Central America and the U.S.
In January 2018, Larry Couch, director of the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, participated in an emergency delegation to Honduras, following the corrupt election of Juan Orlando Hernández in November 2017. The trip allowed Larry and other members of the group to see the violent response on the ground to peaceful protests and bring first-hand accounts back to U.S. legislators. Read Larry's trip blog by clicking here.
This trip marked the beginning of a new focus for the NAC - Central America. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd’s Province of Central America has sisters living and serving in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico, as well as Honduras. The NAC is focused on the impact of U.S. policy in these countries and territory, as well as the push factors that lead Central Americans to migrate to the United States.
To deepen its understanding of the push factors, the NAC participated in a March 18-25, 2019 - Interfaith Root Causes Pilgrimage to Honduras. This delegation was timed to mark the 39th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Oscar Romero. U.S. Sponsoring organizations of the delegation included: SHARE Foundation, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Institute Justice Team, and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. To learn more, read Larry's blog.
In addition, the returning 2019 pilgrims crafted an informative 8-page brief to share their experiences, and their findings about the root causes of forced migration.
Finally, four participants in the 2019 pilgrimage, Sr. Ann Scholz, SSND (Leadership Conference of Women Religious), Jean Stokan (Sisters of Mercy of the Americas), Sr. Marie Orlandini, OSF (Franciscan Action Network), and Lawrence Couch (National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd),held a July 31, 2019 webinar to share their experience. View the recording, hosted by Justice for Immigrants, here (webinar begins at minute 10:15).
This trip marked the beginning of a new focus for the NAC - Central America. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd’s Province of Central America has sisters living and serving in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico, as well as Honduras. The NAC is focused on the impact of U.S. policy in these countries and territory, as well as the push factors that lead Central Americans to migrate to the United States.
To deepen its understanding of the push factors, the NAC participated in a March 18-25, 2019 - Interfaith Root Causes Pilgrimage to Honduras. This delegation was timed to mark the 39th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Oscar Romero. U.S. Sponsoring organizations of the delegation included: SHARE Foundation, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Institute Justice Team, and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. To learn more, read Larry's blog.
In addition, the returning 2019 pilgrims crafted an informative 8-page brief to share their experiences, and their findings about the root causes of forced migration.
Finally, four participants in the 2019 pilgrimage, Sr. Ann Scholz, SSND (Leadership Conference of Women Religious), Jean Stokan (Sisters of Mercy of the Americas), Sr. Marie Orlandini, OSF (Franciscan Action Network), and Lawrence Couch (National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd),held a July 31, 2019 webinar to share their experience. View the recording, hosted by Justice for Immigrants, here (webinar begins at minute 10:15).
Action following January 2018 Honduras Witness Trip
.Following NAC Director Larry Couch's participation in the JANUARY 2018 Accompaniment Trip to Honduras, the returning delegation published a report with their findings and recommendations to the U.S. Government. Recommendations included:
The group also urged advocates to contact their U.S. Representatives, asking them to co-sponsor and pass the Berta Cáceres Act (H.R. 1299). The Act suspends United States security assistance with Honduras until such time as human rights violations by Honduran security forces cease and their perpetrators are brought to justice. We join us in this effort and take action now. In MARCH 2018, Fr. Melo, the Jesuit priest in Honduras who called for the January 2018 delegation visit, came to the Washington, D.C. to provide updates and spread the word about the current situation in Honduras. A second faith delegation made a witness trip in MAY 2018 and provided updated information on the situation: The Struggle for Human Rights and Transformation in Honduras - A Faith Delegation's Observations. This video features the lived experiences of political prisoners brave enough to speak out against the Honduran government. Participants in the January 2018 delegation, including Larry Couch, returned to Honduras in MARCH 2019 as part of an INTERFAITH ROOT CAUSES PILGRIMAGE. The March 18-25, 2019 pilgrimage looked at the "push factors" that lead people to migrate from Honduras. To learn more about the trip, click here or read the NAC Press Release about the trip. For Larry's insights during the journey, read his blog. The 2019 pilgrims also created an 8-page brief to share their findings. 
