The InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia (sometimes referred to as InterReligious Task Force on Central America or IRTF) was founded in 1980 as a response to President Ronald Reagan’s efforts to contain the spread of communism in Central America. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, IRTF is a far-left advocacy group raising support for left-wing activism in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador and campaigning for expanded immigration from those countries. ¹

Present Activities

In October 2009, IRTF joined with organizations associated with the U.S. Marxist-Leninist Organization to protest the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan. ²

In 2015, IRTF joined the Alliance for Fair Food in protesting the restaurant food chain Wendy’s over farm labor issues. ³ The boycott of Wendy’s started when the restaurant chain did not sign onto the Fair Food Program. ⁴  The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a left-wing farm labor organizing group, started the Fair Food Program. ⁵

In 2017, IRTF signed a letter to the U.S. Congress and the U.S. State Department asking that all military aid to the country of Honduras be suspended amid a dispute over the outcome of the country’s presidential election despite years of violence ravaging the country. ⁶

Each year the IRTF holds an annual Social Justice Teach-In to cover issues like anti-Trump classes, Union organizing, and community organizing. ⁷ According to IRTF’s website attendees can learn about anti-militarism, exploited labor solidarity, LGBTQ solidarity, Fair Trade, and Afro-descendant and Indigenous Solidarity. ⁸

In 2018, IRTF signed onto a letter in objection to President Donald Trump’s proposed parade to honor the 100^th anniversary of Armistice Day. ⁹

IRTF took part in a protest opposing prospective U.S. military intervention against the Communist Cuban-aligned socialist regime in Venezuela. The demonstrations took place in 150 cities across the United States that included groups like the All African Revolutionary Party, Black Alliance for Peace, Democratic Socialists of America, Fight for Im/migrants and Refugees Everywhere, Green Party, International Action Center, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Workers World Party and United National Antiwar Coalition. ¹⁰

In May of 2019, IRTF signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) asking that Congress provide permanent resident status and a pathway to “eventual citizenship” to certain illegal immigrants and to beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure status. ¹¹

In July 2022, the IRFT was one of 200 human rights organizations that signed a letter sent to the U.S House of Representative leadership urging them to not vote for amendments extending Title 42 policy measures that they claimed would, “block and expel asylum seekers and migrants seeking safe haven in the United States.” ¹²

On October 13, 2022, IRTF signed, along with 26 other faith-based groups, a letter sent to President Biden urging his administration against the usage of nuclear weapons in Russia’s war with Ukraine and instead, “explore every avenue of dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation to ease tensions with Russia, end the bloodshed in Ukraine, and eliminate the nuclear threat to all humankind.” ¹³

On October 22, 2022, the IRTF, along with over 100 organizations, signed a letter sent to members of the Biden-Harris Administration criticizing their “Recommendations to Congress on Fentanyl-Related Substances” by claiming there is no evidence the plan’s, ”classwide scheduling or increased enforcement works to reduce illicit drug supply or rates of overdose and addiction.” ¹⁴ The group of nonprofit groups instead urge the Administration to pursue, “evidence-based public health and harm reduction approaches.” ¹⁴

People

The InterReligious Task Force is co-directed by Chrissy Stonebraker-Martinez and Brian Stefan-Szittai and based out of Cleveland, Ohio. Stone-Braker blames the United States for the violence and migration crisis occurring in Latin America and that the U.S. treats migrants like “animals, lock them up and deport them back.” ¹⁵

In 2016, Stefan-Szittai worked with the Greater Cleveland Civil and Human Rights Coalition on how to protest the 2016 Republican National Convention held in that city. ¹⁶ That same year IRTF signed onto a letter to the Cleveland City Council calling for the Cleveland Police to be “demilitarized” and for a “prompt post-convention demilitarization and decommissioning of equipment” used by the Cleveland Police. ¹⁷

Funding

The InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia is funded by the United Methodist Church,¹⁸ the Cleveland Colectivo,¹⁹ the Greater Cleveland Community Shares,²⁰ the Max and Anna Levinson Foundation,²¹ and Community of Saint Peter. ²²

