WOLA meets in Honduras with President Xiomara Castro, civil society, donors, and other actors to discuss the country’s challenges

In the context of the Central American Donors Forum (CADF) in Tegucigalpa from October 26 to 28, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) held a a series of meetings with members of civil society, press, donors, and the U.S. Embassy. WOLA also met with President Xiomara Castro to exchange ideas and discuss priorities regarding the human rights situation in Honduras.

The meetings addressed Honduras’ main challenges in the areas of human rights and democratic governance, the fight against corruption and the establishment of the International Commission against Impunity (CICIH), migration flows, and the ways in which the U.S. government can contribute to progress on these issues.

1. Fight against corruption: dismantling the corruption networks that have co-opted Honduran institutions is necessary for the democratic transition of the country. The meetings also recognized the need to strengthen judicial independence and accelerate legal reform processes for the installation of the International Commission against Impunity (CICH) in Honduras.
2. Human rights situation: Honduras continues to be a country with high rates of crime and violence that differentially affect vulnerable groups such as women and indigenous and Garifuna peoples. Reducing impunity for gender-based violence was a key issue discussed with both President Castro and human rights organizations.
3. Migration: Discussions included issues related to the crisis generated by displacement and forced migration, as well as the situation of unaccompanied minors at the U.S. border. WOLA emphasized the need for Honduras to work on the structural causes of migration and to implement immediate actions to address the humanitarian crisis contributing to migration.

WOLA reiterated its commitment to the defense and promotion of human rights, to collaborate to strengthen the capacities of civil society, and to help ensure that U.S. policies toward Honduras are coherent, effective, and contribute to solving the country’s great needs.