June 28, 2019, marked ten years since the military coup d’etat in Honduras, a coup that was legitimized by the U.S. government. Under the regime of Juan Orlando Hernández – which continues to be funded and supported by the United States – poverty has increased, human rights defenders have been jailed, and rule of law has dissolved with the growth of a narco state.

For the last month, the government of Honduras has violently attacked teachers, students, doctors and nurses while they were in the streets protesting the privatization of public education and healthcare – killing at least three and wounding many more. It is urgent to take action now. Please ask your Representative to call for the U.S. government to suspend security aid to Honduras by supporting the Berta Cáceres Act, and demand the effective enforcement of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

The Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras Act, H.R. 1945, calls for a suspension of U.S. security aid to Honduras until human rights violations committed by the Honduran security forces cease. In addition to signing this letter action, here are the details if you would like to call your Representative.

As reported in the International Trade Union Confederation’s Global Rights Index released last week, Honduras is one of the ten countries in the world where trade unionists were murdered last year. Despite the death threats their leaders have faced, ILRF’s partner STAS (Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Agroindustria y Similares) is courageously organizing farmworkers in the melon and palm oil sectors with the goal of achieving a collective bargaining agreement to put an end to wage theft and toxic pesticide exposure.

A pattern of severe labor rights violations against STAS members, including illegal firings and death threats, are cited in the Honduras complaint filed in 2012 by the AFL-CIO under CAFTA. ILRF’s board member, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, is coordinating a joint Congressional letter to Secretary of Labor Acosta and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Lighthizer to raise concerns regarding the ongoing abuse of workers’ rights in Honduras’ melon and palm oil sectors – rights that should be improving under CAFTA, not trampled.

Please use this tool to send a letter to your Representative urging the U.S. to enforce the labor laws set out in CAFTA and to suspend military aid to Honduras.

Photo by Giorgio Trucchi.