1. “About Us.” About Us | InterReligious Task Force on Central America. Accessed July 19, 2019. https://www.irtfcleveland.org/content/about-us.
2. September 11, 2009. “Our Security Lies in Our Fight for Rights.” Voice of Revolution. Accessed July 12, 2019. http://www.usmlo.org/arch2009/2009-09/VR090911.htm.
3. “Disciples of Christ to Wendy’s: “Tear down the Wall!”” Alliance for Fair Food. July 24, 2015. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.allianceforfairfood.org/news/?offset=1438172147393.
4. “March 11-15 “Freedom Fast” and “Time’s Up Wendy’s”March.” Disciples Home Missions. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.discipleshomemissions.org/missions-advocacy/refugee-immigration-ministries/farm-workers/background-resources/wendys.
5. Karst, Tom. “UPDATED: IRS Receives Complaint about Coalition of Immokalee Workers.” The Packer. November 8, 2017. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.thepacker.com/article/updated-irs-receives-complaint-about-coalition-immokalee-workers.
6. “Demand Action in Wake of November 26th Honduran Elections.” The Action Network. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/organizational-sign-on-letter-demand-action-in-wake-of-november-26th-honduran-elections.
7. Allard, Sam. “Truth to Power: IRTF’s 19th Annual Social Justice Teach-In This Saturday at CWRU.” Cleveland Scene. February 10, 2019. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2019/02/05/truth-to-power-irtfs-19th-annual-social-justice-teach-in-this-saturday-at-cwru.
8. “The 19th Annual Social Justice Teach-In.” Interreligious Task Force on Central America. February 9, 2019. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.irtfcleveland.org/sites/default/files/flyers/2019_program_book.pdf.
9. “Stop the Military Parade – Reclaim Armistice Day.” Veterans for Peace. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.veteransforpeace.org/files/6315/3444/0593/Sign_on_Statement_Against_Military_Parade.pdf
10. Piette, Betsey, and Kathy Durkin. “Protesters across North America Say: ‘No U.S. War on Venezuela!'” Workers World. March 03, 2019. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.workers.org/2019/02/26/protesters-across-north-america-say-no-u-s-war-on-venezuela/.
11. “Letter to Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Chairman Nadler, and Ranking Member Collins.” Accessed July 12, 2019. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20190522/109553/HMKP-116-JU00-20190522-SD025.pdf.
12. “200+ Immigrant Rights Organizations Urge U.S. House Leadership to Block Efforts to Extend Title 42 Mass Expulsions – United States of America.” ReliefWeb, July 16, 2022. https://reliefweb.int/report/united-states-america/200-immigrant-rights-organizations-urge-us-house-leadership-block-efforts-extend-title-42-mass-expulsions.
13. “Faith Groups to Biden: Pursue Diplomacy to Avoid Nuclear Catastrophe.” Friends Committee On National Legislation, October 13, 2022. https://www.fcnl.org/updates/2022-10/faith-groups-biden-pursue-diplomacy-avoid-nuclear-catastrophe.
14. “Nearly 100 Groups Oppose Biden’s Plan to Make Misguided Temporary Drug Criminalization Policy Permanent.” Human Rights Watch, October 22, 2021. https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/10/22/nearly-100-groups-oppose-bidens-plan-make-misguided-temporary-drug-criminalization.
15. Cho, Janet H. “Families Belong Together, Say Those Protesting Separation of Immigrant Families.” Cleveland.com. June 15, 2018. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2018/06/families_belong_together_say_t.html.
16. Udry. “Lookout Cleveland!* Organizers Ready to Rock the RNC.” Defending Rights & Dissent. March 02, 2016. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://rightsanddissent.org/news/lookout-cleveland-organizers-ready-to-rock-the-rnc/.
17. “1) Call for Transparency and Meaningful Public Input Regarding Purchase and Deployment of Security Equipment During the Republican National Convention (RNC); 2) Call for Cleveland City Council to Pass a Resolution to Demilitarize Police Forces; and 3) Call for Prompt Post-Convention Demilitarization and Decommissioning of Equipment.” ACLU of OHIO. March 21, 2016. Accessed July 12, 2019. http://www.acluohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/OpenLetterOnCDPMilitarizationAndTheRNC2016_0321.pdf.
18. Smith, Christian. Resisting Reagan: The U.S. Central America Peace Movement. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. Page 111
19. “InterReligious Task Force.” InterReligious Task Force | The Cleveland Colectivo. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.clevelandcolectivo.org/grantee/interreligious-task-force.
20. “Annual Report 2016.” Community Shares. Accessed July 12, 2019. http://www.communityshares.org/ckeditor_assets/attachments/84/2016_ar_booklet.pdf.
21. “Max & Anna Levinson Foundation.” Max & Anna Levinson Foundation. Accessed July 12, 2019. https://www.levinsonfoundation.org/.
22. “Community of Saint Peter.” Community of Saint Peter. Accessed July 12, 2019. http://communityofstpeter.org/index.php/recent-grants/.