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Open Letter
Adressed to the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and her delegation of federal Representantives.
Distinguished Speaker Pelosi:
You arrive in Honduras, a country devastated by the public policies promoted by governments that have historically enjoyed the full support of the United States. Our historical sorrow derives in good measure from the impacts of United States policies. Accordingly, the United States has a responsibility to help us find pathways that will lead us to democracy and rule of law, both of which have disappeared from our nation.
You and your important entourage have come to a beautiful and diverse country, when it comes to our natural resources and people. But in recent years, the State has been captured by an administration whose leadership has been accused of various crimes, including drug trafficking. Regretfully, this government continues to be supported by the US government.
If you want to identify those responsible for the growing wave of mass migration to the United States from Honduras, you will need to look into both the current US Administration, and very carefully, into the government presided by Juan Orlando Hernández here in Honduras. If you want to investigate the factors that produce and sustain corruption, you should look into the government led by Juan Orlando Hernández. You will find many indications that corruption is a driving force in his administration.
Mrs. Pelosi, along with our thanks for your visit, we add a reminder of a fact you know very well, that the House of Representatives is the branch of the US Federal government that holds the power of the purse in American society. Your Chamber controls and decides what is spent and how much is allocated from the public coffers. You have the ability to put conditions on those funds and their use.
If resources will still be allocated to Honduras in the form of foreign assistance, the House of Representatives can determine the terms of such aid. As Speaker of that Legislative Chamber, you, Mrs. Pelosi, have the potential to be the person who challenges the Trump Administration, preventing resources from being allocated to the Armed Forces and security forces in Honduras. Or on the contrary, you could be an accomplice to that Administration in supporting a Honduran state that continues to repress us and whose criminal actions control our destiny.
We hope that your visit will leave a lasting mark by stopping the harmful economic aid, while contributing to halting the policies against the deportation of our countrymen and discrimination in general towards our migrant Brothers and Sisters. We will remain very attentive to what may follow from this quick visit, and in the meantime, we will continue in full citizen and civic rebellion against a government that has stolen our hopes, crushes our dignity, tramples our rights and shames the good name of our country around the world.
Sincerely:
Father Ismael Moreno, SJ (Father Melo)
General Director of Radio Progreso
and of the Reflection, Research and Communication Team (ERIC)
El Progreso, Yoro, Honduras, August 10th, 2019