"We can't be indifferent to the defense of our environnment"

Chance for Justice: Trujillo, Colon
October 4, 2015
Environmental Justice in Honduras
V. Cervantes

The retrial of Chabelo Morales Lopez is recessed until October 19th; our group remains accompanying the family in the community of Guadalupe Carney but we decided to make a visit to the small city of Trujillo close to Guadalupe where we arrived in the middle of the "day of the environment" action.

Trujillo is an old Spanish colonial city right on a beautiful bay on the sea. It is a part of the Garifuna coast where the Garifuna people have ancestral rights to the coast under international and national agreements. It is on the edge of of the Aguan Valley's fertile palm growing region, home to thousands of campesinos and their communities as well as to the wealthiest landowners in the country like Miguel Facusse, Reynaldo Canales and Rene Morales: perpetrators of incredible violence against campesino and Garifuna groups in the region.

Another piece of the land conflicts in the region has to do with the struggle to protect the environment and includes the concerns of most of the residents of the area about the destruction caused by mining, tourism and mega-agricultural projects.

The action we saw today was part religious procession, part parade and part protest march with several hundred people carrying placards and banners, children dressed as animals riding on colorfully decorated "floats" created on pick-up trucks. The paticipants were Garifunas, campesinos, school children, nuns, and a variety of Trujillo residents. I spoke with one of the participants who told me the Catholic church in Trujillo was the main organizer of the action with the participation of a lot of different people.  They were chanting slogans such as "no puede ser indiferente--a la defensa del ambiente" (you can't be indifferent to the defense of the environment) and against the new (2013) mining law which granted more concessions to private mining companies. Around 35% of the total country is now concessioned to mining and hydroelectric projects. Communities, especially indigenous and rural communities, all over Honduras are resisting displacement and/or the contamination of their water and soil. In the Trujillo area there are dozens of mining concessions that the people oppose. We talked earlier in the week to one of the long time campesino leaders at Guadalupe Carney who is part of a regional group organizing to resist the mining companies and the Honduran government and keep mining out of the area.

Another big environmental and land tenancy issue is related to the attempts
to develop mega-tourism in the area. Randy Jorgensen (the Canadian porn king millionaire) is one of the highest profile "developers". He is leading an aggressive and threatening push to displace the Garifuna communities in the Trujillo area so that he and his investors can take over the beaches for cruise ship landings and high end large tourist resorts. This kind of development  degrades the fragile environment in the area as well as displacing the indigenous Garifuna from their land and destroying their way of life and stability.  So far the communities have resisted despite threats of violence and it was good to see the different groups whose lives are affected joining together.

The UK based group, Global Witness, issued a report earlier this year that showed that Honduras has had the highest per capita rate of people murdered because of their activities to defend the earth and environment, for each of the past five years, than any other country in the world. In 2014, three quarters of these murders were in Central and South America, including 12 in Honduras. Global Witness reported that world-wide these murders and conflict in general are increasing because of the intensifying competition over land and land use and the fact that the lack of government action to protect people or environment is putting the ordinary residents and their organizations on the front lines of the conflict.

Another chance for Justice - Chabelo Morales

Thirty-two organizations signed a letter of support, demanding freedom for campesino political prisoner, Jose Isabel "Chabelo" Morales Lopez as his third trial on the same charges begins.

 La Voz de los de Abajo will join others in accompanying the trial later this week. On Monday September 28th, organizations from the region including the Jesuit communications organization ERIC-SJ held a press conference with distinguished international jurists who are observing the trial.  Here for Spanish news story
We publish the letter and a report on the first day of the trial from Greg McCain, a human rights observer living in Honduras. 

Chabelo's new trial comes at a time when Honduras continues to reel from the corruption and violence that has increased as the coup governments continue their projects of privatization/impoverishment, militarization and land grabbing. The resistance movement and the newer movement against corruption that is made up of more than one distinct grouping continue to be in the streets in protest. 

La Voz's observer will be in Honduras for two weeks and will be sharing observations and information on this blog.
29 - Sept-2015

 

September 2015

As representatives from the international human rights and solidarity community, we come together to demand justice for José Isabel “Chabelo” Morales during his retrial. In that there are currently over 5000 campesinos with judicial proceedings against them, Chabelo’s case is emblematic of the criminalization of peasant farmers (campesinos) who struggle for access to land.

In light of the persistent violations to human rights in Honduras, we demand:

⦁ That Chabelo’s retrial scheduled for September 28th - October 9th, 2015 be fair and impartial.

Further, we demand unconditional freedom for Chabelo.

⦁ A full investigation into human rights violations and judicial irregularities surrounding all of Chabelo’s judicial hearings.

⦁ A full investigation into the ongoing threats and intimidation against the Morales family and community of Guadalupe Carney.

⦁ A full investigation into the abuse of authority of Colonel Henry Osorto Canales who was recently nominated for advancement from Sub-Commissioner of the National Police to the position of Commissioner.

⦁ A suspension of aid to Honduran police, military and security until the human rights violations perpetrated by these forces ceases; specifically, the continued aid by the United States to the National Police and funding to the Public Prosecutors office (Ministerio Publico) given the ongoing abuses.

