Democracy in Peril: the Fight for Free Election in Honduras

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Good afternoon to all of you. We're going to be waiting for the ranking member to arrive, and then we'll start this hearing. All right, so the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere will come to order. The purpose of this hearing is to examine the threats to free and fair elections in Honduras under the Xiomara Castro government and to highlight how the United States can ensure that the will of the Honduran people is honored and respected on November 30th. I now recognize myself for an opening statement, a statement that I'm going to pronounce in English and in Spanish. I know that this hearing is being broadcast to Honduras, so I want to give the benefit of the Hondurans to understand what I'm going to say in English, also in Spanish. On November 30th, Honduras will not just pick a new president, it will choose its political destiny for the next century. It is the responsibility of the United States government and this committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States Congress, to ensure that in Honduras, freedom and democracy will prevail. Four years ago, the people of Honduras elected a socialist president called Xiomara Castro. Madam Castro has been a loyal follower, in her own words, of Fidel Castro in Cuba and Hugo Chávez in Venezuela. Do I have to explain to this audience what those two murderers did to their countries? Maybe not, because everybody knows. Unfortunately, and because of that poisonous ideology that the current president has embraced, Madam Castro has pushed her country into an economic abyss. And why do I say that? You can keep the door closed, please. Thank you. Thank you. And why do I say that? First, President Castro welcomed communist China and even suggested that she may give Palmerola Air Base to the Chinese. The Palmerola base is the key United States military installation in Latin America. Second, she broke relations with democratic Taiwan just to please China. Third, she gave another thug called Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela the highest Medal of Honor that the country can give to a civilian, the Order of Francisco Morazán. I am sure that Morazán has to be rolling in his grave. And fourth, flooded the country with Cuban spies dressed as doctors, teachers, and psychologists. 10 days from today—10 days from today, the fate of Honduras is in the hands of three candidates: Papi a la Orden, whose real name is Nasry Asfura, Salvador Nasralla, and Rixi Moncada. Mrs. Moncada is the heir to the communist throne picked by the current president. Mrs. Moncada says that Cuba is a democracy and that she wants Honduras to look just like Cuba. Well, this is the way Cuba looks today. I'm sure that Hondurans would not want that in their streets. At this hour, the voters of Honduras are at a crossroads, and they should think long and hard who are they going to vote for. As the chairwoman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee within the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States Congress, I am not telling you who to vote for. All I am saying is, do not elect a communist. Communism is beautiful in theory and miserable in practice. Look at Venezuela. After 25 years—or 25 years ago, the Venezuelans were oblivious to the same warning I am saying today, and not even having the largest reserves of oil in the world saved them from the economic catastrophe they're living today. Socialism's number one goal is to corrode the democratic institutional—institutions, especially the armed forces. The Honduran armed forces, the most powerful institution in the country, are demanding direct access to private voter information. The armed forces are demanding to know who voted for who. This is not the military which has made Hondurans proud for over 100 years. At the same time, or the same military, I should say, that pulled Mel Zelaya, the husband of the current president, out of his bed in his PJs, sent him to Costa Rica in the middle of the night for wanting to do the same thing that his wife is trying to do right now, impose communism in Honduras. 16 years ago, the military saved their country from communism, and today they need to do the same thing. So this committee is sending a very clear message, supported by the State Department and the Trump administration, that Honduras must hold a free, fair, and transparent elections. No intimidation, no stolen ballots, no foreign interference. The eye of the United States is upon Honduras this November 30th. In the United States, there are more than 1 million Hondurans, hundreds of thousands of them in my own district, Florida District number 27, the heart of the city of Miami. Oh, I know Hondurans very well. They are good people, hardworking, God-fearing, law-abiding, who have been beaten by a political class that has not treated them well for decades. They deserve someone who is not a communist, who will put the future of Honduras first, and that includes the two right candidates as well. Whomever wins these elections needs to put the fatherland above their own personal interests. Honduras's political class admires the American political and economic system. Well, it's time for them to start copying it. The nation's treasury is not their own personal checking account. The well-being of the average Honduran should be their only interest. Honduras deserves better. May the Lord guide them this November 30th. So those are my remarks in English. I am so sorry, I'm going to have to say the same remarks in Spanish for those who are watching and those who are not present in this room. And then I will give my colleagues time to ask their questions. El próximo 30 de noviembre, Honduras no solamente va a elegir a un presidente, sino va a decidir si la nación va a seguir siendo libre o no, o si cae en las garras del comunismo. Ese día, el país no va a votar por un nombre, va a votar por un futuro. Y la responsabilidad del gobierno de los Estados Unidos y de este comité y del Comité de Asuntos Exteriores del Congreso es velar porque en Honduras prevalezca la libertad y la democracia. Hace cuatro años el pueblo hondureño eligió a una presidenta socialista que se llama Xiomara Castro. La señora Castro se ha declarado con sus propias palabras admiradora de Fidel Castro y de Hugo Chávez. Yo no tengo que explicar lo que esos dos señores han hecho en sus países. La miseria, el exilio y la represión hablan por sí solos. Lamentablemente,

SPEAKER_UNKNOWN

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Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

gracias a esa ideología tóxica que la señora Castro ha abrazado, Honduras ha sido empujada a un abismo económico. ¿Y por qué digo eso? Bueno, primero, porque la señora Castro le abrió las puertas al régimen comunista de China y hasta ha dicho que podría entregarles la base aérea de Palmerola, que es una instalación militar estadounidense, la más importante en América Latina. Segundo, rompió relaciones con la democrática Taiwán para congraciarse con Beijing. Tercero, decoró al a otro tirano, a otro bandido, Nicolás Maduro, con la más alta distinción civil de Honduras, la Orden de Francisco Morazán. Morazán debe estar revolcándose en la tumba después que eso pasó. Y cuarto, llenó al país de espías cubanos disfrazados de médicos, maestros y psicólogos. A 10 días de las elecciones, el futuro de Honduras está en manos de tres candidatos: Papi a la Orden, cuyo nombre verdadero es Nasry Asfura, Salvador Nasralla y Rixi Moncada. La señora Moncada es la heredera del proyecto comunista seleccionado por la señora Castro. El pueblo hondureño se merece algo mejor. La señora Rixi dice que Cuba es una democracia y que quiere convertir a Honduras en el próximo paraíso caribeño. Vamos a ver cómo luce el próximo paraíso caribeño. Ese es el futuro que quieren para los hondureños. En este momento, los votantes hondureños están en una encrucijada y deben pensar muy bien por quién van a votar. Como presidenta del Subcomité del Hemisferio Occidental del Comité de Asuntos Exteriores de la Cámara de Representantes, yo no les estoy diciendo a nadie cómo tienen que votar. Lo único que le estoy diciendo es que no elijan a un comunista, porque el comunismo es fantástico en la teoría y terrible en la práctica. Si no, pregúntenle a mis padres. Los venezolanos ignoraron esta misma advertencia hace 25 años, y ni siquiera tener las mayores reservas de petróleo del planeta los han podido salvar de la catástrofe en la que vive Venezuela en este momento. Y ahora, las Fuerzas Armadas, la institución más poderosa del país, está exigiendo acceso directo a la información privada de los votantes. Pero ¿de cuándo acá los militares tienen que estar contando votos? Ese no es el mismo ejército que ha hecho que Honduras se sienta orgulloso por más de 100 años. Ese es el mismo ejército que sacó a Mel Zelaya, esposo de la actual presidenta, de la cama, de su propia cama, en el medio de la madrugada, en pijama, y lo mandó para Costa Rica porque estaba intentando hacer lo mismo que su esposa: implementar el comunismo en Honduras. En ese momento, los militares le salvaron la vida al país. Pues hoy, 16 años después, deben estar haciendo lo mismo. Por eso este comité le está enviando un mensaje contundente y claro a las Fuerzas Armadas, que hay y respaldado este mensaje por el Departamento de Estado y por la administración del presidente Donald Trump, que Honduras tiene que celebrar elecciones libres, justas y transparentes, sin intimidación, sin colectivos, sin actas robadas, sin interferencia extranjera. Los Estados Unidos tienen puesto sus ojos este próximo 30 de noviembre en Honduras. Hay más de un millón de hondureños en los Estados Unidos, y cientos de ellos viven en mi distrito, el distrito número 27 del estado de la Florida, que es el corazón de la ciudad de Miami. Gente buena, trabajadora, creyente y respetuosa de la ley que ha sufrido por una clase política que no los ha tratado bien hace mucho tiempo. Se merecen un líder que no sea comunista, que piense primero en el futuro. Quien gane estas elecciones debe poner los intereses de la patria primero, incluyendo los dos candidatos de derecha. Que Dios proteja a Honduras porque su futuro se va a decidir ahora. I now recognize the ranking member from Texas, Representative Mr. Castro, for any statement that he may have.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

