U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesperson
For Immediate Release
STATEMENT BY JOHN KIRBY, SPOKESPERSON
The United States welcomes the signing today of an agreement between the Government of Honduras and the Organization of American States establishing the Support Mission Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (known in Spanish as Mision de Apoyo contra la Corrupcion y la Impunidad en Honduras or by its Spanish acronym, MACCIH).
The establishment of MACCIH responds to the legitimate demands of the Honduran people for vigorous and meaningful action against corruption, including criminal investigations and prosecutions of those who offer or receive illegal inducements. Its Terms of Reference provide for a team of international investigators and prosecutors to collaborate with specially selected Honduran counterparts to pursue specific cases of corruption and advance fundamental systemic reforms to the judicial sector. We welcome the announcement of Juan Jimenez to lead MACCIH, a proven leader on anti-corruption.
We congratulate the Government of Honduras and the OAS Secretariat on reaching this agreement, and urge them, in collaboration with OAS member and observer states, to ensure MACCIH has the resources and independence necessary to achieve its mission. We look forward to seeing effective implementation of MACCIH in the coming months.
