IRTF News

A leaked intelligence report from El Salvador's National Civil Police reveals that, despite a year and a half of anti-gang operations, approximately 43,000 individuals allegedly linked to gangs remain at large. The report, dated Sept. 1, 2023, shows that 36% of these individuals, totaling 42,826, are yet to be apprehended, with over 20,000 being active gang members. President Nayib Bukele's "state of exception" declaration, which suspended constitutional rights to capture alleged criminals, led to the arrest of 72,000 suspected gang members but also raised concerns about human rights abuses. The report highlights discrepancies in the government's narrative, indicating that many detainees are not high-ranking gang leaders. Rights groups question the government's tactics and the mass trials planned for those still in custody.

The increasing number of asylum seekers arriving at the southern U.S. border, driven by violence, poverty, conflict, and climate crisis, is putting immense strain on border communities. Representative Jesús "Chuy" García of Illinois points out that decades of U.S. military interventions, sanctions, and the failed war on drugs have significantly contributed to this migration, especially from South and Central America. He emphasizes the need for a compassionate response and addressing the root causes of migration. Meanwhile, Fernando García, the executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, highlights the frustrating situation at the border, with repeated crises and inadequate responses. He criticizes the lack of investment in welcoming infrastructure and services for migrants and condemns the political exploitation of the crisis by figures like Governor Greg Abbott of Texas. Both García and García stress the necessity of multilateral cooperation and ending interventionist policies to resolve the ongoing migration challenges.

Guatemalans and Hondurans are struggling to reclaim their democracies from decades of corrupt, military-backed governments that were supported by the U.S., Canada, the World Bank, and various transnational companies and banks. The complicity of the U.S. and Canadian-led international community is highlighted, emphasizing their economic, political, and military relations with these repressive governments. The article focuses on Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, a major Honduran drug trafficker with ties to the ousted government of President Juan Orlando Hernandez. Despite his arrest and imprisonment, there has been no media investigation or justice for transnational corporations, such as Gildan Activewear Corporation, that had business dealings with criminal cartels.

The Honduras Solidarity Network urgently calls for action to protect Miriam Miranda, a Garífuna leader in Honduras, who was attacked on September 19, 2023. It highlights the ongoing threats faced by Garífuna leaders defending ancestral lands against powerful interests and government complicity. International courts have ruled in favor of the Garífuna people, but Honduras has not fully implemented these rulings, putting land defenders at risk. The Honduras Solidarity Network emphasizes the need for solidarity and action to stop the violence against the Garífuna people in Honduras, for example, by contacting your U.S. representative and urging them to take action to protect their lives and ancestral lands. 

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has declared a one-month economic, social, and environmental emergency in La Guajira, a desert region in northeast Colombia. This declaration allows for crucial investments in education, health, tourism, and water supply. La Guajira is a major energy source for Colombia, with a coal mining industry and potential for wind farms. The region is also home to the Wayúu indigenous reservation, which has long suffered neglect as energy companies extracted resources without benefiting the Wayúu.

Representing a fifth of the country’s indigenous population, Wayúu communities in La Guajira face extreme poverty, malnutrition, and a lack of access to clean water due to the dry climate. President Petro's initiative aims to develop renewable energy while ensuring wealth redistribution to the indigenous population. Historically, extractive industries have left locals impoverished while generating billions in profits.

The Cerrejón coal mine, a major player in the region, has caused environmental damage, displaced families, and disrupted traditional hunting paths. President Petro's Pact for a Fair Energy Transition prioritizes water for human consumption over irrigation or mining, marking a significant shift in Colombian policy.

The Honduras Solidarity Network of North America (HSN) strongly condemns the recent criminal attack on Miriam Miranda, a prominent Afro-indigenous Garifuna leader and Coordinator of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH). On September 19th, five armed men invaded her home in Vallecito, Colón, shortly after a visit from the Honduran government's Protection Mechanism. This incident, reminds of the 2016 attack on Berta Cáceres, underlines the dangers faced by Garifuna leaders defending indigenous rights and ancestral lands in Honduras.

Miriam has endured multiple threats and attacks in recent years, including death threats in 2022 and a criminal investigation against her for demanding justice for disappeared Garifuna land defenders. The violence against the Garifuna community is driven by economic interests, including tourism, mining, energy, and agro-industrial companies, often with complicity from government entities and criminal groups.

The HSN demands:

1. Immediate end of attacks, threats, criminalization, and violence against Garifuna land defenders, with exhaustive investigations and justice for perpetrators.
2. Enhanced protection for Miriam and OFRANEH to continue their vital work defending Garifuna rights.
3. Implementation of InterAmerican Court (IACHR) rulings from 2015, calling for the restitution of stolen lands and an end to the displacement of Garifuna communities.

Thousands of farmers and Indigenous supporters in Guatemala have taken to the streets to defend president-elect Bernardo Arévalo as government prosecutors seek to ban his political party, the Seed Movement. Protests, organized by the Farmworkers’ Development Council, have resulted in numerous road and street blockades across the country. Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of the prosecutors involved in the attempt to ban the party. Despite Arévalo's landslide victory in the presidential runoff, prosecutors are investigating his party's registration and alleged election fraud, a move criticized by international observers. Arévalo has labeled these actions as an attempt at a "coup" and called for increased international pressure to ensure the election results are respected.

Concerns have been raised about the safety of social leaders and indigenous communities in Colombia. The international community is urged to support the 2016 peace accord, specifically the Ethnic Chapter and the Commission for Security Guarantees, and aid the peace dialogue with the National Liberation Army (ELN). The Colombian government needs to enhance support for indigenous and cimarrona guards within ethnic territories. Authorities must bring perpetrators of violence against social leaders to justice, reform the National Protection Unit, and implement efficient, culturally sensitive protection measures. U.S. policymakers are called upon to denounce abuses publicly and demand protection for at-risk individuals and communities. Two critical cases involve threats against investigative journalist Gonzalo Guillén and lawyer Roberto Mauricio Rodríguez of La Nueva Prensa and anti-corruption activist Alexander Chala Saenz, the Political Chief of the Corporation of retired military veterans for Colombia

In Valle del Sol, El Salvador, once a dangerous red zone controlled by gangs, there has been a significant transformation as the Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele, who enjoys significant power and control, with his party dominating Congress and the legal system, cracked down on some of the most violent criminal groups. Bukele's tough attitude on gangs has led to a reduction of these criminal organizations, resulting in increased safety and approval ratings of 90 percent. However, the aggressive crackdown has raised a lot of concerns about the rights of individuals who were arrested without explanation. This means that while crime rates have dropped drastically, concerns about human rights abuses and a decline in democratic transparency have emerged.

In this context, the story of Victor Barahona, a community journalist who was detained under inhuman conditions for 11 months on accusations of gang ties, clarifies the complex situation in El Salvador. Barahona's case reflects that individuals who were caught up in the anti-gang crackdown, where arrests often lack clear justification. Despite the positive changes in Valle del Sol, the price paid by many detainees and their families remains a source of concern and debate in Salvadoran society.