CONFERENCE OF RELIGIOUS OF HONDURAS (CONFEREH)
PRONOUNCEMENT
The Prophetic
Voice of the Consecrated Life
“Console, say Yahweh,
your God, console my people.” (Isaiah 40: 1)
As a result of the political crisis which the Honduran
population is living, we, the Conference
of Religious Women and Men, declare our solidarity with the people of Honduras,
calling upon the governmental authorities to hear the cries and the protests of
the people.
1.
Respect for Democracy: enough of so much violence against the people, now that their will is
not respected, their voice is repressed, using fore which is brutal and total
disproportionate of a military invasion which, with its behavior, intimidates
and attacks the citizenry, becoming deaf to their cries and protests, causing
them to act aggressively and violently.
2.
We demand a professional police force, which takes care of the integrity
of Hondurans and which is at the service of the citizenry, ceasing the abuse of
military and police force against the people. Likewise, there is a demand for a
follow-up with a full and responsible investigation which in an immediate and
expeditious manner finds those responsible for all the killings, the disappearances
and other violations of human rights. No more impunity.
3.
We denounce the wave of repression against the social, political, and
church leaders who live with anxiety and in an environment of terror with death
threats, violation of their legitimate right to protest or the exercise of
their profession. If there is still democracy in the country, we therefore ask
for liberty and respect for life, the free expression of thought, the right of
participation, and the possibility to come to agree or disagree without discrimination
or violence.
4.
We denounce the ruses of a Congress of deputies totally biased in favor
of particular interests, lacking conscience, who, usurping the honorable
exercise of representing, are approving laws that put at risk the food security
of the people, health, free quality public education, etc., as well as the security
of the citizenry and national sovereignty. We demand that these laws, before being
approved in Congress, be made known and debated by all the people and receive
the support of civil organizations, taking into account the participation of
the sectors to which they respond according to their area.
5.
With sadness and concern we see how our youth, children, elderly, indigenous,
are being assassinated or are dying a slow death having lost their vital force:
food, health education, culture, worthy work. We are preoccupied seeing the
large number of Honduran men and women of all ages leaving the country, legally
or illegally, a forced movement of migration in dimensions every day more
alarming, obliged by state violence or common violence, for the lack of local
opportunities.
6.
Being an impoverished state, we demand that the little money there is of
the people not be invested in unnecessary expenses and that the controlling
bodies demand transparency in public administration… No more corruption.
7.
We denounce the contradictory policies of the government, to
protect the environment and on the other hand promote mining, hydroelectric
concessions which despoil the rural population of their water resources,
forests, flora and fauna, with the alleged development of the country and of
renewable resources, when they make attacks on the patrimony of the
communities, violate human rights and plunder their resources, cannot be the
option for the development of our country nor to combat climate change.
8.
We encourage the social organizations, popular forces, churches and all
men and women of good will to be now more than ever vigilant in safeguarding,
protecting and defending the nation in all its dimensions, since life is now
being threatened.
9.
We invite all men and women of Honduras to not lose this opportunity since
a crisis gives us the possibility to advance and construct, to improve and
fulfill the aspirations of a people.
10.
As religious women and men we commit ourselves to pray and to continue
accompanying those who most suffer, and weak or excluded, at the same time we
encourage those who struggle for peace and justice to persevere with boldness,
enthusiasm, and hope.
Tegucigalpa, February 12, 2018
Conferencia de Religiosas y Religiosos.
The original Spanish can be found at the JPIC Honduras website: here