José Isabel “Chabelo” Morales López, 39, was in prison for 6 years, 9 months, and 7 days for a crime that he did not commit. He and his family are campesinos in the Aguán Valley in the heart of the African palm-producing region of the northern coast of Honduras. His arrest and imprisonment were aimed at punishing and criminalizing the campesino movement in Honduras as well as being products of the well-documented corruption and impunity that has this country in its grip. Chabelo is recognized as being unjustly imprisoned by numerous human rights and rural advocacy groups including Via Campesina, SOAW, FIAN International, COFADEH and ERIC-SJ.

Chabelo was arrested in October 2008 after heavily armed members of Henry Osorto’s family and private security attacked the campesinos in an attempt to illegally take land that had been legally granted to the campesinos. One campesino was killed by shots from the Osorto house and 11 members of the Osorto group were left dead. In a clear conflict of interest and abuse of authority, Henry Osorto led the investigation which was incomplete, inconsistent, and forensically questionable.

Arrest warrants for 36 residents of Chabelo’s community were issued without evidence that the individuals were involved. Chabelo was one of them, he and one other person were the only ones arrested and charged with 11 counts of murder, arson, and robbery despite there being no concrete evidence of their involvement. At his trial over two years after his detention (a clear violation of the Honduran Penal Code, and notably after the military coup in June 2009) the charges were reduced to one count of homicide. The other person was found not guilty due to contradictions in the testimony of the prosecution witnesses and yet they let these same contradictions stand in the conviction of Chabelo.

The panel of judges found Chabelo guilty despite a lack of evidence and the contradictory stories, but sentencing was delayed for over 2 years. Because of that and many other irregularities, the Honduran Supreme Court annulled his conviction and ordered a new trial which took place in January 2014. The new trial was moved to another department, but was assigned judges from the Aguán, including two who had refused to release Chabelo from prison pending the new trial, a clear violation of the Supreme Court order. The defense asked for the two judges to recuse themselves but lost the decision.

Prosecution witnesses including Henry Osorto perjured themselves once again, radically changing their testimony and contradicting their sworn statements in an attempt to incriminate Chabelo. The judges refused to allow the defense to place those contradictions into the record. The prosecution echoed statements made by Osorto about the small farmers in general being violent terrorists rather than giving evidence as to Chabelo’s involvement. Defense witnesses presented the same testimony as previously, noting that Chabelo was not present at the scene when the confrontation and deaths occurred. The judges found Chabelo guilty and he was sentenced to 17.5 years. Chabelo’s defense lawyers filed an appeal, which was finally reviewed by the Supreme Court. 

The court once again annulled the conviction and sentencing based on procedural inconsistencies on the part of the prosecutor and judges, but once again ordered a retrial. The Defense also solicited the court to free Chabelo pending the retrial based on numerous violations to the penal code. This was the seventh solicitation in five years based on these violations.

The initial hearing of the retrial was held on July 24th, 2015 in La Ceiba. The magistrates quickly ruled in favor of Chabelo’s release based on the violations and scheduled the retrial to be held between September 28th and October 9th in Trujillo.

Based on the clear violations to the human rights of Chabelo Morales, we demand his unconditional freedom. In addition to the demands stated above we further demand protection from retaliation on the part of Colonel Henry Osorto Canales against Chabelo Morales and his family.

Signed,

1) La Voz de los de Abajo, Chicago

2) Alliance for Global Justice

3) Nicaragua Center for Community Action (NICCA), Berkeley, CA

4) International Action Center

5) Michigan Emergency Coalition Against War and Injustice

6) Colectivo Honduras USA Resistencia=libre (D19/New York)

7) Task Force On the Americas

8) San Francisco School of the Americas Watch (SOAWSF)

9) Latin America Solidarity Committee, Milwaukee

10) Bay Area Latin American Solidarity Committee (BALASC)

11) The Cross Border Network, Kansas City, MO

12) Portland Central America Solidarity Committee

13) Hondureños Por La Pachamama

14) Oakland - School of the Americas Watch, USA

15) Hondureños D19 Northern California

16) Radios Populares, Chicago

17) Witness for Peace Southwest

18) Gay Liberation Network, Chicago

19) US El Salvador Sister Cities

20) Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America, St. Louis

21) School of the Americas Watch (SOAW)

22) Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)

23) FIAN Internacional - Sección Honduras

24) Movimiento Ambientalista Santabarbarense (MAS)

25) Foro de Mujeres por la Vida

26) COLLETTIVO ITALIA CENTRO AMERICA, CICA

27) Grassroots International

28) Observatorio Permanente de Derechos Humanos del Aguán

29) Voices for Creative Nonviolence

30) Workers World Party

31) Loretto - Kansas City

32) 8th Day Center for Justice, Chicago

Chabelo with defense team
and supporters 2014

The Trial Begins - September 29, 2015 

Yesterday was the opening session for Chabelo Morales' 2nd retrial. It didn't get started until a little before 2pm. It consisted mostly of the formality of the judges setting the ground rules and listening to opening arguments of each side. The highlight came when the defense team solicited the court to only allow evidence related to the one charge of homicide which Chabelo was convicted of and later anulled and to not put Chabelo in Double (triple?) Jeopardy by having to defend himself against the 13 other charges of which he was found innocent in the previous 2 trials. In a huge victory the judges sided with the defence thus eliminating about 70% of the Prosecutor's evidence. This motion by the judges set this trial in a completely different frame from the previous trial and kinda guaranteed that the trial won't last the entire scheduled 10 days.

