UPDATES FROM HONDURAS and URGENT ACTIONS

As the election period in Honduras heats up with even the most "official" polls showing the resistance movement's party (LIBRE) candidate Xiomara Castro Zelaya in the lead for President of Honduras,  the oligarchy and its military, security forces and politicians are escalating the fight on all fronts against the people. In this fight they are counting on the continued financial, political and military support from the United States which has recently reaffirmed its claim to authority in Central America - in the words of Secretary of State John Kerry "our backyard".  The U.S. continues to supply arms, training, equipment and support for both the Honduran National Police and military and therefore is supporting as well the "new" death squads made up of soldiers, police and private paramilitary security.

Campesinos March on May 1st 2013

War Against the Campesinos of Honduras - The brutal war against the small farmers by the big agribusiness palm companies such as Miguel Facusse's DINANT in the Aguan Valley and the sugar producers of CASHA and AZUNOSA in the Sula Valley continues creating a river of campesino blood and injustice. More than 100 campesinos have been murdered in the past three years. Agribusiness owners are backed up by the military, police and government political parties. Meanwhile the National Congress has continued to ignore the proposal from the campesino federations and organizations for a new integral agrarian reform for land and food rights.

         Today - URGENT - May 23, 2013 Paso Aguan, Panama, Aguan - there are reports coming in that police from the joint military-policy operation in the Aguan (Xantruch III) working with Facusse's paramilitary security are randomly firing into the campesino's homes in Panama in the Aguan. The campesinos were violently evicted from the Paso Aguan plantation on May 21st and have been the targets of intense harassment, violence and detentions for the past several months. On May 1st they were surrounded by Xatruch forces and then they and their supporters were attacked and beaten.
 For more information and declarations by the campesino organizations  and an
URGENT ACTION REQUEST: 
http://hondurasresists.blogspot.com/p/march-6-2013-communique-from-campesinos.html

         May 17th Massacre of MOCSAM Campesinos in the Sula Valley - Friday, May 17th private paramiliatary guards from CASHA opened fire on campesinos peacefully occupying land in San Manuel Cortés. The lands were exprorpiated by the National Agrarian Institute for land reform last year but the campesinos have been continuously evicted and threatened. Four campesinos were shot, two died immediately. The police came to the scene but refused to take action against the guards. Then on Monday another MOCSAM member, Marilu Miranda Orellana was assassinated as she returned to her home. Yesterday the spokesman for MOCSAM was followed by a group of armed men as he returned to San Manuel from San Pedro Sula where supporters and activists have a vigil organized in front of the Cathedral. More than 600 campesinos continue their land recuperation and there are calls for support.

 For more information and links to the campaign for emergency food aid for the campesinos:
MOCSAM Massacre:
http://hondurasresists.blogspot.com/p/declaration-campesino-movement-of-san.html

Defending Land and Culture - The Indigenous  Peoples' Movement Under Attack
           
             Today May 23, 2013 in San Antonio Chuchiutepeque, Santa Barbará the National Police and special forces, the Cobras, evicted a land recuperation by members of the Lenca indigenous people near the Ulúa River which is an area that would be affected by a major hydroelectric project. At least five people have been detained.
           This comes right after Lenca communities and activists in Intibuca at Rio Blanco were also attacked after almost 50 days of an action to maintain their lands and block construction of the Agua Zarca Hydroelectric Project. On the same day at 3:300 am the police raided homes of the residents of Campas, Lempira arresting the local Priest Candido Pineda and 22 of his parishioners also related to the same projects and the FNRP resistance.  COPINH in La Esperanza, Intíbuca is under constant harassment and threats because of its support for the communities and the anti-mining and anti-damn movements. The protests and struggles continue and there is a call for support.
For more information here is an action alert from COPINH from last week with contact numbers that can be used to express support for the communities in Santa Barbara and Intíbuca:
http://hondurasresists.blogspot.com/p/urgent-action-request-from-copinh-lenca.html

        One Year Later - Impunity in the Killings of Indigenous Villagers in Ahuas, Moskitia
On May 11, 2012 four villagers including one pregnant woman and a 14 year old boy were shot to death and 3 others were wounded by a joint U.S. DEA, Honduran Military-Police action in the Moskitia  region of Honduras. Despite demands for a serious investigation and support for the survivors and families of the dead the U.S. has continued to stonewall. Below is the link to the article by Center for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR) with an anniversary of the crime update on Ahuas:
http://hondurasresists.blogspot.com/p/some-hondurans-pay-ultimate-price-for.html