Thank you, Chairwoman. We are 11 months into a new Congress and a new administration, and this is the very first hearing our subcommittee is holding on the Western Hemisphere. President Trump has brought us to the brink of war with Venezuela without the consent of the people. He's carried out extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific. He has cut off counter-narcotics cooperation with Colombia, a trusted ally. He sent hundreds to mass detention in El Salvador without any due process and now threatens strikes against Mexico. He's canceled hundreds of millions in regional programs without explanation to Congress, and all of this has occurred without any hearings at all, without transparency, and without the oversight the Constitution requires. 11 months in, we haven't even had a budget hearing where a senior administration official comes before this committee and explains priorities for Latin America, the Caribbean, and the entire region. By November of the first year when the Democrats were last in the majority, this subcommittee had held seven hearings, with the administration testifying at four of them. And Chairwoman, I know you push for the administration to provide a witness at this hearing. I strongly supported that request, and it's unacceptable that they are refusing to provide a witness for this hearing. In over a decade, actually a dozen years on this committee, I've never seen anything like this. The Republican administration is refusing to provide a hearing, a State Department witness for a Republican chairwoman. I think that's unprecedented, and it shows you the secrecy of the Trump administration. So, Chairwoman, I urge you to hold public hearings with the administration providing testimony on these serious issues in the hemisphere, and I will back up any request to come have the Trump administration testify. The American people deserve to hear what their government is doing, and this committee must exercise our oversight responsibilities. The hearing today, of course, is about Honduras, which will be holding elections in just 10 days, and I'm certainly concerned. It seems that the Honduran people's faith in their electoral institutions is at rock bottom. This is an election where the three major candidates could plausibly be within single-digit margins of each other without any runoffs. All three major candidates and their parties have made public statements that they do not trust this process, raising the possibility that they will not respect the results of the elections. Free and fair elections are the responsibility of everyone: the government, the opposition parties, the electoral authorities, the military, and the economic elite. The National Electoral Council, the entity responsible for organizing the elections, is deadlocked, under-resourced, and facing intense political pressure by both the government and opposition parties. The Honduran government declared a state of exception in 2022, restricting civil liberties and due process, and significantly restricted the ability of civil society to act freely and independently. We've also seen worrying levels of violence and intimidation against candidates, journalists, and civil society leaders across the political spectrum, which can chill participation and further undermine confidence in the election results. This is a difficult situation that Honduran officials, candidates, and civil society will have to navigate if they're to preserve their democracy. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has not met the moment. At the beginning of the year, the administration ended State Department and USAID programs that supported the rule of law and stronger electoral institutions in Honduras. Right before the critical March primary elections in Honduras, which Hondurans had serious concerns over, the administration cut funding for civil society organizations that would have provided much-needed transparency. The Trump administration has also been unwilling to raise any concerns for most of the year, finally making a statement just last— just a week ago, when Deputy Secretary Landau raised concerns. Fortunately, Hondurans in the region seem to be mobilizing. I'm glad that the OAS, the European Union, and other organizations will be sending election missions to Honduras. I urge the government to provide them with the transparency and the freedom to conduct their work, and I'm hopeful that we will see a robust civil society presence at the elections to provide much-needed transparency and hold both the government and opposition parties accountable to democratic values. I echo the OAS's recent call for the Honduran government to respect the independence of the National Electoral Council, which must conduct its work to ensure the elections are held on time. And when the elections are held, I hope that the authorities release verifiable results without delay. We should be principled in standing for democracy and the right of a people to elect their own leaders, regardless of whether the government is on the right or the left. While the United States and the international community can raise concerns and support Honduran society in advancing democratic values and norms, our role is not to pick the leaders of Honduras. And I look forward to hearing from the witnesses at this hearing.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you, Ranking Member. I hardly agree with you on many of the policy issues, but I do have to agree with you what you said, and we certainly hope that the State Department witness will come to one of these hearings in the very near future. Thank you for your comments. Now, other members of the committee are reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record. We're pleased to have a distinguished panel of witnesses before us today on this important topic. The Honorable Carlos Trujillo, former United States Ambassador to the Organization of American States, the oldest regional international organization in the world. Before that, Ambassador Trujillo served as Special Representative to the General Assembly of the United Nations, and he also served in the Florida House of Representatives for four terms. Thank you for being here, Ambassador. And Deborah Ullmer is the Regional Director of Latin America and the Caribbean Programs at the National Democratic Institute. The NDI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to promote transparent and fair elections. Mrs. Ullmer has spent over a decade living and working in Latin America on democracy issues for NDI, for Freedom House, and for the United States government. Welcome, Madam. And lastly, we have Enrique Roig, Vice President of External Affairs at Human Rights First. Mr. Roig previously worked at the State Department and USAID on Latin American issues and has testified before this committee in other capacities. This committee recognizes the importance of the issues before us and is grateful to have you here to speak today. Your full statements will be made part of the record, and I will ask you to keep your remarks to 5 minutes or less. And now I recognize Ambassador Trujillo for his opening statement. Thank you.