On day 2, which began at 9:30 today, and is currently on a lunch break until 2pm, the prosecution witnesses presented their testimonies. Mainly it consisted of them affirming that the signatures on documents from the investigation and a previous trial were theirs and the defence pointing out discrepancies in their testimonies.

The Prosecutor is not the same one from the previous trial and he appears to not be too invested in prosecuting this case. He has not prepared questions for the witnesses and so asks one, maybe two, and when the Defense pressed one of the witnesses regarding his inconsistencies the Prosecutor didn't contest or attempt to counter in any way.

This trial once again, as in the previous trials, underscores the fact that there is no credible case against Chabelo and that these show trials have been a farse since the beginning.

Greg McCain

Murder of campesino leader in the Aguan November 11, 2014

english follows the spanish original -

COFADEH  and COPINH Dennounce the Assassination of a member of MUCA, 
Juan Miralda also known as Juan Galindo. 

Juan Lopez Miralda  - foto por G. Trucchi

COFADEH repudia asesinato cometido contra miembro de MUCA

Written by Administrador

Wednesday, 12 November 2014 19:12 -

COMUNICADO

El Comité de Familiares de Detenidos – Desaparecidos en Honduras, COFADEH, repudia el asesinato cometido anoche contra el señor Juan Ángel López Miralda en la comunidad de Rigores, municipio de Trujillo, departamento de Colón. 

En efecto, como ha sido referido por organizaciones de la zona, Juan Ángel había ofrecido testimonio sobre amenazas, persecución y atentados ante este Comité en fecha 20 de noviembre de 2013.

In effect, as has been noted by organizations in the region, Juan Ángel had provided testimony about threats, persecution and attempts against him to this Committee on November 20, 2013. 

En aquella ocasión la víctima testificó pertenecer al Movimiento Unificado Campesino de la margen izquierda del Río Aguán, donde era presidente de la cooperativa Cristo Rey, del asentamiento campesino Marañones. Entre otros hechos testificó que el 16 de abril de 2013 sobrevivió a un atentado perpetrado

por hombres armados con sus rostros encapuchados.

Un ataque similar se repitió el 16 de octubre de 2013, siete días después que el coronel German Alfaro, de la Fuerza Xatruch, y agentes policiales de Yanga Nueva al mando del oficial Antúnez, visitaron la casa de su padre el 9 de octubre con actitud desafiante e inquisidora.

En ese contexto de hostilidades López Miralda decidió abandonar el país después de las elecciones de noviembre de 2013, reingresando por razones familiares en julio de 2014, sin notificar dicha decisión.

Hoy con vehemencia repudiamos su asesinato y exigimos a las autoridades gubernamentales una investigación seria del hecho y que dé a conocer con prontitud los resultados.

De los hechos y de los hechores, ni olvido ni perdón

COFADEH

1 / 1

The Committee of the Families of the Disappeared - Detainees of Honduras (COFADEH) repudiates the assassination last night against Mr. Juan Ángel López Miralda in the community of Rigores, municipality of Trujillo, Department of Colon.  

In effect, as has been noted by organizations in the region, Juan Ángel had provided testimony about threats, persecution and attempts against him to this Committee on November 20, 2013. 

At that time the victim testified that he belongs to the Unified Campesino Movement of the Aguan (MUCA) of the left bank of the Aguan River where he was president of cooperative, Cristo Rey, in the campesino settlement of Marañones. Among other facts he testified that on April 16, 2013 he survived an attack perpetrated by armed men wearing hoods over their faces. 

A similar attack was repeated on October 16, 2013, seven days after Colonel German Alfaro of the Xatruch Forces and police from Yanga Nueva under the command of an official named Antúnez, visited the house of his father on October 9 with a hostile and inquisitor attitude. 

Under  these hostile conditions López Miralda decided to abandon the country after the November 2013 elections, returned for family reasons in July of 2014 without giving notification  of this decision. 

Today we vehemently repudiate his assassination and we demand a serious investigation of this event by the government authorities  and that they quickly make the results known. 

The actions and the perpetrators, we will not forget nor forgive

COFADEH
_____________________________________________________
english follows spanish November 12, 2014

COPINH: !Asesinan a Juan Galindo, luchador por la tierra en el Aguan!

EL COPINH lamenta el cobarde asesinato del compañero Juan Galindo, hecho criminal cometido anoche, martes 11 de noviembre, a eso de la media noche, en la comunidad de Rigores, en el Valle del Aguan. El compañero Juan Galindo se destacó como dirigente campesino, participando de procesos de lucha por la tierra en beneficio del campesinado de la zona. Había recibido contantes amenazas a muerte y  su caso estaba siendo observado y acompañado  por varias organizaciones de derechos humanos que buscaban su protección.

El COPINH, se solidariza con la familia del compañero Galindo, con su comunidad y exige al Estado de Honduras, a las autoridades correspondientes el esclarecimiento inmediato y efectivo y que proceda a la aplicación de justicia con los responsables intelectuales y materiales.

