As reported by Karen Spring (Honduras Solidarity Network), Tony Hernandez, brother of the Honduran regime leader President Juan Orlando Hernandez, is to be sentenced March 23 in the New York Southern District court for the guilty conviction in his drug-trafficking trial last year.
Juan Orlando Hernandez, drug-trafficking implicated President of Honduras, glad-handing with US and Canadian leaders whose governments have supported and worked closely with the Honduran regime since the June 28, 2009 military coup ousted Honduras’ last democratically elected government.
Day 6, Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez trial, New York City: March 16
The biggest headlines revealed: "Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez (GFR) said that he had photos and videos of President Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH) receiving shipments of cocaine from Colombia at the San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa airports. According to GFR, JOH did this right in front of the DEA without the DEA knowing and JOH made fun of the DEA."
https://www.aquiabajo.com/blog/2021/3/15/day-six-trial-against-honduran-drug-trafficker-geovanny-fuentes-ramirez
InSight Crime asks if this trial would finally break US-Honduras ties.
"“It seems that the US Government has decided that its relationship with JOH is untenable,” a former senior State Department official told InSight Crime on the condition of anonymity.
https://insightcrime.org/news/drug-trial-us-honduras-ties/
Day 7, Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez trial, New York City: March 17
The first protected witness began to testify.
https://www.aquiabajo.com/blog/2021/3/16/day-seven-trial-against-honduran-drug-trafficker-geovanny-fuentes-ramirez
https://www.univision.com/univision-news/latin-america/accountant-gives-explosive-testimony-of-alleged-drug-meetings-with-honduran-president
Day 8, Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez trial, New York City: March 18
https://www.aquiabajo.com/blog/2021/3/17/day-eight-trial-against-honduran-drug-trafficker-geovanny-fuentes-ramirez
In-depth background article
Drug money, coup d’etats & global corporations in Honduras, a staunch “democratic ally” of US & Canada
https://mailchi.mp/rightsaction/drug-money-coup-detats-global-corporations-in-honduras
NACLA Report on the Americas, by Karen Spring
Why thousands of Hondurans & Guatemalans flee into exile, year after year
The US and Canadian governments, the World Bank and global businesses and investors (in the sectors of mining, dams, African palm, sugarcane, bananas, garment “sweatshop” factors, tourism, etc.), maintain beneficial relations with anti-democratic, corrupt, repressive governments in Honduras and Guatemala, contributing to and benefitting from exploitation and poverty, environmental harms, repression and human rights violations, corruption and impunity.
“Shithole countries”: US government promises pathway to citizenship for 11 million people
But will the US, Canada and “international community” continue to treat Honduras and Guatemala like “shithole countries”, creating ever more forced migrants and refugees?
By Grahame Russell, Rights Action, February 9, 2021, https://mailchi.mp/rightsaction/us-government-promises-pathway-to-citizenship-for-11-million-people
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Act / Stir up the pot / Chip away
Keep sending copies of Rights Action information (and that of other solidarity groups/ NGOs) to family, friends, your networks, politicians and media, asking ‘Why do our governments, companies and investment firms benefit from and turn a blind eye to poverty, repression and violence, environmental and health harms that caused the forced migrancy / refugee crisis in Guatemala and Honduras?’
U.S. Senate: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact
U.S. House: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Canadian Parliament: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members
More information
Karen Spring, attending trial in New York City
+504-9584-8572 (WhatsApp)
spring.kj@gmail.com
https://www.aquiabajo.com/blog
https://twitter.com/hondurassol
