Dramatic Advances In Cleaning Up Corrupt Police Force

May 25, 2016

In just 40 days of service, the Special Commission for the Purging and Transformation of the Police Force has made dramatic advances towards ridding the National Police force of its “bad apples”.


On April 11th, Honduras’ president appointed ASJ’s (formerly known as AJS) Omar Rivera to the Special Commission, alongside Alberto Solórzano, an ASJ board member and president of a coalition of 1,500 evangelical churches, and Vilma Morales, a former member of the Supreme Court. ASJ president Carlos Hernández is also participating as a nonvoting member.


After only ten days, the Commission reported their first round of firings – five of the nine Police Generals were removed from their positions. One week later, the Commission announced the removal of 27 of the 47 Police Commissioners.


Last week, the Commission announced the latest round of purging – 36 Sub-Commissioners would be removed, bringing the total to 68 officers. In the weeks and months to come, the Commission will continue down through levels of authority, revising case by case the merit and honesty of the remaining 14,000 officers.


The Special Commission has made it a specific priority to reform the police force, “from the top, down”, as opposed to previous efforts which removed only a few low-ranking officers. In previous efforts to clean up the police force, Generals, Commissioners, and Sub-Commissioners had never been touched.


This work is delicate and dangerous. The removal of so many officers puts members of the Commission at a real risk. Many of the men fired have powerful political connections or links to drug traffickers. In the face of enormous pressure, the Commission has bravely stood firm in their commitment to a police force that is trustworthy and effective. In this moment of transformation, there is real hope that soon the police force will be an entity that helps, not hurts, Honduran citizens – one that they can trust.


ASJ needs your support in this crucial time of transformation! Look out for more communications about how you can help by giving, praying, or advocating for transparent police reform in Honduras.


December 2, 2025
ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US Congratulate the Honduran People,  Call for Full and Transparent Results As sister organizations committed to justice, peace and hope in Honduras, ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US extend our deepest congratulations to the people of Honduras on the peaceful conduct of their national elections on November 30, 2025. With the initial tally showing an extraordinarily close vote, we call on election authorities to do what is necessary to ensure a transparent count of the remaining ballots in order to guarantee public trust in the final outcome. We commend the Honduran voters for their dedication to democratic participation and their commitment to shaping the future of their country through civic engagement. We also recognize the efforts of electoral authorities, civil society organizations, the international community and the thousands of volunteer observers who worked to ensure a transparent, orderly, and secure process. We are especially proud of our sister organization, ASJ-Honduras, for their unwavering commitment to democracy demonstrated through their electoral observation efforts, their analysis activities, and their consistent call for a fair and orderly process. Now that such a process has been achieved, the work turns to counting the votes with accuracy and transparency. The results remain close, increasing the possibility of a contested result. We support the work of the election officials at the National Electoral Council to give Hondurans confidence in the final results by conducting their count with rigor and transparency. We remain hopeful that the spirit of peaceful participation in the democratic process embraced by the electorate will carry forward into the post-election period to come. We look forward to continued collaboration with ASJ-Honduras as we all work together toward a just and hopeful future for all Hondurans. Matthew Van Geest President, Board of Directors ASJ-Canada Russ Jacobs President, Board of Directors ASJ-US
November 28, 2025
A call to action for Honduras
By Elizabeth Hickel November 25, 2025
The Association for a More Justice Society-US Supports the Network to Defend Democracy; Calls for Free and Fair Elections in Honduras November 25, 2025
November 13, 2025
Honduras’s Institutional Crisis Deepens Ahead of the 2025 Elections
By Elizabeth Hickel November 12, 2025
Dear friend,  I couldn’t stop looking at the picture. Of course, there had been plenty of inspiring photos from this summer’s Prayer Walk for Peace and Democracy. The sea of blue and white rising and falling as hundreds of thousands walked the Honduran hills through Tegucigalpa, flowing like a never-ending stream. Catholic nuns praying their rosaries alongside Pentecostals dancing in the streets. But the picture that still knocks me flat is the closeup. The one of the two men standing side by side (picture enclosed). They are exhausted, and the shorter collapses into the taller. The tears mostly hold joy and relief, but they are mingled with something darker. After all, there had been threats—promises of harm done to themselves and their loved ones if they led their followers through the streets of Honduras in prayer. Despite the fear and intimidation, Pastor Gerardo Irías and Monsignor José Vicente Nácher forged ahead. They knew Honduras needed unity and, above all, prayer before the looming November 2025 presidential elections. As an ASJ supporter, you know that these kinds of threats aren’t out of the ordinary, and your support has helped slow and reverse violence in Honduras. Today, I am writing to share a way you can continue standing with brave Hondurans like Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José in hope. The Evangelical pastor and the Catholic archbishop put the word out as widely as they could to their churches, hoping to mobilize 20,000 to walk and pray. Instead, an estimated 230,000 walked in the capital of Tegucigalpa alone. It was a historic moment. And without your past support for ASJ, it may have never happened. After all, two years prior, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José didn’t even know each other’s names. They first met in 2023 at ASJ’s offices. They were two of many civil society leaders convened by ASJ to discuss safeguarding democracy– especially before the election in 2025. It was at that meeting that they shook each other’s hand and learned each other’s name. It was at that meeting–and many subsequent meetings–where old religious prejudices began to be replaced by trust and mutual affection. So, when the moment came this summer to act, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José knew what they had to do. And they knew that they had to do it together.
November 11, 2025
Calvin alums turn faith into action through nonprofit
October 13, 2025
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
September 10, 2025
Thank You for Moving Forward With Us this Summer!
September 8, 2025
When Policies Shift, Families Pay the Price * by Jo Ann Van Engen
September 2, 2025
Inspiring civil society in the US with a vision of a more just society
Show More