El COPINH exige al Gobierno de Juan Orlando Hernández  que le ponga fin a la criminalización, represión, persecución y asesinato de dirigentes sociales, políticos y populares, situación que se mantiene en total impunidad como el de la compañera  dirigente campesina Margarita Murillo y muchos mas.

Dado en Intibucá, Honduras  a los 12 días de noviembre del 2014.

Coordinación General COPINH

¡Compañero Juan Galindo Presente, hoy, mañana y siempre!

¡Con la fuerza ancestral de Iselaca, Lempira, Mota y Etempica se levantan nuestras voces llenas de vida, justicia, dignidad, libertad y paz!

COPINH

English - COPIN denounces assassination of campesino leader in Rigores, Aguan Valley. 

COPINH laments the cowardly assassination of compañero Juan Galindo, a criminal act committed last night, Tuesday November 11 around midnight in the community of RIgores in the Aguan Valley. Compañero Juan Galindo stood out as a campesino leader, participating in the process of struggle for the land to benefit the campesinos in the region. He had received constant death threats and his case was being observed and accompanied by various human rights organizations that sought his protection.

COPIN is in solidarity with the family of compañero Galindo and his community and demands that the Government of Honduras and the responsible authorities investigate immediately and effectively and apply justice to the intellectual and material authors (of the crime). 

COPINH demands that the Government of Juan Orlando Hernández ends the criminalization, repression, persecution and assasination of social , political and popular leaders - a situation that is maintained in total impunity, for example the case of the campesina leader Margarita Murillo and many more. 

Declared in Intibucá, Honduras on the 12th of November 2014. 

COFADEH: Aguan Accion Urgente - Urgent Action Aguan

En Español Aquí
July 3rd violent eviction of campesinos in the Aguan.

 URGENT ACTION
The Committee of the Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras
(COFADEH) expresses its total repudiation of and concern for the violent eviction that was carried out on Thursday July 3, 2014 by members of the Joint Task Force Xatruch III of approximately 350 families of the "Gregorio Chavez" Movement from the Paso Aguán farm, located on the left bank of the Aguán River in the municipality of Trujillo, Colón, according to the following facts:
1. The action took place at about 11:00 A.M., when approximately 300 police and military members of JTF Xaltruch III violently invaded the farm, and indiscriminately fired tear gas and live bullets at those present, including children and elderly people.
2. As a result of this operation, campesinos José Sánchez Méndez and David Ponce were seriously wounded and transferred to the hospital in Tocoa, where they are receiving medical care. Mariano Baquedano and Roger Rodríguez were also injured with a blunt weapon. They were also transferred to this hospital to receive medical attention.

3. Moreover, seven people were arrested during the eviction, including among them a minor, a woman, an elderly person, and a member of the Permanent Observatory of Human Rights in the Bajo Aguán. Although they were arrested at 11:00 A.M. the army did not turn them over to police custody until 4 P.M. exceeding the time allowed by law for a report to be issued to the Fiscal.

4. Those detained are: Jorge Meléndez (46); Moisés Meléndez (56); Gloria Enamorado; Jeremías Cruz; José Chavez (60); Hernán Ricardo Omar Ocampos and Ricardo Rodas (16). According to available information, these people will be prosecuted and charged with the crime of usurpation.

BACKGROUND:
The Panamá Finca had been occupied by the "Gregorio Chavez" campesino group since July 4, 2012, after DINANT Corporation private security guards disappeared the independent campesino Gregorio Chávez Aranda, who was later found buried on the farm of industrtial farm magnate Miguel Facussé Barjum. The campesinos were evicted in May 2013, after an exhumation was conducted by forensic anthropologists on April 25, 2013, during which the body of independent campesino José Antonio López Lara was also found.

Since then the families of the town of Panamá have been repeatedly evicted. On one such occasion four soldiers and twenty security guards illegally entered the parcel of José Chávez Aranda’s , brother of Gregorio Chávez, and stole a large part of the crops he had on his land. José Chávez is one of the seven arrested on July 3.

It is also known that Deputy Comissioner Santos Núñez, member of the JTF Xatruch III, has previously intimidated the Coordinator of the Permanent Observatory of Human Rights in the  Bajo Aguán, (OPDHA), Martha Arnold, asking her who they thought they were to document facts, and that although they are supported by international and national human rights organizations, “that doesn’t mean anything.” He also required them to submit documents related to their legal status, not taking into account the International Conventions and Treaties for the Defense and Protection of Human Rights. Similarly, intimidation from members of the JTF Xatruch III, headed by Jovel Martínez, is directed at campesino leaders in the department of Colón, like the case of Agrarian Platform in the Bajo Aguán coordinator Jaime Cárcamo, who stated that soldiers have singled him out and on some occasions have pointed him out as a “land invader.”

PETITION:
We ask the national and international community to request that the State of Honduras take the necessary steps to ensure and protect the integrity and life of the campesinos in the Bajo Aguán, who are active in the defense of the struggle for land. We ask that they perform proper investigations, identifying those responsible for the events described above.