Nicaraguan Activist Shares On-the-Ground ReportOn August 14, 2018, the Washington Office on Latin America, Church World Service and the Presbyterian Church USA Office of Public Witness hosted Nicaraguan Activist Julio Martinez who spoke on the troubling human rights and political situation in Nicaragua. NAC Director Larry Couch was in attendance and shares his impressions:
Mr. Martinez confirmed what we know is happening in terms of massive repression of peaceful demonstrations and the use of military, paramilitary, and police against unarmed civilians. Also, he mentioned that the government is using a recently passed "anti-terrorism" law as a means of criminalizing people who provide shelter or medical supplies to protesters. During the question and answer period, I was surprised by the number of people in the audience who expressed support for (Nicaraguan President) Daniel Ortega. Speaking with Julio after the meeting, I asked if that was a common reaction to his presentation. He answered yes, that many people who have not been following events in Nicaragua during the last several years still see Ortega as a revolutionary hero. For them, they see the United States as still trying to undermine his regime. Julio responds by citing his own experiences as a protester and reminding people that every international organization that has reviewed the situation on the ground has concluded that Ortega is guilty of massive human rights violations resulting in the death of innocent protesters. In the United States, there is bipartisan support for sanctions against Nicaragua. While Democrats have been supportive of sanctions, Republicans have been even more so. Julio believes that as more intellectuals speak out against Ortega, support will continue to build. He specifically cited Noam Chomsky, who has called for early elections, as an example of a strong voice. See https://boingboing.net/2018/08/03/interview-noam-chomsky-on-nic.html/amp. I left the meeting with a better understanding of the roots of the current crisis and a greater appreciation of the complexity of the political situation. NAC looks forward to working for peace and justice in Nicaragua in whatever way we are able. Read some of the official human rights reports on the situation in Nicaragua: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Report Organization of American States (OAS) July 18, 2018 Resolution Human Rights Watch Report Amnesty International Report Additional briefings/reports: From the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Nicaragua must end "witch-hunt" against dissenting voices, says UN (8/9/18) From the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR steps us its response as thousands flee violence in Nicaragua (7/31/18) United Nations issues August 2018 report on detailing human rights violations and abuses by government of Nicaragua. |
Nicaragua Fr. Edwin Roman and members of the ANPDH (Nicaraguan Human Rights Association) freeing youth jailed by the government.
NAC Advisory Board Member Claudia Palacio, RGS, who is originally from Nicaragua and still has family there, shares about the current state of the country:
Since April 18, 2018, Nicaragua has been under systematic and brutal repression by the government of Ortega-Murillo. Per the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), as of June 19, the government’s repressive actions have caused 212 deaths; as of June 6, 1,337 have been wounded, 507 jailed, and hundreds of people at risk of attacks, harassment, threats and other forms of intimidation. (More about the IACHR's full May 2018 Report may be found here.) Following pressure from the civil society in Nicaragua and the international community, the government of Ortega-Murillo has allowed international organizations to investigate violations of human rights and to investigate the killings since the protest and clashes with the police began. Since the beginning of the conflict, the Catholic Church has played an important role as mediator and human rights defender. The presence of a member of the Episcopal Conference in places where a paramilitary presence and armed mobs threaten the safety and lives of entire neighborhoods and towns has saved hundreds of lives and freed many youth. Sr. Claudia suggests three ways the U.S. Government and individuals might support the civic revolution of the Nicaraguan people:
Learn more about the situation throughout Central AmericaThe Washington Post
Spies, Harassment, Death Threats: The Catholic Church in Nicaragua says it's being targeted by the government (July 23, 2019) The Guardian Nicaragua Closer to New Civil War Than Ever Before, Judge Warns (Jan. 11. 2019) The Guardian Mother of Student Held Over Ortega Protest in Global Plea for Help (Jan. 3, 2019) The Guardian 'We're going to kill you': Nicaragua's Brutal Crackdown on Press Freedom (Dec. 10, 2018) The New York Times (opinion) Why Is Trump Tacitly Supporting Corruption in Guatemala? (Sept 21, 2018) The Washington Post Government Allies Rough Up Priests at Nicaragua Church Siege (July 9, 2018) United National Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner Act Now to End Violence, Zeid Urges Nicaraguan Authorities (July 5, 2018) Bloomberg Mexico's Next Crisis Will Arrive From the South (July 5, 2018) NBC (KGNS.tv) Thousands deported to Central America after fleeing gang violence (July 3, 2018) Huffington Post No Amount of News on Trump's Crackdown Will Stop Migrants Fleeing to the U.S. (June 27, 2018) New York Times Violence in Nicaragua Undermines Peace Talks 2 Months Into Uprising (June 20, 2018) The Atlantic The Unraveling of Nicaragua (June 6, 2018) The Washington Post Editorial Nicaragua is nearing national catastrophe (June 3, 2018) |