Media Contact 202-226-8467

Washington D.C.—House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Chairman Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), along with Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security and Trade Chairman Albio Sires (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Francis Rooney (R-FL), issued the following statement condemning Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández’s decision not to extend the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH):

“With the stroke of a pen, President Juan Orlando Hernández had the opportunity to extend MACCIH – the mechanism put in place to strengthen Honduras’s capacity to address systemic corruption. Unfortunately, President Hernández chose not to exercise his authority and allowed MACCIH to expire. We strongly condemn this decision.

“Corruption in Honduras has had a corrosive effect on the country and remains a key driver of migration to the United States. The Honduran people are the ones who will suffer the most from this ill-advised decision. We stand with them and support their right to live in a country whose government respects the rule of law and holds corrupt actors accountable. We remain committed to the fight against corruption in Honduras and will continue to support civil society-led efforts.”

In July, the four House leaders sent a letter to President Hernández urging a clean extension of MACCIH, and they reiterated this message in December.

 

# # #