Please direct calls, emails and/or faxes to the following authorities.
OSCAR FERNANDO CHINCHILLA 
Attorney General’s Office. 
Fax (504) 2221-5667 
Tel (504) 2221-5670 2221-3099 

ARTURO CORRALES ALVAREZ 
Secretary of State in the Ministry of Security 
Tel: (504) 2229-0003 
E-mail: medidgeovanny@yahoo.com  

KARLA EUGENIA CUEVA 
Sub-Secretary Justice and Human Rights 
Tel: (504) 2231-1542; 2232-0231 
Fax: (504) 2232-0226 
E-mail: karlacueva144@gmail.com 

ROBERTO HERRERA CACERES 
National Commissioner for Human Rights 
Tel: (504) 2220-7648; 2232-0433 

JOSE ANTONIO MARADIAGA 
Public Ministry Coordinator 
Trujillo, Colon 
Fax: (504) 2434-4061 

COFADEH Urgent Action and Campesino Evictions

Honduras Resists publishes below an urgent action issued by COFADEH regarding the continuing threats and intimidations aimed at the human rights defenders in Honduras. La Voz de los de Abajo strongly supports COFADEH and we hold the Honduran government responsible for the physical and emotional integrity of COFADEH's staff, volunteers and the citizens who use the office and come there looking for help.

Eviction in Comayagua June 5, 2014

At the same time we dennounce new EVICTIONS of CAMEPSINOS of CNTC affiliates in Comayagua and MARCA members in the Aguan.  On June 5th the CNTC community in Ajuterique, Comayagua was evicted  by large force of police and military. 120 men, women and children  of the campesino group La Brea lost the land they have lived on and cultivated for 5 years and the coffee, corn and bean crops that were growing in their fields today. The campesino community was accompanied by members of the National office of the CNTC, Via Campesina and also had the presence of international human rights observers from PROAH. On May 21, 2014, at 6.00 a.m.  four military commandos and four police patrols, arrived at the area that 300 families affiliated with MARCA have occupied since July 12, 2012 with an order granting right of possession from the appropriate authorities based on a June 29, 2012 ruling from the Court of Trujillo. The police launched tear gas and fired rifles and captured 16 campesinos including 3 leaders who have protective orders from the Inter-American Human Rights Commission. Several campesinos were injured and denied medical care. One pregnant woman who was detained miscarried later. 

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COFADEH Urgent Action: June 9, 2014

URGENT ACTION

The Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH) expresses its concern, to the national and international public, regarding a series of events that have occurred systematically in recent weeks; events that occurred immediately after COFADEH registered formal complaints.

Since February 2014, various types of surveillance have been documented including stationed vehicles without license plates, vehicles circulating in front of COFADEH’s facilities at night and presence of vehicles that coincide with the departure of employees. These vehicles move slowly even when there is no heavy traffic, making several laps around the perimeter. Some of these vehicles park in the vicinity of the building and others pass by, making it clear that they are observing movements.  Unknown persons are strategically located on corners opposite the building in order to monitor the office’s movements. 

As of May 13, 2014, a private vehicle, red Toyota Corolla sedan with a black stripe and dark, tinted windows, has been observed parking daily at 7:00 A.M. in a suspicious manner (no one exits nor enters the vehicle). This vehicle parks at the same time and in the same place, usually located to the left of the entrance of the building coinciding with the hour that COFADEH personnel enter work. 

On May 29, 2014 at 10:00 A.M., a tall stocky man with dark skin and short hair, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, took photographs of the COFADEH facilities. When he realized that he was being watched, he left the perimeter walking unhurriedly.

Also, at the end of May 2014, the General Coordinator of this institution observed during morning hours, a suspicious man carrying a firearm suspiciously located on a sidewalk near COFADEH, exactly opposite the Building of Women in the Arts.

On Tuesday, June 3 of this year at about 8:00 A.M., Mr. José Ricardo Castillo Molina was murdered just 100 meters from the offices of COFADEH, as he emerged from his vehicle to go to his business: La Casa de las Velas (The House of Candles).  Two armed men driving a motorcycle shot him at close range. According to information provided by the family, the businessman had no personal enemies and his family was not aware that he had received any threats or was the object of extortion.

Events on Thursday June 5 of this year also alarm us. At about 7:40 A.M., immediately after the aforementioned red car left, a blue car with no plates parked in the same place, stayed until 8:45 A.M., and no one left the vehicle. However, it was apparent that there was a person inside of the vehicle with a cell phone in hand, apparently filming.

On June 4, 2014, at 3:00 P.M. one team member was temporarily kidnapped in a taxi in which there were four people: the driver, two women and a man, supposedly passengers, who detained her for two hours during which time the vehicle circulated throughout different zones of the city, including secure neighborhoods.  During this time she was assaulted, beaten severely in the face, suffered a strangulation attempt, and injuries from a pen stabbing her in the legs, neck and left hand.  This incident happened after leaving an event on “Forced Displacement due to Violence” which was held in the capital.

COFADEH is a beneficiary of protective measures issued by the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), however the state has not adopted effective measures to dissuade insecurity. 

In May, this institution presented a report on findings regarding the Human Rights situation prepared by the Delegation of Spanish Parliamentarians that visited Honduras at the beginning of April, 2014.  The General Coordinator also spoke in Canada during April and in May, participated in the IEDDH 2014 Forum, speaking on the issue of “Arbitrary and Summary Executions and Forced Disappearance” at the invitation of the European Union in  Brussels, Belgium.  Her interviews were reproduced in the international news media. 

