,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #aide ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #bh1 #bjai,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,kaptur1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,mr4 ,foster1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,ms4 ,pingree1 ,ms4 ,speier1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,mr4 ,panetta1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,ms4 ,omar1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,ms4 ,eshoo1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,lynch1 ,miss ,rice of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,lofgren1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,ms4 ,haaland1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,pallone1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,ms4 ,judy ,chu of ,california1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,cleaver1 ,mr4 ,himes1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,mr4 ,lipinski1 ,mr4 ,beyer1 ,mr4 ,kind1 ,mr4 ,payne1 and ,mr4 ,ted ,lieu of ,california7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to suspend ,united ,states security assistance with ,honduras until such time as human rights violations by ,honduran security forces cease and their perpetrators are brought to justice4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,berta ,cceres ,human ,rights in ,honduras ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,honduran police are widely established to be deeply corrupt and commit human rights abuses1 including torture1 rape1 illegal detention1 and murder1 with impunity4 7#b7 ,the ,new ,york ,times revealed documents on ,april #ae1 #bjaf1 indicating that top officials of the ,honduran police ordered the killings of drug-crime investigators ,julin ,arstides ,gonzles and ,alfredo ,landaverde in #bjji and #bjaa1 respectively1 with the subsequent knowledge of top police and1 evidently1 high-ranking government officials4 ,the ,times suggested in a subsequent article that the revelations were being manipulated by the ,president of ,honduras for his own corrupt purposes4 ,both cases remain in impunity4 7#c7 ,individuals in the police with documented records of having committed gross human rights abuses with impunity continue to serve in1 and be appointed and reappointed to high positions with the police4 ,former general in the ,armed ,forces ,julian ,pacheco ,tinoco1 the ,minister of ,security1 was the highest ranking official in charge of the repression of protesters by the police following the ,november #bg1 #bjag1 election1 and has been twice named in ,united ,states ,federal court as overseeing drug trafficking4 ,he was reappointed to his position by ,president ,juan ,orlando ,hernndez in ,december #bjah4 7#d7 ,other individuals who previously served in high-ranking positions and who are documented to have committed gross human rights abuses continue in impunity4 7#e7 ,international human rights bodies have reported that the ,honduran military and police commit human rights abuses1 including killings1 with impunity4 ,the ,associated ,press has documented death squad activity by police4 ,human ,rights ,watch has reported3 ,the use of lethal force by the national police is a chronic problem44 ,in its report for #bjah it concluded that ,violent crime is rampant in ,honduras4 ,it noted that3 ,marred by corruption and abuse1 the judiciary and police remain largely ineffective4 ,impunity for crime and human rights abuses is the norm44 7#f7 ,the ,department of ,state's #bjah ,human ,rights ,report for ,honduras reported3 ,civilian authorities at times did not maintain effective control over the security forces44 ,it summarized3 ,the most significant human rights issues included alleged arbitrary and unlawful killings2 a complaint of torture2 harsh and life-threatening prison conditions2 arbitrary arrest or detention2 unlawful interference with privacy2 killings of and threats to media members1 and other issues4 7#g7 ,repeated efforts to clean up the ,honduran police have largely failed4 ,a recent commission charged with cleaning up the police reports that it has cleaned up over #e1jjj members1 but the great majority of those were separated for reasons of restructuring1 retirements1 or disabilities4 ,only approximately #ajj cases of alleged criminal activity have been forwarded to the ,public ,ministry for prosecution4 ,few of those are being prosecuted4 ,the actions and results of the police cleanup commission have not been independently verified1 moreover1 and its directors include ,julian ,pacheco ,tinoco1 the ,minister of ,security1 named as a drug trafficker1 and ,vilma ,morales1 one of the top two negotiators for the leader of the #bjji coup4 ,long-lasting1 fundamental reform of the police still needs to be enacted4 7#h7 ,evidence indicates that topmost officials in charge of the police have been allegedly involved in drug trafficking4 ,the ,national ,director of the ,police and his top two lieutenants have been documented by the ,associated ,press to have previously participated in cocaine trafficking4 ,julian ,pacheco ,tinoco1 the ,minister of ,security1 reappointed in ,december #bjah1 has been twice named in ,united ,states ,federal court as overseeing drug trafficking4 7#i7 ,rights ,action has documented that the ,fifteenth ,battalion of the ,honduran ,armed ,forces allegedly participated with police and private security forces in some of