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

Thank you, Chairwoman Salazar, Ranking Member Castro, and the distinguished members of this committee. I am deeply grateful for the invitation to appear before you today to offer testimony concerning the critical matter of the upcoming elections in Honduras. When Xiomara Castro was elected president in 2021, many welcomed her as a voice of change. Unfortunately, the reality has been significantly different. She has institutionalized a government based on extreme political ideology and has repeatedly expressed an affinity for totalitarian regimes, including those of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. As the first months of the administration progressed, concerns immediately grew regarding the direction of the new government, particularly following her decision to eliminate and sever all diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establish and recognize the Communist Party and Republic of China. She has also failed to seat the Israeli ambassador, who has been credentialed before her for over a year and a half. They've also organized groups of street thugs organized and funded by the government known as colectivos to influence episodes of tension and violence and to intimidate the election authorities and the National Congress. Several high-level officials also chose to resign due to internal disagreements or differences of opinion with their government. Among them was Edmundo Orellana, who served as Secretary of Transparency and Anti-Corruption. In the period leading up to the current elections, civil society organizations, political sectors, and observers have expressed concerns over irregularities, particularly regarding delays and obstacles in contracting of essential services for Election Day. Recently, the tensions between the executive branch and the National Electoral Council have intensified. The former president of the Electoral Council, Cossette López-Osorio, has reported receiving death threats and judicial pressure, which, according to her, were intended to force her resignation. Magistrate Ana Paola Hall has similarly conveyed in public forums that she perceives threats to her security, escalating concerns regarding a potential maneuver to replace current electoral authorities with individuals deemed to be much more aligned with the interests of the current administration. Just last February, President Xiomara Castro's government canceled the extradition agreement for narcotics trafficking and organized crime extradition to the United States. The agreement was ultimately reinstated, but I believe the question to the committee is, why would she take such an extreme measure? She's also threatened to cancel the military cooperation of the American base in Palmerola, threats that are made repeatedly and constantly at American diplomats in-country. Another sensitive point is the role of the armed forces. If we look at the historic record, their function in election has been limited to the custody and transportation of ballot boxes across the country. However, recent statements by the high command, particularly the General Roosevelt Hernández, have been interpreted by some sectors as an attempt to involve themselves in areas beyond their constitutional authority, raising concerns about their impartiality. I would also like to add the maneuvers performed within the National Congress by the leadership of Luis Redondo similarly warrant close attention and cannot be disregarded. The government of Honduras has been operating under a state of emergency since 2022. The constitutional safeguards and rights of its citizens have ultimately been suspended. Redondo used this as an opportunity to continue ordinary sessions despite more than 78 of the 128 members of Congress demanding, demanding to return to regular session. Instead, he opted to create a permanent commission composed of nine deputies aligned with his Libre party. Through this structure, interim appointments could be imposed once officials of the National Election of Electoral Council and Electoral Justice Tribunal are suspended or removed from their positions. Finally, the role of the Public Ministry has been subject of debate. Various opposition parties have alerted that the Attorney General, Johel Zelaya, the nephew of Libre candidate Rixi Moncada, has been making decisions favoring his aunt, including legally contested actions against election electoral authorities. Some officials in this environment have temporarily left the country due to fear of prosecution or death. For members of Congress and of the Trump administration, strengthening electoral transparency in Honduras is essential. Washington maintains a significant influence in the country through security operation, family ties, and deep bilateral economic cooperation. I commend the committee members for being here today and discussing this very important election. In less than 10 days, the future of one of our great allies will be decided.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you, Ambassador Trujillo. I now recognize Ms. Ullmer for her opening statement.

Ms. Deborah UllmerSPEAKER_01

Thank you, Chairwoman Salazar, Ranking Member Castro, and members of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. Thank you for this opportunity to address this hearing. I've worked and lived in Honduras, where I witnessed the post-election violence in 2017. As you know, NDI organized a bipartisan pre-election assessment mission when we visited the country in early August. NDI's findings and recommendations and assistance to a broad citizen observation initiative called the Observadores Electorales de Honduras inform my observations. NDI's work is currently supported by the National Endowment for Democracy. As Honduras heads to the November 30th elections in just 10 days, the stakes extend far beyond its borders. At a moment when democracy is being tested across the globe, this vote will determine more than who governs Honduras. It will shape the country's stability and influence regional security and U.S. strategic interest in Central America. A credible election in Honduras is essential to avoiding a slide into deeper political instability. The real stake lies beyond electoral disputes, which can trigger immediate unrest. The larger danger is more profound: a leadership that assumes office without a genuine mandate, weakening democratic checks, further eroding public confidence, and undermining the country's governability in lasting ways. Washington has good reason to care. Honduras is already a major point for cocaine moving from South America to the United States. Political turmoil could make this already serious problem much worse. The country is also home to Soto Cano Air Base, a key hub for U.S. military operations in Central America. And with more than 200 U.S. companies operating in Honduras, instability could put significant American investment at risk. In short, Honduras's stability matters to American security, economic interest, and the lives of thousands of families with deep ties in both countries. Yet, Hondurans face this election with deep distrust in their government, rooted in the 2009 constitutional crises that led to a coup d'état, and the 2017 presidential reelection when allegations of fraud resulted in deadly post-election violence. Recent votes have only stoked public mistrust and instability. The March general primaries were marred by failures to safeguard ballots, and significant voting delays occurred in the country's two largest cities, in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Since its August mission, NDI has heard consistent concerns about undue political interference and legal pressures on the National Electoral Council and the Electoral Justice Tribunal. These actions contribute to a serious deterioration of democratic norms, as sustained attacks from other branches of government against electoral authorities deepen the risk of prolonged political crises. In this respect, the work of the National Electoral Council hinges on the cooperation of all political actors and government institutions, including the armed forces, which are constitutionally mandated not only with safeguarding the ballots or providing overall election security, but also with guaranteeing the orderly alternation of power. The Honduran people deserve credible and transparent elections in which their votes are counted accurately and their voices are respected. NDI is still hopeful that a credible and transparent election is possible. To that end, the timing of this hearing, Madam Chairwoman, is perfect. I would like to offer the following recommendations: One, that Congress should continue voicing its strong bipartisan backing for free, fair, and transparent elections in Honduras, including through public statements, letters, and continued engagement with the Honduran authorities and civil society. Two, that the United States should continue working with the Organization of American States to initiate and sustain dialogue efforts, which will be essential as the election approaches, and in the immediate aftermath when tensions may run high. Three, the United States should explicitly affirm the importance of Honduran observers and convey its strong support for their work, emphasizing that nonpartisan and independent observation is essential for public confidence in their vote. Chairwoman Salazar, Ranking Member Castro, and members of the subcommittee, thank you again for the opportunity to testify. I look forward to your questions.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Thanks to you, Mrs. Ullmer, and I now recognize Mr. Roig for his opening and last statement. Thank you.

Mr. Enrique RoigSPEAKER_06

Chairwoman Salazar, Ranking Member Castro, and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I'm here on behalf of Human Rights First to discuss the upcoming elections in Honduras and the ways in which recent U.S. foreign assistance decisions have impacted the ability to support electoral observation, civil society oversight, media programs, and anti-corruption efforts. As you know, Honduras enters its next electoral cycle already burdened by increased polarization, a legacy of irregular elections, and a justice system that has been hollowed out by political manipulation and organized crime infiltration. There undoubtedly is a need for increased vigilance and raising of the alarm on the Honduras election. However, the Trump administration has been relatively silent and taken a largely transactional approach to the Castro government focused mainly on deportations. According to Human Rights First's ICE Flight Monitor, the United States, from January to October 2025, carried out 353 deportation flights to Honduras, making it the second-highest deportation destination after Guatemala. The administration also pressured Honduras into signing asylum cooperative agreements that allow the U.S. to send asylum seekers there without assessing their claims. And the administration's termination of TPS for 72,000 Hondurans in September of this year has further placed even more people at risk of removal. Now, while the Trump administration has remained focused on deportations, there are other national security interests at play that require greater vigilance of the electoral process in Honduras. Fortunately, the European Union and the Organization of American States have stepped up and called for greater transparency and legitimacy of the upcoming election. Today, Honduran civil society, much to their credit, have been able to organize domestic observers. However, they have had to cobble together their effort at the last moment because the foreign assistance they depended on was terminated. If U.S. foreign assistance had not been decimated, the Honduran observers would have greater resources to ensure increased scrutiny of the elections at this critical juncture. Unfortunately, this is not just a Honduran problem. Beginning early this year, the administration froze and terminated a broad range of USAID and State Department programs, including those that have long supported election integrity, civil society resilience, and anticorruption efforts in the region, including support to independent election observers and technical assistance to electoral authorities, investigative journalism networks and fact-checking consortia that counter disinformation during elections, digital security programs that protect activists, monitors, and independent media from targeted attacks, rule of law and anticorruption initiatives that help insulate prosecutors, auditors, and judges from political interference. Now, I know that members of this committee have asked what the administration is currently doing to support these democracy and governance programs. The short answer is clearly not enough. And while the State Department has stated publicly that some of these programs continue to be administered, the reality on the ground is a very different story. The foreign assistance dismantling has terminated or halted the core program lines for democracy, civil society, and election support that this region depends on. My previous bureau, DRL, has undergone a significant structural downgrade, with its entire Western Hemisphere expertise purged and effective elimination of most of its regional programming to support critical work in Honduras. Former USAID implementers tell us they are in survival mode—unable to plan, unable to hire, unable to continue critical election integrity and anticorruption work. And the strategic messaging coming from U.S. leadership today prioritizes deportation and short-term security concerns, not the democracy, rights, and governance work that addresses the root causes driving instability. The consequences are already visible across the region: weaker civic space, diminished oversight, and far greater room for authoritarian and criminal actors to manipulate electoral processes. Now, for decades, Democrats and Republicans alike understood that investing in these democracy and governance programs is not just about values; it is about national security. Restoring and protecting these programs are critical, as we have seen in the lead-up to high-risk elections in Honduras and elsewhere in the region. It is in the strategic interest of the United States. So, thank you again for the opportunity to testify, and I look forward to your questions.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you, Mr. Roig. I now recognize myself for 5 minutes of questioning. So, I think we're all on the same page. We want Honduras to have a free, fair elections November 30th, and that is the reason why we're here, and I have two questions, and I can start with you, Ambassador Trujillo, and obviously, Deborah, you can always pitch in. Is the current Castro government trying to rig the elections, yes or no? And if they are, how are they doing it? And number three, what can the United States do in order to stop that effort?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

