El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele was re-elected for a second term in a landslide win. Bukele has overseen a vast and brutal crackdown on gangs, transforming the nation from one of the deadliest to one of the safest in Latin America. But that peace has come at a cost with thousands of innocent people jailed. Amna Nawaz and producer Teresa Cebrian Aranda visited the country for this report.
A summary of each fraudulent election; the warning signs; words from U.S. prosecutors about the significance of each election in entrenching the narco-state; and the post-electoral responses from the U.S. and Canadian governments in 2009, 2013 and 2017.
Foreign investors use false criminalization, stigmatization of community leaders, and judicial persecution as strategies to silence ethnic Garífuna communities’ defense of their territories. The false arrest and detention of Cosme Ávila on January 24 is another example of the systematic persecution against the Garífuna people who defend their territories against foreign investors who are illegally expropriating their ancestral territories to construct tourist and residential projects along the Atlantic coast of Honduras.
When the National Police arrested Cosme Ávila in Trujillo on January 24, they were acting on an outdated arrest warrant. The charge on the arrest warrant (a false charge of “invasion” by the Canadian owner of a beach club) was no longer valid. More than six years ago, Cosme Ávila has already been arrested on that false charge, detained, released, and had the charged dismissed.
This kind of thing is happening all over Honduras. It is suspected that police are intentionally acting on old arrest warrants to harass community leaders. They claim that they do not have the capability to synchronize records with prison and judicial systems.
Indigenous communities are at particular risk where armed groups vie for territorial control. In northern Cauca Department, the Indigenous Nasa People of the Sa'th Tama Kiwe territory in Caldono suffered great losses in 2023. Six of their Indigenous authorities or other community leaders were assassinated. On Christmas Eve, Eliécer Chocue, a member of the Indigenous guard, was killed just two days after the community held an assembly of the special Indigenous jurisdiction. He immediately began receiving threats.
In addition to calling for justice in the assassination Eliécer Chocue , we are also urging that authorities in Colombia consult with the Indigenous guard to offer them more support for their collective defense mechanisms.
El Salvador's millennial president, Nayib Bukele, secured an easy re-election on February 4, claiming a landslide victory with 85% of the vote and 58 out of 60 congressional seats for his party, Nuevas Ideas. Despite delays in official results and concerns over technical issues, Bukele declared himself president, leading to doubts about the election's legitimacy. Human rights groups criticize Bukele's crackdown on gangs, and his second term raises concerns about authoritarianism. Bukele's vice president, Félix Ulloa, stated they are "eliminating" and "replacing" democracy, causing international alarm. The country faces an economic crisis, with rising poverty attributed to factors like climate change and lack of support for farmers. Bukele's popularity, fueled by a cultivated image and a disregard for democratic institutions, has garnered support from the far right and libertarians, including figures like Tucker Carlson and Roger Stone. Bukele's attacks on the press involve invoking antisemitic conspiracies about George Soros, raising concerns about his approach to transparency and democratic values.
The trial of Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras, is set to begin on February 12 in New York, facing drug-trafficking and weapons charges. Once considered untouchable, Hernández may be testified against by Juan Carlos “El Tigre” Bonilla, the former head of Honduras’s National Police, who recently pleaded guilty. The trial raises questions about the US support for Hernández, despite allegations of corruption and drug trafficking. The article highlights the role of the 2009 military coup, supported by the US, in paving the way for Hernández's rise to power. The US government's backing of Hernández and Bonilla, despite evidence of human rights abuses and corruption, is seen as part of a longstanding policy to maintain pro-US allies in Honduras, prioritizing geopolitical interests over justice. The article also discusses the reemergence of police death squads in Honduras and the State Department's efforts to downplay corruption within the police force. Despite multiple scandals and protests, the US consistently supported Hernández, revealing the complex dynamics of the US War on Drugs and its selective enforcement. The piece emphasizes the need to consider the broader implications of the trial for US foreign policy and its impact on the people of Honduras.
