INTERNATIONAL DENUNCIATION OF THE CRIMINALIZATION OF
COPINH AND THE CONTINUAL REPRESSION AGAINST RÍO BLANCO
Human Rights
observers declare: To halt the bloodshed, stop the financing of the Honduran
army and police
La Voz
de los de Abajo, an international human rights organization that has been
accompanying Latin American social movements for more than 14 years, once again
denounces before the international community and the Honduran authorities the
persistent harassment, repression and criminalization against the indigenous
community of Rio Blanco and the indigenous organization with which it is
affiliated, the Civil Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of
Honduras (COPINH). We repudiate with indignation the indictment made against
indigenous members of COPINH for their struggle in defense of the Gualcarque
River, the community of Río Blanco and the cultural heritage of the Lenca people
in the face of the threat from the transnational hydroelectric project Agua Zarca.
This legal action is even more cynical because it comes a week after the people
who should be facing legal charges – the soldiers and officials of the Honduran
army who are openly collaborating with the companies that want to build the dam
– shot down an unarmed indigenous person in cold blood.
 |
| Tomás García, murdered by the Honduran army during a peaceful protest against the Agua Zarca dam project |
In July
we had already expressed our worry about a possible bloodbath if the Honduran
government didn’t immediately stop the militarization of the area and the
collaboration between the military, police, the hydroelectric companies and
their private guards. Exactly as we warned, one week later there were two
people dead, one of whom was Tomás García, the aforementioned indigenous man
who was killed by a soldier from the army during a peaceful protest. We hold
the Honduran government responsible for this killing and once again call for an
end to these crimes against humanity against the Lenca indigenous people. These
acts are yet another reason why we are pressuring the U.S. congress to cut off
aide to the Honduran military and police.
The Lenca
indigenous community of Río Blanco through its Indigenous Council has made
clear on many occasions its clear and firm opposition to the Agua Zarca
hydroelectric project. Many times they have expressed that they do not want to
see their territory flooded, destroying natural resources of extreme cultural
and spiritual importance to the Lenca people. In the face of the initiation of
the project by the Honduran company DESA and the transnational Chinese company SINOHYDRO
in clear violation of the rights of indigenous communities as laid out in
article 169 of the United Nations International Labor Organization, the
community decided to defend their rights to their land and resources with an
occupation of over 100 days of one of the access roads to the site along the Gualcarque
River where the companies want to put the dam.
We
visited the community for two days during the month of July and we have
interviewed community members, military, police and representatives of the
hydroelectric companies during and after that visit. Our investigations have led
us to several conclusions based on clear evidence:
· Without a doubt there is close collaboration between the police,
the army the private security and the DESA and SINOHYDRO companies. The
military and police advise the private security, sleep and eat in the
facilities of the companies and use their vehicles.
· There is no concrete evidence for the accusations made against
the Río Blanco community and other members of COPINH besides the statements of
people with a direct interest in the building of the dam and/or the
justification for the presence of the police and army.
· There is an abundance of evidence and documentation of the
abuses against the community. Nobody denies that Tomás García was killed by
bullets from the army even though he himself was not carrying a firearm. The
army does deny the accusations by kids and elders of Río Blanco who say they
have had weapons put in their faces and receive constant threats but there are
hundreds of members of the community who have been witness to this behavior.
· The speeches of the COPINH coordinators and other members of the
Río Blanco community have always been calls to peaceful and non-violent action
to defend the Gualcarque river for environmental, cultural and spiritual
reasons. Our delegation saw with our own eyes one of the assemblies in which
the same people now facing political charges conducted a democratic and
peaceful meeting, never inciting anybody to violence and on the contrary always
emphasizing their strong opposition to violence.
· The authorities have never investigated the possible involvement
of third parties interested in the Gualcarque River such as Freddy Nasser, Miguel
Facussé and others with interests in the area.
· The criminalization of the struggle of the people of Río Blanco and
other members of COPINH is clearly political in nature and intended to stop
their struggle and wipe out their organization. The fact that the same authorities
who recently killed in cold blood are now pressing charges against their victims
is cynical, nefarious and reprehensible.
Our organization will work with all
of our allies from the Honduras Solidarity Network in the United States and
will be in communication with congressmen, representatives from the United
Nations and other human rights organizations to spread the truth about what is
happening in Río Blanco and demand:
·
That those responsible for the
human rights violations be investigated, charged and punished
·
An end to the criminalization of
social movements and the political legal attack against COPINH
·
Stop economic support for the
Honduran army and police until there is respect for human rights
Sincerely,
La Voz
de Los de Abajo
Chicago,
Illinois, United States
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