{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/in-letter-to-secretary-kerry-kaine-calls-for-free-and-fair-elections-in-honduras", "In Letter To Secretary Kerry, Kaine Calls For Free And Fair Elections In Honduras", "2013-11-13", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In Letter To Secretary Kerry, Kaine Calls For Free And Fair Elections In Honduras\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 13, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and a dozen fellow senators sent a letter today to Secretary of State John Kerry calling for all possible efforts to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in Honduras.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m very concerned by the ongoing violence in Honduras and the impact on the November 24 elections,\u201c said Kaine, who served as a missionary in Honduras in 1980.\u00a0\u201cWe are receiving reports of threats against journalists and even assassinations of candidates.\u201d\r\nEmphasizing that the United States has no preferred outcome other than clean elections that win the confidence of the Honduran people, Kaine said, \u201conly a legitimate Honduran government can work to stem the systemic violence, end criminal impunity, and create opportunities for Honduran youth.\u201d\r\nThe letter calls for: unrestricted access to electoral facilities by Honduran and international\u00a0observers; strict neutrality on the part of the Honduran military; and compliance with an agreed code of conduct that provides legal channels for resolving any electoral disputes.\r\nJoining Kaine on the letter are Senators Tom Udall, Jeff Merkley, Barbara Mikulski, Benjamin Cardin, Barbara Boxer, Jeanne Shaheen, Martin Heinrich, Elizabeth Warren, Mark Udall, Jack Reed, Sheldon Whitehouse and Chris Murphy.\u00a0\r\nFull text is below:\u00a0\r\nNovember 13, 2013  The Honorable John Kerry  Secretary of State  U.S. Department of State  2201 C Street NW  Washington, D.C. 20520\r\nDear Secretary Kerry:\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0We write to express support for free and fair national and municipal elections in Honduras on November 24, 2013.\u00a0 The elections, which will be monitored by numerous domestic and international observers, are important for the future stability of Honduras and the region.\u00a0 The State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Honduras should make it clear that the United States, along with the Organization of American States, have an interest in promoting a free, fair and transparent electoral process.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Hondurans prepare to go to the polls in a difficult and dangerous climate.\u00a0 The country suffers from elevated levels of crime and the highest per capita murder rate in the world.\u00a0 Fragile institutions and a besieged judiciary have done little to punish the perpetrators of the violence, encouraging a climate of impunity and undermining citizens\u2019 confidence that their political, civil and human rights will be protected.\u00a0 Moreover, Honduran journalists are regularly the targets of violence and threats, and political candidates have been killed as a result of running for office. These challenges raise serious concerns over the Honduran government\u2019s ability to conduct free and fair elections.\u00a0The United States must press the Government of Honduras to ensure the right of all its citizens to peacefully assemble, campaign and vote.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0International and domestic election monitors \u2013 including some who are receiving U.S. assistance -- must be as vigilant during the ongoing campaign as they are the day of the vote.\u00a0 Planned assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) should support the integrity and transparency of the process by giving domestic observers the training and assistance they need to do their jobs effectively.\u00a0 The United States should urge Honduran officials, including representatives of the Honduran Supreme Electoral Tribunal, to ensure equal opportunities for the various political parties, including fair access to the media. \u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0On Election Day, monitors must have unrestricted access to electoral facilities and officials, particularly at the voting precincts.\u00a0 U.S. and international officials should encourage the leading candidates to use appropriate legal channels for any disputes, consistent with the signing of the August 23, 2013 \u201cCommitment to Minimum Guarantees for Electoral Ethics and Transparency in the 2013 General Elections.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Now and on Election Day, the United States must encourage the Honduran military to communicate clearly its constitutional role in distributing ballots to the precincts, and should\u00a0 stress that it remain strictly neutral in the political process.\u00a0 The United States should verify the results based on all available information, and encourage all candidates and the government to work towards a seamless and peaceful political transition.\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0A peaceful and fair election would promote Honduran confidence in the electoral process and help reduce polarization within Honduran society and bolster the stability needed to tackle the country\u2019s critical social, economic and security problems.\u00a0 Free and peaceful elections could serve as an important model of the democratic electoral process throughout the hemisphere.\u00a0\u00a0 Finally, we urge the State Department to continue its efforts to ensure free, fair and transparent elections and to keep us apprised of any developments which may threaten the credibility of the process or its results.\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Thank you for your attention to this important matter.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/in-letter-to-secretary-kerry-kaine-calls-for-free-and-fair-elections-in-honduras"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6932350117713213, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}