Recently, 108 U.S. Congress members sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry to express their concern about the current human rights situation in Honduras.  The letter which referenced COFADEH as a source of information, expressed concern that the human rights situation has worsened under the government of Juan Orlando Hernández, asked the State Department to demand that the government of Honduras protect the fundamental rights of citizens, end the use of military forces for public policing, investigate and prosecute abuses and restore the rule of law.  

In Honduras, human rights defenders continue to be intimidated, persecuted, criminalized, censured, threatened and stigmatized. 

REQUEST:

We request that the national and international community communicate with the State of Honduras to ask that it take necessary measures to guarantee and protect the lives and integrity of the staff of COFADEH. 

That it guarantee the universally recognized right to defend human rights, as established in the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights Defenders approved in 1998 and the OAS Resolutions of 1999 and 2000.  

Remind the State of its obligation to conduct effective investigation and make public the results, to identify those responsible for the acts described above. 

Request the State to effectively carry out the protective measures issued to COFADEH by the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Please call the following authorities. 

OSCAR FERNANDO CHINCHILLA   

Fiscal General de la República/Attorney General.

Fax (504) 2221-5667 

Tel (504) 2221-5670  2221-3099        

ARTURO CORRALES ALVAREZ

Secretario de Estado en los Despachos de Seguridad/Secretary of State

Teléfono: (504) 2229-0003

E-mail: medidgeovanny@yahoo.com

KARLA EUGENIA CUEVA

SUB-SECRETARIA JUSTICIA Y DERECHOS HUMANOS/Sub Secretary Justice and Human Rights

Tel: (504) 2231-1542; 2232-0231

Fax:  (504) 2232-0226

E-mail:  karlacueva144@gmail.com

ROBERTO HERRERA CACERES

COMISIONADO NACIONAL DE DERECHOS HUMANOS/National Human Rights Commission

Tel: (504) 2220-7648; 2232-0433

Fax:

E-mail:

Tegucigalpa, MDC., June 9, 2014.

Perjury, Prejudice and Influence = Injustice

February 5th Chabelo’s Trial 

Campesinos of the Aguan - Seminario FIDES 2012

I arrived back in Chicago yesterday; this report is based on information from notes and reports by Dunia Perez of ERICSJ and Greg McCain, a human rights observer in the Aguan as well as a phone interview with Chabelo’s family today. Today the defense and prosecution  present their closing arguments- a verdict may come as early as tomorrow -- V. Cervantes

Yesterday (February 5) the landowner who started violence in the land dispute with the campesinos of Guadalupe Carney, Police Subcommander Henry Vicente Osorto testified. According to those present in the courtroom the prosecution created major theatrical effect -- previously they complained that he was not answering the orders to appear---  while everyone (except the judges) was in the courtroom for a supposed 8:30 am start, nothing happened until 9:30 am. The judges entered at that time and the prosecution introduced Osorto as the next witness. The defense team was not notified that Osorto was going to show up. 

Most shocking was Osorto’s testimony - he blatantly contradicted his testimony and statements made for the 2010 trial. He was not present at the confrontation but has testified that he had phone conversations with family members who were there including Carlos Manrique Osorto the man that Chabelo is accused of killing. The 2010 testimony by Henry Osorto was only that Carlos Manrique said there were campesinos surrounding the house , noise, etc. without mentioning any names at all.  But in Wednesday’s testimony he claimed that he asked Carlos Manrique if he recognized anyone and was told that “Jose Isabel Morales” was the one who shot him and furthermore Henry claims now that Chabelo took the phone from Carlos Manrique while talking to Henry and told Henry “ see what we have done to your family, you think you are so big”.  The defense team moved to declare the testimony invalid but despite the clear the contradictions. The judges ruled against the defense.  

Chabelo's mother shares family photos
with La Voz delegation - 2010

There were other inconsistencies between Wednesday’s testimony and 2010. In 2010 Osorto testified that in general the campesinos were peaceful neighbors but this time he made long statements about how the campesinos are terrorists; he verbally attacked the campesino organization MUCA (who are not at Guadalupe Carney) as having terrorist cells and accused Chabelo of having brought in others from outside to carry out a massacre. This “new testimony” comes straight out off the pages of the propaganda campaigns waged against MUCA, the MCA and other campesinos since the 2009 coup by the giant land owners in the Aguan such as Miguel Facusse and the Honduran military command in the Aguan (most recently, Coronel German Alfaro). It is worth remembering at this point that the conflict between Osorto and the Campesino Movement of the Aguan (MCA) arises from illegal sales/purchases by ex-military and police official s such as Osorto and later landowners like Miguel Facusse of the land that was part of a military base run by the U.S. for training and operations for the Honduran and Salvadoran military and the Nicaraguan Contras in the 1980's. The base was closed in 1985 and the land became Honduran government (public) ruled as eligible for land reform distribution to the poor and landless campesinos. 

During Wednesday's session Chabelo's defense lawyers also objected to the fact that this testimony by Henry Osorto as well as the changed testimony by the prosecution’s other witnesses and other “evidence” was a surprise to them as the prosecution had not informed them of this “new evidence” as required. 

