleagues and I discussed with the president, including solidarity in our effort to demilitarize our society and end government corruption. I look forward to working in partnership with President Castro, and with the social movements and community-led organizations in Honduras that are demanding accountability and justice."

"After years of a violent dictatorship, propped up by U.S. government policies, I am relieved that Honduras has a democratically elected president with a platform centered on human rights, economic reform, and anti-corruption," said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09). "This is both an extremely hopeful and fragile time in Honduras. Under President Biden, we have an opportunity to support the democratic movements in Honduras. Past American policies have contributed to the death and destruction inflicted upon Honduras, especially on women, Indigenous and Afro-Indigenous communities, small farmer activists, workers, and LGBTQI people. It is time we chart a new course, one that allows President Xiomara Castro and the people of Honduras to fully realize their aspirations."

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