Thank you, Madam Chair. The answer is yes, and how are they doing it? If you look at the way that they've gone after the Electoral Council, the Electoral Council is composed of one member from each party. There are three major parties in Honduras. Everyone sends their representative. The Attorney General, who happens to be Rixi Moncada, one of the candidates' nephew, has decided to summon the two opposition parties to come and testify before his office. The purpose of this testimony is to present criminal charges, to ultimately disqualify them from serving in that capacity. Who will be the replacement?

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

What's the importance of the National Electoral Council for those that don't understand well? Why are they— the

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

council adjudicates the outcomes of the elections and certifies its results. And the reason it's composed of all political parties, because you want buy-in, you want finality, you want certainty. The fact that those two members are being attacked by the actual government and by the nephew of one of the opposition candidates shows you where this election is headed. Furthermore, Redondo, who controls the National Assembly, has already named the replacements. The replacements for partisan positions are not from the same party. They're hand-selected by their government in order to influence the outcome of the election.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

What can the United States do at this hour, 10 days out from the election, in order to prevent any type of stealing or rigged— rigging the presidential elections? What can we do?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

First, I commend you on this hearing. I think the vigilance of this committee and the private statements and influence of members of the committee— sometimes it's difficult to recognize when you're sitting in the seats that you're sitting the importance of the words that you say and how important they are in country, in Honduras, and how it gives hope to the Honduran people. The amount of people you see sitting here behind us who really their hope on saving their democracy is kind of vested in a hearing like this. The other thing is the United States government has a plethora of tools that they could use in order to apply individual sectoral pressure to individuals who violate or usurp the rule of law, who violate or usurp democracy, individuals who commit human rights violations, whether it's in a targeted sanction matter towards an individual or towards an entire institution. I think all those tools are available, and ultimately the lack of recognition for the legitimacy of these regimes. If they do steal the election and they do go down that road, how does it end? And it has to end without any credible democratic actor recognizing the legitimacy of the regime.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Deborah, if you would like to add, I have a couple of questions for you.

Ms. Deborah UllmerSPEAKER_01

Sure. Thank you. I'd like to add on messages that the US and your committee is already giving through this hearing, but messages that can be amplified. That is ensuring the respect for minimum principles of election integrity, ensuring that the elections take place on the planned date, as the OAS Secretary General has said, guaranteeing that party representatives and nonpartisan citizen observers have access to polling stations and the collation centers to ensure transparency and accountability, respecting the independence of electoral institutions so that they can fulfill their mandates, publishing prompt and verifiable results, including polling station-level results, and demonstrating the unwavering respect for the will of the people. Thank you.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Mr. Roig, I'm not sure if you are—if you feel comfortable answering this question, but the armed forces—the armed forces there is one of the most respected institutions in Honduras. I just mentioned during my initial statement, in 2009, they pulled out of his bed—I was there as a journalist—in the middle of the night, in PJs, put him on a plane, and sent him to Costa Rica because Mel Zelaya wanted to implement communism in Honduras. Now, 16 years after, his wife is doing that job. Just explain to us in which way the armed forces could stop everything that the other witnesses have described.

Mr. Enrique RoigSPEAKER_06

Yes. So Madam Chairwoman, the armed forces obviously play an important role in the elections in Honduras. They are there to safeguard and ensure the transportation of election materials, and so it's going to be important to have continued vigilance over that role that they're going to be playing, and ensure that they're not further politicized, as we've seen some of the statements coming out of heads of the military, particularly against media. And so it is concerning, and that's why we have electoral observation happening on the ground to ensure that things do go smoothly and in a way that's transparent.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

What I just would like to hear from three of you, why have the Honduran armed forces been involved in a way that has not been seen in the last 50 years? There were

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

Yeah, I would say through General Roosevelt and many others, they're much more politicized. The rank-and-file armed forces—

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

did that start?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

that started under this administration, under Xiomara Castro.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

And why did that happen? What incentives did the current president or government has given the top echelon of the armed forces to become more politicized? What happened?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

It's absolute loyalty to the executive rather than to the Constitution.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

That has not been the case in Honduras for the last 100 years.

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

Historically, it would be difficult to see the president of the country giving multiple political speeches with high-ranking generals standing behind him.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

And then why did that happen? Because I remember when I lived in Honduras that this is the only country in Central America which did not have a guerrilla, right? We would go to Honduras just to rest from El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua. Honduras was like the ha- I would go for the haven. But what happened with those armed forces that kept at bay a guerrilla movement?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

The top purge of the armed forces, the top brass of the armed forces have been purged and replaced by ideological loyalists to the regime.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

That happened in Cuba, Castro; Chávez, Venezuela;

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

and Nicaragua.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

I yield back and I recognize Ranking Member Castro for 5 minutes.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

Thank you, Chairwoman. That's happening in Donald Trump's America right now too. On these kinds of hearings, one of the disadvantages that we have here when you're not in the country that we're discussing is that we're not on the ground. We're not in the middle of the action, so to speak. And so we rely on witnesses and experts and others to come and tell us, based on their expertise, what's going on. And it's hard sometimes to sort out what's fact and fiction, or exaggeration or hyperbole, and you probably can never be 100% certain of anything that you hear. But I wanted to start with you, Ambassador Trujillo, because you did mention conflicts of interest with the attorney general and so forth, and I want to commend you for your service as ambassador, U.S. ambassador to the OAS. But I also want to ask you about conflicts of interest that you have sitting here today. You are a registered foreign agent. Is that correct?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

That is correct, but not in Honduras.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

You represent the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Guyana, Japan, and Bosnia, is that correct?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

And Kenya as well.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

in Kenya. You and your firm have significant corporate clients in Honduras who are actively working against the sitting government, is that correct?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

That's not correct.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

you have clients in Honduras?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

I do have clients in Honduras.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

You represent Próspera Honduras?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

I do no longer represent Próspera Honduras.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

Does your firm still represent Próspera Honduras?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

We do not represent Próspera Honduras.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

When did you represent them? For what period of time?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

Prior to the Trump administration, probably through— it wasn't it was one of my partners in my firm, probably through the first quarter of this year.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

You also represent two financial institutions in Honduras, you or your firm?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

They're all over Central America, yes.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

And so I want to ask you, did you discuss your upcoming testimony with any of your clients before this hearing?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

I have not.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

Did you get advice from—

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Ranking Member, I'm sorry, I'm interrupting. I think we're here for just one purpose, to assure that November 30th are clean and fair elections in Honduras.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

Well,

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Ambassador Trujillo may have many clients in Honduras, but that does not mean that he does not want the best outcome on November 30th. So I think we should just concentrate on finding out what's really happening right now and how we can preserve the integrity of those elections.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

Well, Chairwoman, I've never interrupted your time, and you've never interrupted my time, and these are fair questions about a witness, especially when the witness talked about conflicts of interest of others in Honduras. I think it's fair to consider whether there's conflicts of interest being presented to us here today. And so, that's why I asked him about the clients that he represented, including Próspera, which was very controversial in Honduras, which was fighting with the government there, involved in litigation and later arbitration. I think that's a significant perspective and obviously one that you've you've chosen to discuss this, but I think that folks need to know that. I think that's important.

