| A long-time friend of the people of Honduras, the United States has worked tirelessly with officials there to consolidate democracy, protect human rights and promote the rule of law. When former President Manuel Zelaya was forcibly removed from office in 2009, the U.S. spearheaded the Organization of American States' diplomatic efforts to restore the constitutional order and bring the political crisis to a peaceful resolution. With the election of President Porfirio Lobo late that year, we supported his formation of a government of national unity and creation of a truth commission to investigate and address the underlying causes of the 2009 coup. Honduras now faces a citizen security crisis, and the United States is offering its assistance here too. Gripped by a wave of violence and drug-related crime, the Central American nation is struggling to maintain order in some areas. Senior U.S. government officials met recently with President Lobo and other leaders to review security cooperation, after which it was announced that a team of American technical experts will travel there to step up collaboration on bilateral efforts to fight crime. Over the past several months, Honduras has strengthened its legal framework to better combat organized crime, appointing judges with national jurisdiction, approving a tax to fund security programs, and establishing a police advisory board. President Lobo is also moving ahead with a plan to reform the Honduran national police and strengthen its institutional capacities. The U.S. government will continue to use all available resources to assist the government of Honduras in these efforts to improve the security of its citizens. |
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