the killings of over #ajj small-farmer activists in the ,agun ,valley beginning in #bjaj4 ,in #bjae1 ,human ,rights ,watch confirmed that the killings of ,agun farmers were met with no consequences4 ,to date there has been one confirmed conviction of a private security guard4 ,assassinations of key activists continue4 ,in ,october #bjaf1 ,jos ,angel ,flores1 the president of the ,unified ,campesino ,movement of the ,agun 7,,muca71 and ,silmer ,dionisio ,george1 another ,,muca member1 were assassinated1 with impunity4 7#aj7 ,further examples abound of human rights abuses by the military3 in ,july #bjac members of the ,armed ,forces shot and killed ,toms ,garca1 a ,lenca ,indigenous activist1 and injured his son while they were peacefully protesting a dam project2 in ,may #bjad1 nine members of the ,ninth ,infantry reportedly tortured and killed ,amado ,maradiaga ,quiroz and tortured his son1 ,milton ,noe ,maradiaga ,varela4 ,the cases remain in impunity4 ,in an emblematic case1 on ,december #bg1 #bjae1 the ,honduran ,navy reportedly killed ,joel ,palacios ,lino and ,elvis ,armando ,garca1 two ,garfuna ,afro-,indigenous men who were engaged in digging a car out of the sand on a beach4 ,ten members of the ,honduran military were convicted of the killing of these #b men1 underscoring that egregious human rights are committed by state security forces4 7#aa7 ,the current ,government of ,honduras has expanded the military's reach into domestic policing1 including the creation of a #d1cjj-member ,military ,police in clear violation of the ,honduran constitution and with disastrous results1 including the killings of a #ae-year-old boy1 ,ebed ,yanes1 in #bjab and a student1 ,erlin ,misael ,caras ,moncada1 in #bjad1 after they had passed unarmed through checkpoints1 and the ,january #b1 #bjag1 killing of #ag-year-old ,edgardo ,moreno ,rodriquez4 ,while one member of the armed forces was convicted and sentenced in the case of ,yanes1 the case of the ,united ,states-trained colonel who allegedly subsequently ordered a cover-up remains in impunity4 ,since the creation of the ,military ,police1 allegations of human rights abuses by the military have increased notably1 reports ,human ,rights ,watch4 ,the ,military ,police now count #i battalions and plan #b additional battalions4 7#ab7 ,during the crisis that erupted following the highly contested ,november #bjag ,presidential election1 massive protests against electoral fraud and the disputed re-election campaign of ,president ,juan ,orlando ,hernndez emerged throughout the country4 ,the ,united ,nations and the ,committee of ,families of the ,detained and ,disappeared in ,honduras 7,,cofadeh7 have documented that in response1 ,honduran state security forces killed at least #af people1 many of them protesters and bystanders2 one additional person remains forcibly disappeared by state security forces4 ,the great majority of the victims1 according to the ,,un and ,,cofadeh reports1 were killed by the ,military ,police4 ,all these cases remain in impunity4 ,in addition1 #c people accused of crimes while protesting remain in prison awaiting trial under dire1 life-threatening conditions and a fourth remains in exile4 7#ac7 ,the ,military ,police continue to commit serious human rights abuses4 ,on ,november #cj1 #bjag1 ,daniel ,isaac ,varela1 age #ab1 was wounded by members of the military police in ,comayagela during a post-election demonstration while he was purchasing candy with friends and the military opened fire4 ,on ,december #c1 #bjag1 ,manuel de ,jess ,bautista ,salvador disappeared while held in detention by the ,military ,police in ,cofrada1 ,corts1 and his whereabouts remain unknown4 7#ad7 ,the ,honduran judicial system has been widely documented to be rife with corruption4 ,judges1 prosecutors1 and other officials are interconnected with organized crime and drug traffickers1 contributing to near-complete impunity4 7#ae7 ,the ,department of ,state in its #bjah ,human ,rights ,report for ,honduras reports that ,corruption and impunity remained serious problems within the security forces44 ,it noted that ,impunity existed in many cases ''' as evidenced by lengthy judicial processes1 few convictions of perpetrators1 and failures to prosecute intellectual authors of crimes44 7#af7 ,overall1 the judicial system remains ineffective and corrupt4 ,the ,department of ,state reported for #bjag that it was often ineffective1 and subject to intimidation1 corruption1 politicization and patronage ''' ,powerful special interests1 including organized crime groups1 exercised influence on the outcome of some court proceedings44 7#ag7 ,summarizing the situation1 ,human ,rights ,watch reported for #bjah that ,judges face interference from the executive branch and others1 including private actors with connections in government44 ,it concludes3 ,efforts to reform the institutions responsible for providing public security have made little progress4 ,married by corruption and abuse1 the judiciary and police remain largely ineffective44 7#ah7 ,the ,march #b1 #bjaf1 assassination of prominent ,lenca ,indigenous and environmental activist ,berta ,cceres1 world-renowned recipient of the #bjae ,goldman ,environmental ,prize for her work defending ,indigenous land rights against a hydroelectric dam project1 illustrates the human rights crisis in ,honduras1 and the deep complicity of the ,honduran government4 ,cceres1 the leader of ,,copinh1 the ,council of ,indigenous and ,popular ,organizations of ,honduras1 had reported to authorities #cc threats previous to her killing1 but none had been investigated1 and the government had failed to provide adequate protection measures as mandated by the ,inter-,american ,commission on ,human ,rights1 with protection by ,honduran security being withdrawn the day of her death4 7#ai7 ,as of ,november #bjah1 seven men have been convicted in the killing of ,cceres4 ,one of them was an active duty officer in the military at the time of his arrest and two others are former military4 ,a third former officer and the president of the ,,desa ,corporation1 the dam construction company1 has been charged and is awaiting trial4 ,the convictions raise serious questions about the role of the ,honduran military in her assassination1 including the higher chain of command within the military as well as the identity of the intellectual authors of the assassination4 ,evidence in the documents in the case file indicate that members of the ,honduran elite were responsible for ordering ,cceres's assassination1 and remain in impunity4 ,evidence also indicates possible involvement of individuals of higher rank in the military1 but there is no indication that prosecutors are investigating these individuals4 7#bj7 ,the ,government of ,honduras continues to unduly limit legally mandated access by ,ms4 ,cceres's family to participation in the prosecution as permitted under ,honduran law4 7#ba7 ,in this context of corruption and human rights abuses1 trade unionists1 journalists1 lawyers1 ,afro-,indigenous activists1 ,indigenous activists1 small-farmer activists1 ,,lgbti activists1 human rights defenders1 and critics of the government remain at severe risk2 and previous human rights abuses against them remain largely unpunished4 7#bb7 ,journalists continue to be attacked with impunity4 ,on ,may #b1 #bjaf1 prominent opposition journalist ,flix ,molina was shot multiple times in the legs hours after he had posted information potentially linking ,cceres's killing to a top government official1 members of an elite family1 and one of the prosecutors in the case4 ,those who report on protests against the government are threatened and attacked by state security forces4 ,on ,november #bf1 #bjah1 journalist ,geovanny ,sierra from the ,,unetv opposition television station was in the process of reporting on the repression by security forces of a protest marking the one-year anniversary of the disputed #bjag elections when he was fired upon by members of the police assigned to the ,national ,penitentiary4 ,he survived the attack but suffered extensive injuries to his right arm4 ,both cases remain in impunity4 7#bc7 ,united ,states agencies allocated approximately #ci million that ,congress appropriated through the ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1 #bjag1 to the ,honduran police and military for fiscal year #bjag4 7#bd7 ,the ,inter-,american ,development ,bank lent #fj1jjj1jjj to the ,honduran police between #bjab and #bjah1 with ,united ,states approval4 #c4 ,suspension and restrictions of security assistance extended to ,republic of ,honduras unless certain conditions have been met 7a7 ,suspension of security assistance ,no funds may be made available to provide assistance for the police or military of the ,republic of ,honduras1 including assistance for equipment and training4 7b7 ,loans from multilateral development banks ,the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall instruct ,united ,states representatives at multilateral development banks to vote no on any loans for the police or military of the ,republic of ,honduras4 #d4 ,conditions for lifting suspensions and restrictions ,the provisions of this ,act shall terminate on the date on which the ,secretary of ,state determines and certifies to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate that the ,government of ,honduras has-- 7#a7 pursued all legal avenues to bring to trial and obtain a verdict of all those who ordered and carried out-- 7,a7 the ,march #b1 #bjaf1 murder of ,berta ,cceres2 7,b7 the killings of over #ajj small-farmer activists in the ,agun ,valley2 7,c7 the killings of #bb people and forced disappearance of #a person by state security forces in the context of the #bjag postelectoral crisis2 and 7,d7 the ,may #c1 #bjaf1 armed attack on ,flix ,molina1 and the ,november #bf1 #bjah1 shooting of ,geovanny ,sierra4 7#b7 investigated and successfully prosecuted members of military and police forces who are credibly found to have violated human rights1 and ensured that the military and police cooperated in such cases1 and that such violations have ceased2 7#c7 withdrawn the military from domestic policing1 in accordance with the ,honduran ,constitution1 and ensured that all domestic police functions are separated from the command and control of the ,armed ,forces of ,honduras and are instead directly responsible to civilian authority2 7#d7 established that it protects effectively the rights of trade unionists1 journalists1 human rights defenders1 the ,indigenous1 the ,afro-,indigenous1 small-farmers1 ,,lgbti activists1 critics of the government1 and other civil society activists to operate without interference2 and 7#e7 taken effective steps to fully establish the rule of law and to guarantee a judicial system that is capable of investigating1 prosecuting1 and bringing to justice members of the police and military who have committed human rights abuses4