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

If you're insinuating, just to be clear, right, remember, if you're insinuating that my testimony here is tainted because 9 months ago I represented—and I didn't even personally represent them, my firm represented Honduras Próspera, which is another asset, American asset by the way, that was sequestered and taken away by this government and is actually being actively supported not only by the Biden State Department, but also by the Trump one. If you're insinuating that that somehow taints my testimony, it's factually inaccurate.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

No, Ambassador, I commended you for your service as ambassador to OAS. I'm not saying that your testimony is tainted, but I want there to be a full understanding about your perspective as a witness. It's very rare that we have a registered foreign agent and a registered lobbyist sit in that chair where you're sitting. That almost never happens. So when it does, I think it's important to discuss that. But I have a question for Mr. Roig really quickly. I want to ask you actually, Mr. Roig or Ms. Ullmer, both of you have emphasized the importance of independent electoral institutions. Given the deadlock inside the National Electoral Council and the political pressure facing the Tribunal for Electoral Justice, what are the most urgent steps Honduras must take in the next 10 days to restore minimum public confidence in these institutions? There's 10 days left. What has to happen?

Ms. Deborah UllmerSPEAKER_01

Thank you. The independence of the Honduran electoral institutions are vital, and that is not only of the National Electoral Council, but it's also the Electoral Justice Tribunal. They both have important results—one who administers the results, the other who adjudicates any challenges. But it's critical that these institutions are able to fulfill their mandates and ensure credible and transparent elections. I commend the CNE for accrediting, I think, a record number of domestic observers. The Hondurans are doing their part. They have come together, and thousands of volunteer observers have come together to provide oversight and to protect the will of the people. I also commend the private sector for stepping in and providing funding for these observation efforts.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

Mr. Roig, if I could just get a quick answer there.

Mr. Enrique RoigSPEAKER_06

Ranking Member, in terms of what more we can be doing, having worked at the State Department, I would say at this stage it's really important that the State Department be much more vocal between now and November 30th. The silence has been deafening. And so to the extent—I know you tried to get a witness here today, but I think that the State Department has a critical role to play in demonstrating that it is watching what's happening and showing vigilance over this process. And so I would hope that they would take that to heart in the lead-up to the election.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

Thank you.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you, Ranking Member. I now recognize Congressman Shreve from Indiana.

Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN)SPEAKER_02

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. So we're holding this hearing today recognizing that the elections are at the end of the month, and Honduras has held democratic elections for 45 years now. But the country continues to struggle with authoritarian governance, leaving these democratic institutions fragile. We see ominous signs. The current AG, Johel Zelaya, is prosecuting the Electoral Justice Tribunal magistrates who have to certify this election at the end of this month, issued formal charges against the Honduran Supreme Court, ruled that the magistrates have constitutional immunity. It's a case of electoral misconduct. Actions reminiscent of the autocratic regimes of the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan governments. Thank you. Ambassador Trujillo, this may seem like an obvious question, but for my edification and for the record, are you concerned about this possibly illegal escalatory action? And what does it say about the state of democracy in Honduras over this 45-year context that we've had the opportunity to observe?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

I would say the state of democracy is very, very fragile. If you look at the institutions, if you look at the weaponization of those institutions, if you look at the Electoral Council, the prosecution of some of the members of opposition parties, I've been to Honduras dozens of times. I spent significant time there during my time as OAS Ambassador. I worked with the anticorruption missions. I know the country relatively well. It's as fragile as I've seen it in recent times, and that's taking into account that their previous president is serving time in federal prison for being— for drug trafficking.

Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN)SPEAKER_02

Let me offer another example. The National Electoral Council Liberal Party representative, Ana Paola Hall, resigned after facing threats and intense political pressure from the Castro administration. Ambassador, as you know, the CNE is the independent body responsible for organizing and guaranteeing all elections in Honduras. Mr. Ambassador, what actions did our State Department take in response to the actions taken against Representative Hall by the Castro administration?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

I'm not sure of exactly I'm not a U.S. government official, so I'm not sure of exactly what actions the U.S. State Department took. I'm not sure. I believe they did have some private consultations with them, but I'm not sure.

Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN)SPEAKER_02

Well, I appreciate that. I know that you're not presently in service, and that speaks to the merit in this subcommittee's wish to have a representative of our State Department in service with us for such a hearing today. But I appreciate that, and I don't know if any of our other witnesses have a perspective to offer on that front. And if not, I would yield back. Mr. Roig.

Mr. Enrique RoigSPEAKER_06

Congressman, I'll just offer up that, on the surface, what we've seen and what I mentioned in my opening statement is the transactional nature of the Trump administration with Honduras. If the focus is mainly on deportations, with 353 flights just this year alone, then that obviously sends a message to the Castro government of what our interests are, and I think ultimately weakens our leverage on issues like this around the election. And so, I don't know behind the scenes what kind of discussions might have had on, specifically to your question, but again, on the surface, I think we can all see what's happening here. And that, having been a State Department official, you don't want to give up that much leverage when the other side knows exactly what you're all about when it comes to the bilateral relationship.

Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN)SPEAKER_02

Sir, how is, how are the democracy watchers in your organization funded? You'll be on the ground in Honduras. Will you have a representative of your organization on the ground?

Mr. Enrique RoigSPEAKER_06

My organization will not be on the ground. I'm We're not currently operating in Honduras, but my colleague here can speak to that, please.

Ms. Deborah UllmerSPEAKER_01

Yes, sir. We are currently funded by the National Endowment for Democracy. They funded our pre-election assessment, which was bipartisan, in August, and they are helping fund us for providing technical assistance to a national observation initiative that will be observing in large numbers on Election Day.

Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-IN)SPEAKER_02

Thank you. My time's expired and I yield back.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Yeah Thank you, Congressman Shreve from the state of Indiana. Now, I recognize Mr. Stanton from the state of New Mexico.

Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ)SPEAKER_08

Close.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

5 minutes.

Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ)SPEAKER_08

Arizona and New Mexico like each other very much, but the Southwest, we got to hang together. That's right.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

listen, they gave me the— I'm sorry. It's

Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ)SPEAKER_08

okay.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

I'm very sorry, Arizona. Sounds a little bit better than New Mexico. Thank you. Yes.

Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ)SPEAKER_08

But thank you, Madam Chair, for convening this hearing. Thank you for our witnesses for being here today, particularly on very short notice. We understand that you were asked to appear before this committee in very short notice, and I associate my comments with a lot of the comments made by our chair and our ranking member about the critical importance of free, fair, democratic elections in Honduras. I also associate myself with the comments of Representative Castro. We wouldn't need a registered lobbyist before us if the Trump administration had sent their representatives, because we have some very tough questions for the Trump administration and their policy in the Western Hemisphere. And I don't diminish the importance of these critical upcoming elections in Honduras at the end of the month and the serious threats to free and fair elections, taking a page out of some of Maduro's bag of tricks, if you will, to usurp free and fair elections. These matters deserve our attention. But for me, it is unfathomable that this single topic would dominate our first hearing in over half a year. We have not met as a subcommittee in more than 6 months. During that time, the Trump administration has been carrying out unchecked actions that fall squarely within the purview of the Foreign Affairs Committee and this, this particular committee. The president continues to halt foreign assistance, leaving the door wide open to greater PRC influence. He's threatened Brazil, Brazilian officials who convicted his friend Bolsonaro of attempting a coup. He has illegally deported immigrants to El Salvador, where they were tortured, according to a recent report by Human Rights Watch. And the Foreign Affairs Committee has remained, for the most part, silent. Congress has failed to provide the American people with any meaningful debate or discussion about these consequential actions. There has been no attempt to demand justification under our Constitution. Just as my Republican colleagues have made no real attempt to check the president's abuse of tariff authority, my Republican colleagues seem to content to let him impose tariffs as high as he chooses, on any country he chooses, for any reason he chooses, consequences for American consumers and businesses be damned. Again and again, the GOP-led Congress is missing in action on these critical issues. But nowhere is this abdication more dangerous than in Venezuela. President Trump has usurped Congress' war powers. He has unilaterally declared hostilities and launched lethal attacks without congressional authorization. The administration has provided no credible rationale to Congress or the American people for these actions. The Pentagon hasn't even provided evidence that the people they've struck are narcotrafickers. Congress has made importation of illegal drugs into the United States a felony offense to be prosecuted in our courts with severe criminal penalties, and American officials are already doing that work, like the women and men of the U.S. Coast Guard and the DEA. Now, though, the administration has deployed an, an invasion-level force in the Caribbean: 15,000 troops, a carrier strike group, a nuclear submarine, and military aircraft, the largest military buildup in the region since the Cuban Missile Crisis, for what they claim is a counternarcotics mission. And the president has openly threatened land strikes in Venezuela, despite his own administration assuring law law makers that there were no such plans and that they lacked legal justification. This is a stunning escalation to the brink of war in the Western Hemisphere. The president believes he can act as judge, jury, and executioner, and no one will stop him. My colleagues across the aisle have given him no reason to think otherwise. Make no mistake, Nicolás Maduro's regime is illegitimate and undemocratic, and I am constantly inspired by María Corina Machado and her fight to advance democracy in Venezuela. But the history of U.S. military intervention in Latin America and the Caribbean should warn us that military action may not lead to the democratic transition the Venezuelan people desire, and for which they voted peacefully in 2024. These actions put U.S. soldiers at risk, they erode our relationships across the hemisphere. Already, one of our closest allies, the United Kingdom, suspended intelligence sharing with the United States over concerns with these killings. Ranking Member Meeks has introduced a war powers resolution to halt the Trump administration's unauthorized military actions, a resolution I am proud to back. The American people do not want another forever war with loosely defined goals, fought without so much as a debate. That is not what they elected us to do, and that is not what our Constitution permits. So, Madam Chair, I appreciate this hearing. It is an important matter, but I wanted to address what I consider some incredibly constitutional, constitutional threats to our democracy by the actions of Venezuela. I yield back.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Honorable Representative Stanton from the state of Arizona, I very much appreciate your comments. I do agree. I think that we should send a message that regardless whether we have a representative from the State Department or not, that we are united, Democrats and Republicans, in sending a message to the Hondurans and to the armed forces in Honduras that they should preserve the integrity of the elections coming on November 30th. Don't we agree on that?

Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ)SPEAKER_08

Well

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

said. And we also agree, as Republicans and Democrats, members of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, that Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela is a threat to democracy in the Western Hemisphere. Not only that, I think that you forgot to mention that he is the head of one of the drug cartels called the Suns Cartel. Not only that, he was indicted in 2020 in a federal grand jury for drug trafficking. He stole the elections 70 to 30, and the legitimate president of Venezuela is hiding in a tunnel somewhere in Caracas, waiting for the United States to do what we need to do, which is to maintain this hemisphere free for fair elections and for democracy and for freedom. I think that you agree with me, don't you?

Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ)SPEAKER_08

Thank you

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

very much. I think that you missed out on saying those.

Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ)SPEAKER_08

Of course, and I look forward to a hearing on that matter at our next—

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

And we will, and I'm sure that you will be here. Thank you very much for your words. Now I'm going to give the opportunity to Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove of California. Thank you. I do yield back and give you 5 minutes.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

Thank you, Madam Chair. And thankfully you didn't say from Texas,

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

right, or from Arizona.

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

That would be

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

a

Ranking Member Joaquin Castro (D-TX)SPEAKER_07

compliment if you

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA)SPEAKER_03

said something. Ah, oh, that's right, that's right, that's right. Madam Chair, thank you for holding this meeting, this hearing. And it is absolutely ridiculous that 11 months into the year, this subcommittee has not had a single administration official come to testify on any issue on the Western Hemisphere. If nothing else, it is a vivid display of the total lack of respect this administration has for my Republican colleagues, your constituents, and their expectation of your acquiescence. But it is not surprising. Trump has completely sidelined Congress as a co-equal branch of government, and nowhere is that more apparent than in his Latin America policy. A region that demands better from us and actually deserves our thoughtful attention, like talking about free and fair elections in Honduras. In the time that this subcommittee has failed to exercise its constitutional oversight duty or play any meaningful role in the United States foreign policy toward Latin America, the Western Hemisphere has become ground zero for the administration's Trump has deported people with no due process in violation of the Constitution to a maximum-security gulag-like prison in El Salvador. His temper tariffs on Mexico, rooted in an abuse of IEEPA authorities, have inflated prices on the produce and coffee we get from our largest trading partner, hurting my constituents in LA and Americans across the country. Trump has slapped 50% tariffs on Brazil, with whom we have a trade surplus, just to prevent his political ally Jair Bolsonaro from being convicted of a coup attempt inspired by Trump's own January 6th insurrection. Trump revoked TPS for Venezuelan, Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Haitian legal immigrants, thousands of whom reside in your district, Madam Chair. And I know you've been trying to work on that. It is to the point that Republican donors are calling Republicans out to do something. Something. He has executed a $40 billion bailout to Argentina during a government shutdown where he refused to spend $4 billion in SNAP emergency funds to feed his own constituents in this country. And I haven't even gotten to the second elephant in the room, because the first elephant is this no one from Secretary of State the Secretary of State, no one from State Department or an administration official is here. But the second elephant in the room, the reason this administration is running scared from Congress and refused to show up, is because Latin America has become a staging ground for Trump's blatantly illegal use of military force abroad and his trampling of the Constitution. To date, the administration has conducted 21 strikes in the Caribbean, killing at least 83 people. And its justification that it can target whoever it wants, wherever it wants, as long as it claims that they are drug traffickers, with or without evidence. And these illegal strikes just got even more illegal, because if the administration does want the authority for these strikes, the War Powers Act requires that they come to Congress for an authorization of military force 60 days after it first enters into hostilities. It has been 77 days since the administration informed Congress of the strike. The 60-day War Powers deadline has come and gone. And the administration has refused to follow the law and seek an AUMF from Congress. The illegality of this military action is provoking a crisis within our armed forces. The admiral at U.S. Southern Command, which is overseeing the boat strikes, retired rather than be complicit in this illegal behavior. And yesterday, NBC News reported that the senior military lawyer at SOUTHCOM believed the strikes could amount to extrajudicial killings, but he was overruled by senior administration officials, meaning the administration knowingly broke the law. Which brings me to Venezuela, where we are returning to the Cold War. Just yesterday, Trump reportedly authorized CIA plans for covert action inside the country. In an era of great power competition and limited resources, he has diverted significant naval capabilities to South America, including our most advanced carrier. And he has not provided a single briefing to either chamber of Congress on these outrageous plans. I don't know a single voter whose top issue in 2024 or even this past November was launching a ground invasion of Venezuela. I have to say, Madam Chair, you are a strong sister, and you deserve more than this. And you should not let them do you like this. You should not let them do any of us like this. And I support you as you continue to demand that administration officials show up and testify before this body. If you have nothing to hide, then you should have everything to share. And it is okay, it is okay to sit before us and have to answer uncomfortable questions. But you should at least have the decency, the decency to respect this body. We are moving into a moment that is shameful, it is dystopian, and it is a dereliction of duty, and none of us, none of us want those subscriptions attached to our names and our work and our commitment to this region. Madam Chair, I thank you for holding this meeting. I actually have two things I would like to enter into the record asking unanimous consent. You know, I got so worked up because I know you care about this region, you know I care about this region, I know you care about your people, and we care about doing what's right. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record an NBC News-titled article "Top military lawyer raised legal concerns about boat strikes." And I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record open letter to the Miami-Dade delegation, Defend Immigrants Now. It is an opinion op-ed in the Miami Herald.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you. I appreciate your words. I agree with some of them. Thank you, Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove, for of course of California. And now I recognize Congressman Randy Fine from the beautiful and marvelous state of Florida. 5 minutes.

