Rep. Ellison Speaks on House Floor About the Assassination of Honduran Activists

Washington – Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) spoke on the Floor of the House of Representatives today about the assassination of two activists in Honduras, Berta Cáceres and Nelson García. Earlier today, Rep. Ellison and Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-GA), along with more than 60 Members of the House, sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew requesting they address the ongoing violence and the human rights violations in Honduras. You can view the full text of the letter here and can watch Rep. Ellison’s speech by clicking here.

“Mr. Speaker, I am profoundly saddened and angered by the murder of Berta Cáceres and Nelson García, two leading environmental activists in the nation of Honduras. These two murders were less than two weeks apart, and this is an ongoing challenge that must be addressed immediately.

“Miss Cáceres spent decades fighting for the rights of Honduras’s indigenous community, winning the Goldman Environmental Prize – an internationally recognized award – for her work. She was assassinated in her home while she was supposed to be under special [protection] by government security forces.

“Mr. Garcia was a member of Miss Cáceres’ organization, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras. He was shot yesterday in front of his mother-in-law’s home.

“Honduras and the world have lost two extraordinary advocates for environmental and indigenous rights, and also for social justice. But we need to do more than mourn their loss. It’s time to act.

“It’s time to suspend assistance to the Honduran security forces until such time that we know that they are not penetrated by illegal actors. Until such time that we can assure that when they say they are going to protect somebody those people are protected, and that we can know and have confidence that American taxpayer dollars are not being used to assassinate leaders who are doing nothing more than trying to improve the environment and increase the rights of indigenous people.

“These assassinations fit into a pattern of attacks against Honduran activists since the 2009 military coup. The NGO, Global Witness, calls Honduras the most dangerous place in the world for environmental activists. More than one hundred environmental activists have been killed in the last five years there. Many activists and community leaders remain at risk, and we must do everything in our power to stop this violence and harassment in Honduras.

“Please rest in peace, Berta Cáceres and Nelson García. The people who remain behind will continue the fight for environmental justice and indigenous rights, and we here in the United States join that fight.

“I yield back.”

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