Accompaniment needed in Honduras

Dear Friends,

Father Ismael Moreno (Father Melo, pictured to the left) is a Jesuit priest, radio
host and important Witness for Peace partner in El Progreso, Honduras.

As an outspoken critic of last year's coup and its aftermath, he has also been a
target of death threats and has even had a bounty placed on his head. As a result of
Father Melo's work to protect Irma Melissa Villanueva, who was gang-raped by police
in the wake of the coup, *threats on his life are escalating.*

To ensure Father Melo's safety, our allies at the Quixote Center <[br />http://quixote.org/ ] are searching for individuals to accompany him in Honduras.

As of June 1, the people currently accompanying Father Melo will have to leave
Honduras. So far, no replacement as been found.

If you are interested in traveling to Honduras to accompany Father Melo, please
contact Jennifer Atlee at jennya@quixote.org. Spanish-language capacity and
experience in accompaniment work are desirable.

If you're unable to offer solidarity through accompaniment, please consider calling
the U.S. State Department (Gabriela Zambrano at 202-647-3482 or Chris Webster at
202-647-4087) or the U.S. Ambassador in Tegucigalpa at 011-504-236-9320 ext #4268 to
express your concerns with human rights violations in Honduras.

Thank you for your solidarity with the people of Honduras.

Paz,


Galen Cohee Baynes
Witness for Peace Nicaragua Team