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL)SPEAKER_09

Well, thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you. I'm new to the committee, or the subcommittee, having just been added to Foreign Affairs shortly before the August recess. It's an honor to be here and be discussing the subject. I want to talk about why I think this is important, why we should care, because that's really what many of my constituents ask me on all of these issues of international relations: Why should they care? And I'm going to. give my reason, and I've got a couple of questions. I worry about this because we clearly have a problem in Venezuela with narcotrafficking, trafficking of drugs. And I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for showing such leadership and saying, I'm not going to let these drugs come into our country, and I fully applaud and support everything that he is doing there. But Attorney General Bondi stated in August of this year that the Venezuelan regime has paid for access to Honduran airspace to transport cocaine without detection, and that bothers me. And so we should care because Honduras's geographic position makes it critical for us to stop this. It also matters because we have to worry about geopolitical competition. We have to worry about a world in which China wishes to be ascendant, and as they come into our part of the world, the Western Hemisphere, we need to be cognizant of that, and as we've seen in Honduras, that is a risk. And then finally, I am very focused on on the pitfalls of illegal immigration and the extraordinary damage that it has done to my constituents in the state of Florida with higher criminal costs, higher healthcare costs, higher education costs, higher insurance costs, and higher higher housing costs. And it's my view that all illegal immigrants, every single one, should be sent home. And so the last thing we need is to create situations where more want to come to our country. So I think for all of these reasons, we need to be concerned about what is happening in Honduras. So I have a question for the ambassador who I served with in the Florida House, and it's always an honor to see you here. Honduras was only was among only four Latin American countries, along with Bolivia, Cuba, and Nicaragua, that recognized Maduro's fraudulent election in July of 2024. How does that fact reflect on their commitment to democratic norms, and what does that say we should be concerned about with the election that's coming up in just a few days?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

Thank you, Congressman. Great to see you. It's a complete abandonment of traditional democratic norms. No serious country, center-left, center-right, Republican, Democrat, recognized the Maduro election. And the ones who did recognize it recognized that Maduro was not elected, and María Corina Machado through Edmundo was actually the elected representative of the country of Venezuela. But I think it speaks much deeper to their long-term plans. When you recognize fraudulent elections, when you participate in fraudulent elections, when you celebrate fraudulent elections, it really is their modus operandi of what they plan to do in the next 10 days. And I think all the steps they've taken, the state of emergency, the politicization of the attorney general being related to one of the candidates, the elimination of the Electoral Council, the replacement of the Electoral Council, the military being involved in the election, it's all the roadmap to what's to come. So, we hope it doesn't get there.

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL)SPEAKER_09

So my follow-up, and actually I'll ask this for all of you, but I'd ask you keep your answer to sort of 10 seconds, is do you have— each of you have legitimate concerns that the outcome of the election will not be free and fair and something that we can take great confidence in? Or are you saying, no, we can count the votes and, and we'll know where we are the next day?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

I have concerns.

Ms. Deborah UllmerSPEAKER_01

I would say we would have concerns if the CNE and the TJE are not allowed to do their job.

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL)SPEAKER_09

Okay, and do you think they'll be allowed to do their jobs? I'll get to you in a second, sir, but do you think they'll be allowed?

Ms. Deborah UllmerSPEAKER_01

Uh, we hope so, and we hope that this hearing is sending a strong message.

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL)SPEAKER_09

Okay.

Mr. Enrique RoigSPEAKER_06

Yeah, I would agree with my colleagues here that we definitely have concerns, but I would also just note quickly that this problem of authoritarianism isn't one just on the left, it's also one on the right. I will note that El Salvador, Bukele has imprisoned Ruth López, a civil society activist Not the subject.

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL)SPEAKER_09

of the hearing today. I got a minute and 8 seconds left, so I've got another question for my friend the ambassador. Do you assess that the pattern of prosecuting electoral judges, forcing resignations of opposition CNE representatives, releasing allegedly fabricated audio recordings mirrors the authoritarian playbook that we've seen in Venezuela and Nicaragua? And what are your thoughts on that?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

It was actually copyright written by the Cubans and then exported across the region. I agree with your assessment.

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL)SPEAKER_09

Well, I, I share that concern. We obviously want great relationships with our neighbors. Um, you know, to me, it's, it's less about who wins an election. It's more about can you have confidence in them. And I think you all have raised grave concerns about what's going to happen. I hope that the Hondurans are able to have a free and fair election and that we can continue to have great relations with the country. With that, I yield back.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

you, Representative Fine. Now, I recognize Representative Titus from the state of Nevada for 5 minutes. Thank you for being here.

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)SPEAKER_00

Thank you, Madam Chairman. Um, I'm glad that

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

accent is really good.

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)SPEAKER_00

Thank you. Thank you. It's a little Southern accent, that's it. Well, I'm glad that after 11 months of the administration that we are finally having a hearing that is really focused on the Western Hemisphere because that's what our committee is supposed to be looking at, and it's taken us a while to get here. Now, in the meantime, we have seen Trump threaten to seize the Panama Canal. He has renamed the Gulf of Mexico. He has given $40 billion to Argentina. He has threatened military strikes against Mexico. He has bombed boats in the Caribbean without legal justification. He has slapped crippling tariffs on our partners in North and South and Central America, which has resulted in skyrocketing prices for my constituents. And now he's just itching to invade Venezuela and talking about covert activities there. We haven't addressed any of that up until this point, and yet it is happening as we speak, all of these things going on in the hemisphere. Now, that's not to minimize the importance of what's happening in Honduras and the value of democratic institutions there and elsewhere, but it's merely to highlight the fact that the committee knows what the Trump administration is doing in Latin America. It is creating chaos throughout the hemisphere. It is not advancing U.S. interests in the region. It's not making our constituents in this country or throughout the region safer, stronger, or more prosperous. And it's not how this country should be doing foreign policy. Republicans on this committee know that if we talk about those things, they may lose the narrative on any of these issues, so we have just diverted attention away from everything else that's going on there, and especially now that we know the president probably doesn't have any trouble putting boots on the ground in the foreign country. So I would ask you, Mr. Roig, do you think that the chaos that the administration has wrought throughout the hemisphere could have any negative impacts on Honduras, on its institutions going beyond the election, migration policy, security challenges, other things? I mean, the election is just one day. Then you got to deal with the future. How is all this chaos going to impact what happens next?

