URGENT ACTION: Contact US Embassy and Congress to Stop All Support for Juan Orlando Hernandez
We, an international delegation sponsored by La Voz de los de Abajo, CODEPINK, and the Honduras Solidarity Network, urge you to contact the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa as well as your Congressional and Senate representatives to demand that the US stop all support (political and economic) for Juan Orlando Hernandez as he attempts to steal an election to extend his dictatorship.
Feel free to use the following observations from our delegation, which is currently in Honduras, as talking points:
* Since the days leading up to the election to now, Honduras has been in a constantly escalating state of militarization and intimidation intended to strike fear into those willing to vote against Juan Orlando Hernandez and the National Party.
* Two members of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Marco Lobo and Eric Mejia, have shared statements that Salvador Nasralla's lead in the vote is irreversible. Despite this, there has been an unprecedented delay in the official announcement of the winner of the election.
* As the delay persists, there are widespread reports on social media of voter fraud to benefit Juan Orlando Hernandez and the National Party.
* This includes a video of piles of blank ballots being stamped en masse for Juan Orlando Hernandez, and
* Incidences of scattered violence around the country as National Party forces try to gain control of ballot boxes (including stabbings, shootings, kidnappings, and other forms of threats and intimidation)
* According to social media reports, Une TV's broadcast building (which has recognized Salvador Nasralla as the President Elect of Honduras) has been circled by either military or police.
These are all signs of a dictatorship and are not reflective of fair, democratic elections.
In all of the meetings we have had with social movement leaders since the first TSE announcement of Nasralla's lead (and apparent victory), they all said that Juan Orlando Hernandez is likely very surprised by this result and warned that he does not want to give up power and will do anything he can do to stay in power. The militarization and weapons of war that our delegation observed on election day give weight to the alarms being sounded. Furthermore, right now, organizations and people from across Honduras are mobilizing to go to Tegucigalpa to recognize and defend Salvador Nasralla and the Alliance to End the Dictatorship as the rightful winner of the election.
In all of the meetings we have had with social movement leaders since the first TSE announcement of Nasralla's lead (and apparent victory), they all said that Juan Orlando Hernandez is likely very surprised by this result and warned that he does not want to give up power and will do anything he can do to stay in power. The militarization and weapons of war that our delegation observed on election day give weight to the alarms being sounded. Furthermore, right now, organizations and people from across Honduras are mobilizing to go to Tegucigalpa to recognize and defend Salvador Nasralla and the Alliance to End the Dictatorship as the rightful winner of the election.
We urge you to support the Honduran people in their effort to stand up to Juan Orlando Hernandez's voter fraud, intimidation, and dictatorship by contacting the US Embassy and your elected officials with the demand that all support end now.
US Embassy Tegucigalpa
011-504-22385114
011-504-22369320
011-504-22385114
011-504-22369320
US Capital Switchboard (to contact your Senators and Representatives)
(202) 224-3121
(202) 224-3121
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