Ceremony for campesinos murdered in the Aguan Valley
 since the coup - at least 120 to date.

As I write this, I remember a meeting with the organization “Lawyers in Resistance” in 2011 in San Pedro Sula in which a young lawyer told us that he and other lawyers formed that organization to figure out "how to practice law in a country in which there is no rule of law".

We can only hope that justice will prevail tomorrow when the verdict is expected. 

Update: The Case of Jose Isabel Morales and Injustice in Honduras

There has been increasing attention to the case of campesino activist, Jose Isabel "Chabelo" Morales from international and Honduran human rights and social justice organizations. This has led to a review of his case by the Honduran Supreme Court and an order for a new trial and his release pending that trial. However the court authorities in Northern Honduras in concert with the powerful land owners in the Aguan region have delayed his release so that at this time it looks as if he will remain unjustly imprisoned. Below is a statement from the Permanent Observatory for Human Rights of the Aguan.

For more information and actions for Chabelo go to these sites maintained by Greg Mccain in Honduras. 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/341/189/267/freedom-for-chavelo-now-libertad-para-chavelo-ahora/

http://freechavelo.wordpress.com/

Declaración Original en Español

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The Permanent Observatory for Human Rights of the Aguán informs the organizations of the Social and Popular Movement, National and International Human Rights Organizations and the Honduran people:

Since the beginning of our focus on the human rights violations in the agrarian crisis in the Aguán, we have accompanied the process of arrest and wrongful imprisonment of compañero José Isabel Morales, better known as "Chabelo," member of the Guadalupe Carney community who has been held for more than five years in the El Porvenir prison farm in the department of Atlantida, fighting for his freedom at a disadvantage against a justice system that continues to serve the interests of the regional economic power (Colon) and whose acts we denounce in the following:

1. After the defense filed an appeal before the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court, this judicial body ruled in favor of that appeal, annulling the sentence condemning Chabelo and ordered a new trial during which, campañero Chabelo must regain his freedom because there is no judgment against him. What happened was that when returning the case to the trial court of Trujillo, the defense presented the request based on the law for a hearing to change the preventative detention that Chabelo is currently burdened with. Such a hearing, according to the law, should have been performed forty-eight hours after the request. However, the Court evidently threw out the request and instead set a date for trial while keeping Chabelo a prisoner.

2. Because of this, the defense proceeded on Tuesday the Seventeenth of this month, to bring a writ of Habeas Corpus before the Second Court of Appeals based in La Ceiba, to which, in support of the action, they appointed as Executive Judge the Coordinator of Prosecutors in Trujillo, José Antonio Maradiaga who has deliberately delayed the resolution of the appeal and refuses to provide information to the Defense Lawyer and to Human Rights organizations, arguing that the case is in under secrecy and that he may not resolve it until he sends the report to the court in La Ceiba. We also denounce his willful, intransigent and disrespectful attitude of the law. As a law officer, he is a public servant and should give information when it is requested especially to family members and to the legal defense as well as to local, national, and international human rights organizations.

Therefore, we want it noted that we know that the intent is for campañero Chabelo to remain illegally detained since the law states that pretrial detention should not exceed two years and the compañero has served five years and two months.

We call upon the organizations of the social and popular movement, peasant organizations of the Aguan and of the country, and national and international human rights organizations to be more aggressive in our call for justice for our friend Isabel Morales.

Immediate Freedom for Chabelo!

Dignity and Justice for the Campesino Movement of Honduras!!

The Permanent Observatory of Human Rights of the Aguán

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

Free Chavelo - New Video -

José Isabel Morales "Chavelo" is a Political Prisoner from Honduras he is a peasant activist from the Peasant Movement of Aguan (MCA) in the Aguán Valley
Free Chavelo from Alexy Lanza on Vimeo.

Chavelo belongs to the community of Guadalpe Carney in the province of Colon, Honduras.
He is in prison for his involvement in the agrarian struggle in defense of the land. He is a member of a peasant cooperative in the Aguan.  The name of the cooperative is Saint Mary of the Angels. Chavelo has been in prison since October 17, 2008 without any evidence of committing a crime. he was captured without having any evidence. On June 25, 2010 Chavelo was declared guilty of murder. On July 24, 2012 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Visite una nueva pagina para Chavelo - Visit the new website for Chavelo
http://freechavelo.wordpress.com

URGENT ACTION for Chavelo: Sign the Petition  ACCION URGENTE: Peticion
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/We_Demand_a_Retrial_and_Freedom_for_Honduran_Political_Prisoner_Chavelo_Morales/?cpeXOab

Honduran Grassroots Groups Call for Liberty for Campesino Prisoner

Jose Isabel "Chavelo" Morales Lopez

SIGN THE PETITION BELOW! 

el texto en español sigue el ingles

 We Demand Freedom for our Compañero José Isabel Morales! The grassroots organizations, in defense of our territories and natural resources of the regions of Aguán, Atlantida, and Valle de Sula, in the Central, South and West of the country, have gathered in national assembly to denounce and repudiate the rigged and illegal process that led to the capture, detention and sentencing of our compañero Jose Isabel Morales who is imprisoned unjustly in the El Porvenir prison in La Ceiba, Atlantida.

