Tegucigalpa, August 21 (teleSUR-RHC)-- A total of 21 U.S. Democrat lawmakers demanded on Wednesday that Secretary of State John Kerry suspend and re-evaluate the “training and support to the Honduran police and military units ... until human rights abuses are adequately addressed by the Honduran government.”       

The letter handed to Kerry insists widespread state repression and human rights abuses have significantly increased since the 2009 right-wing coup against President Manuel Zelaya.     

Legislators referred to the growing participation of military officials in the national laws of Honduras, despite constitutional restrictions, and attempts by President Juan Orlando Hernandez to amend the Constitution and extend police militarization.     

They quoted various reports from human rights organizations and press agencies mentioning “assassinations and intimidation of opposition leaders, land activists and peaceful demonstrators,”   

Lawmakers highlighted local media reports in May on the U.S. training provided to 500 troops for the security agency Fusina revealing “allegations regarding the agency’s repeated involvement in human rights violations.” 

“This ministry merged civilian and military security institutions under the direction of Julian Pacheco Tinoco … who only resigned his commission in January 2015 after objections were raised by several local and international actors, including human right defenders,” the letter said.    

A federal bill, called the Leahy amendment, prohibits the White House from providing support to “any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such a unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.”     
 
The Democrats called on Kerry to provide them with the “metrics” the state uses to ensure Honduras complies with the Leahy Law. They also asked for “a full itemized report on the use of funds allocated for U.S. security assistance to Honduras” in this and next fiscal years’ budgets.