Mr. Enrique RoigSPEAKER_06

Yes, Congresswoman, as I stated in my opening statement, the Trump administration has largely operated a very transactional approach to the region. With Honduras, there have been 353 deportation flights this year alone, and so it's very obvious to the Castro government, if they play ball on that count, they can get away with a lot of other stuff. And so that's of concern to many of us. On Venezuela, my organization, Human Rights First, has been pretty vocal that what is happening with the boat strikes amounts to extrajudicial killings, particularly without any evidence. We all know that fentanyl is not coming from Venezuela; it's coming through Mexico. And so it's really, at the end of the day, a dysfunctional game of whack-a-mole that is being played out right now in the Caribbean and probably will have no impact on drug markets here in the U.S. Just a month ago, I was up in Baltimore doing police ride-alongs at drug markets, and I can't tell you the number of fentanyl needles that were all over the ground in these neighborhoods. So very hard to imagine that any of this is going to have any impact on that, which what the Trump administration says they're trying to do. And last point, we have to be consistent when we call out left-leaning authoritarian regimes. There are also, as I said earlier, ones on the right. Bukele in El Salvador has demonstrated authoritarian tendencies. You've seen Cristosal, one of the leading human rights organizations, which has had to leave the country because one of their anti-corruption activists is now currently in prison. So let's be consistent also in the sense of how we deal with these issues.

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)SPEAKER_00

Well, do you think cutting off foreign assistance for democracy and good government programs would make a difference, that that's been a negative impact on this notion that we need free and fair elections? You've got no NDI, no IRI down there working on these issues because we've cut off all that foreign aid.

Mr. Enrique RoigSPEAKER_06

I'll say definitely the dismantling of USAID and the cut in assistance that my bureau, DRL, provided definitely has had an impact on electoral observation, support to civic activists, to media outlets, other organizations. NDI has been able to continue their operation at a reduced scale, but we would be in a different position if we had a much more robust foreign assistance apparatus at this point that we could have started much sooner to prepare the way for the elections on November 30th in Honduras.

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)SPEAKER_00

Well, we've heard a lot of testimony here about how the Honduran people have low trust in their government and they're not confident that these elections are going to be free and fair. Do you think having the chairwoman of this committee say, I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, but don't vote for the communists, is that going to help increase trust in the electoral process or think that it's fair and being done in Honduras and not with a thumb on the scale from somewhere else?

Mr. Enrique RoigSPEAKER_06

Well, Congresswoman, obviously we want to maintain impartiality in all of this, but it is important to call out the irregularities that we are seeing currently on the ground. And so I think that's what we've all stated here in our opening testimonies, that there are things that do concern us on what's happening in Honduras. But again, I'll go back to my point. Let's be consistent and call it out on both the left and the right when we see governments that are demonstrating authoritarian tendencies on both sides of the political

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)SPEAKER_00

Thank you.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you, Madam Titus from the state of Nevada. Now I recognize Congressman Mackenzie from Pennsylvania for 5 minutes.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA)SPEAKER_05

Thank you, Madam Chair. Appreciate today's hearing. Obviously, Honduras is a key U.S. partner in Central America, and we want to make sure that they are secure and prosperous and maintaining a good relationship with our country. We also want to work with the Honduran government to address shared challenges in the region, like drug trafficking and reducing crime. And so, have a couple questions. I'll follow up on election irregularities, which we just touched on a little bit, but I'm also concerned about what the elections and irregularities, how they can affect our ability to work together and what it also means for China's growing influence in the region. And so, Ambassador Trujillo, during your tenure as Ambassador to the OAS, Honduras shifted diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. And in your estimation, what factors drove that decision, and how have you seen Chinese influence expand in the country since the decision?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

Thank you. It happened after my term in the OAS, but they did shift and they campaigned on breaking diplomatic relationships with Taiwan in order to favor China. China's been significantly much more active, not only in Honduras, but in the region. If you look at the last 10 years, from Honduras to Panama to Dominican Republic, I'm sure I'm missing a few, but a lot of those countries have shifted their diplomatic relationships to Taiwan— from Taiwan to China. And in Honduras in particular, they've been significantly aggressive in providing intelligence and providing some communication support and providing telecom support, and also providing strengthening diplomatic ties, including multiple state trips from Honduran high-ranking officials, including the president, to Beijing.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA)SPEAKER_05

So just to highlight again and expand on what you said there about how they had campaigned on that, tell me how that played in the elections or what— how did that contribute to the outcome of the elections?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

Well, they actively campaigned in, on having more normalized relationship, and they always, they always obviously paint it as, as trade, right? This economic engine of China, we're going to have trade, it's going to help grow our economy. It's played out throughout the rest of Latin America. It's never been the case. China's really good at importing. They're really bad at purchasing exports. So I think that continues to be the case. Going forward, it'll be interesting to see if the candidates from the opposition switch to diplomatic recognition and whether they leave from Beijing back to Taipei.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA)SPEAKER_05

And do you think the decision to make that a part of the political campaign in the election was driven by Hondurans, or was that driven by the Chinese?

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

I think by both. I would say the Honduran officials who accepted the challenge and the Chinese who provided the opportunity.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA)SPEAKER_05

Okay, thank you. We're also We were pleased to see that the Deputy Secretary of State's statement last week on the upcoming Honduran elections, he echoed the concerns of the OAS. What were those concerns, and what are the concerns that you have regarding the elections, potential irregularities, and what we should be looking sure, because we do want to make sure that there are free and fair elections occurring there.

The Honorable Carlos TrujilloSPEAKER_10

I think the poor-functioning primaries were an indicator of what's to come: the delay in the vote counting, the military's active role, the military taking possession of ballots and not having a lot of transparency for for all parties involved, including civil society. And I think going forward, it's really the role, as some of my colleagues have said on this panel, of the Electoral Commission. If they're truly allowed to be independent, I'm not saying it'll 100% change the outcome, but at least we'll have the information to verify the outcomes of the election. The question becomes whether Honduran government officials are going to allow them to fulfill their role. And the next 10 days will determine it, but it seems they're increasingly putting more and more pressure on the independence of the Electoral Council.

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA)SPEAKER_05

All right, well, thank you again to all of you for being here today. Obviously, a great topic of interest that we're following very closely in the region, and appreciate your input and testimony today. And with that, I yield back to the chair.

Chairman Maria Salazar (R-FL)SPEAKER_04

Thank you, Congressman Mackenzie from Pennsylvania. And we're about to wrap this up. I think that we have been able to send a very clear message to the Hondurans, those who are watching this hearing back in Honduras, Tegucigalpa, and whatever other area in the country, that regardless whether we agree or not, Democrats and Republicans, you have seen that we have not always agreed on every single topic, but we have sent a very clear message how the American democracy works. And that is exactly what we want for Honduras and for the rest of Central America. We're sending a very clear message, Republicans and Democrats from the United States House of Representatives, that we want fair, clean elections, transparent elections, and for the Hondurans to decide their future for the next for the next 4 years. With that, I thank the witnesses for their valuable testimony and the members for their questions. The members of the subcommittee may have some additional questions for the witnesses, and they could be responded in writing. Pursuant to committee rules, all members may have 5 days to submit statements, questions, or other materials for the record, subject to the length of the limitations. And I'm going to say a few words before we close, once again in Spanish, to the Hondurans who are watching this committee. Usually, this has to be done in English, but since we are talking about our very close ally in Central America, es un mensaje muy claro el que estamos enviando desde el Congreso federal. Ustedes han visto que aquí estamos demócratas y republicanos. No siempre estamos de acuerdo en lo que estamos diciendo, pero sí estamos de acuerdo en una sola cosa: que queremos que Honduras tenga un gobierno libre, democrático, y que las elecciones del próximo 30 de noviembre sean limpias y claras. With that, may the Lord help the Hondurans and Honduras. With that, this committee stands adjourned.