Rights Action supports, and encourages Canadians and Americans to follow this ‘Putting the U.S. and Canada On Trial’ campaign.
The repressive, corrupt, drug-trafficking regime in Honduras was in power from June 28, 2009 (seizing power after a U.S. and Canadian-backed military coup) through to January 27, 2022. During the entire time, the U.S. and Canada basically lied about their relations with the regime in Honduras, and referred to it as a “democratic allie”. Countless North American companies, banks and investors happily did business with the “Open for Global Business” regime, and some of them directly contracted with known drug traffickers.
This ‘Putting the U.S. and Canada On Trial’ campaign is an important effort to once again expose, and try and achieve a small amount of political or even legal accountability in the U.S. and Canada for the knowing complicity of our governments and certain businesses and investors.
The blog post discusses the challenges faced by small-scale avocado growers in Mexico, particularly those associated with bringing their produce to the US market. The author, Nicole Vitello, President of Oke USA, shares insights from her visit to PRAGOR, a Fairtrade avocado cooperative in Michoacán, Mexico.
The cooperative consists of 22 small-scale farmer members, each owning 15 hectares or less. The organization manages the purchase, packing, and export of avocados to the US through Equal Exchange. The pricing structure involves weekly negotiations between the general manager and farmers, with prices set by APEAM, a trade association. Organic avocados command a higher price in the export market.
Vitello emphasizes the unique approach of Equal Exchange in exclusively sourcing avocados from the co-op, negotiating prices in dollars, and avoiding brokers or middlemen. The cooperative follows Fair Trade principles, ensuring fair wages and conditions for farmers. The blog stresses the commitment to transparency, with avocados bearing the Equal Exchange logo and being packed in branded boxes labeled "Small Farmers, Big Change."
The post highlights the cooperative's focus on empowering small farmers as business people who take on risks beyond cultivation. Despite challenges, the supply chain aims to reflect the true cost of growing avocados, fostering a connection between consumers and the specific group of people involved in the production process. The author advocates for a deeper understanding of the avocado industry, shedding light on the complexities of pricing, market functions, and the farmers' role. Overall, the post underscores the cooperative's dedication to providing a genuine story about the origin and journey of avocados consumed in the US.
The election of Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Marquez, seen as a result of national strikes and mobilizations, is now under threat. The current Attorney General Francisco Barbosa, linked to the previous government, alleges campaign finance violations by the FECODE teachers union, attempting to suspend the transition to a new Attorney General. Despite intimidation, no credible witnesses support Barbosa's claims. The coup plotters, employing "lawfare," advise the armed forces not to obey the president. The U.S. role is complex, with past Republican strategies against Petro and the Biden administration seeking to influence his policies on Venezuela. High-level U.S. officials' recent visits to Colombia raise concerns of foreign interference. Demonstrations supporting the elected government are planned globally, emphasizing opposition to any coup and the respect for the Colombian people's will. A coup threatens Colombia's peace process and intensifies risks to Venezuela and the region, urging global support for the people of Colombia.
Former Honduran police chief Juan Carlos Bonilla, known as "El Tigre," has pleaded guilty to a U.S. drug trafficking charge related to cocaine importation conspiracy. He was initially expected to be tried alongside the country's ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who faces similar charges. Bonilla admitted directing police to allow cocaine shipments through checkpoints without inspection in exchange for bribes during his tenure as the national police chief from 2012 to 2013. Bonilla faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Hernandez, who pleaded not guilty to taking bribes from cartels during his presidency, will now be tried alone. Another defendant, Hernandez's cousin Mauricio Hernandez, pleaded guilty to cocaine importation conspiracy. The U.S. Department of Justice has accused Hernandez of running Honduras as a "narco-state" and receiving bribes from the Sinaloa cartel's leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Hernandez contends that drug traffickers are falsely accusing him in retaliation for his anti-drug efforts.