 Compañero José Isabel Morales is in prison for his involvement in the agrarian struggle in defense of the land. The Honduran State is directly responsible for the conflict in that area because it became an accomplice to rich landlords who illegally appropriated land where the CREM (Regional Center for Military Training) operated. This land had been legally allotted to campesino groups. The State is not the only party responsible for the agrarian conflict, but it deliberately protected the rich landlords and has manipulated the justice system by showing no mercy for the campesinos, and by turning the victims, such as is the case of Jose Isabel Morales, into executioners and criminals, and presenting the perpetrators, invaders and murderers of the campesinos as honorable people and as the victims.

 We demand that the Supreme Court proceed immediately to annul the sentence imposed on our colleague due to it being unjust, unconstitutional and motivated strictly by the political interests of revenge seeking landlords who act as if it the Aguán were there own personal property. We demand from the Supreme Court a decision declaring the immediate release of our colleague José Isabel Morales, while at the same time declaring void the arrest warrants against all the campañeros and campañeras of the Campesino Movement of the Aguán. You cannot condemn people for raising there voices and for fighting to defend land that legitimately belongs to them.

 We invite all fraternal grassroots organizations to make common cause in this fight for the campesinos of the Aguán, and particularly to be in solidarity with our unjustly imprisoned compañero. Below is the link to the Petition to the Supreme Court of Justice of Honduras asking for a retrial/freedom for Chavelo Morales.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/ petition/We_Demand_a_Retrial_ and_Freedom_for_Honduran_ Political_Prisoner_Chavelo_ Morales/?cpeXOab

Immediate freedom for our compañero Jose Isabel Morales!
 Siguatepeque, 6 de octubre de 2012
Comité Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH), Organización Fraternal Negra de Honduras (OFRANEH), Movimiento Amplio por la Dignidad y la Justicia (MADJ), Coordinadora de Organizaciones Populares del Aguán (COPA), Asociación Intermunicipal de Vigilancia Social de Honduras (AIDEVISH), Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación (ERIC), Partido Socialismo o Barbarie (SoB), Coordinadora de Organizaciones Lajeñas, de Las Lajas, Comayagua Consejo Parroquial de parroquia de Goascorán, departamento de Valle Central Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo (CNTC) Red de Mujeres de El Progreso (REMUPRO)
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Declaración por 10 Organizaciones Populares de Honduras por la Libertad de Chavelo

 Exigimos libertad para nuestro compañero José Isabel Morales Las organizaciones populares en defensa de nuestros territorios y los bienes naturales de las regiones del Aguán, Atlántida, Valle de Sula, centro, sur y occidente del país, reunidas en asamblea nacional, denunciamos y repudiamos el proceso amañado e ilegal que llevó a la captura, encarcelamiento y sentencia de nuestro compañero JOSÉ ISABEL MORALES quien guarda prisión injusta en el centro penal de El Porvenir, en La Ceiba, Atlántida.

 El compañero José Isabel Morales está preso por su compromiso en la lucha agraria en defensa de la tierra. El Estado hondureño es responsable directo del conflicto en dicha zona porque se convirtió en cómplice para que los terratenientes se apropiaran ilegalmente de las tierras en donde funcionó el CREM y que ya estaban adjudicadas a los grupos campesinos. El Estado hondureño no solo es el principal responsable de dicho conflicto agrario, sino que deliberadamente ha protegido a los terratenientes y ha manipulado el sistema de justicia para ensañarse en contra de los campesinos, convirtiendo a las víctimas, como es el caso de José Isabel Morales, en verdugos y delincuentes, y presentando a los victimarios, invasores y asesinos de campesinos como honorables y víctimas. 

Exigimos que la Corte Suprema de Justicia proceda de inmediato a anular la sentencia impuesta a nuestro compañero por injusta, inconstitucional y por esta motivada por estrictos intereses políticos de revancha de parte de los terratenientes y de quienes se afanan en seguir actuando como si el Aguán fuese su propia hacienda. Exigimos a la Corte Suprema de Justicia una sentencia que declare la inmediata libertad de nuestro compañero José Isabel Morales, al tiempo que declare nulas las órdenes de captura en contra de todos los compañeros del Movimiento Campesino del Aguán porque no se puede condenar a las personas por elevar su voz y su lucha en defensa de la tierra que legítimamente les pertenece.

 Invitamos a todas las organizaciones populares y fraternas a hacer causa común en esta lucha a favor de los campesinos del Aguán, y particularmente en solidaridad con nuestro compañero injustamente preso.

Por debajo está el enlace de la petición a la Corte Suprema de Justicia de Honduras solicitando un nuevo juicio / libertad para Chavelo Morales.

http://www.avaaz.org/es/ petition/Exigimos_un_nuevo_ juicio_y_libertad_para_el_ preso_politico_hondureno_ Chavelo_Morales/?cpeXOab

¡Libertad inmediata para nuestro compañero José Isabel Morales!

 Siguatepeque, 6 de octubre de 2012 

Comité Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH), Organización Fraternal Negra de Honduras (OFRANEH), Movimiento Amplio por la Dignidad y la Justicia (MADJ), Coordinadora de Organizaciones Populares del Aguán (COPA), Asociación Intermunicipal de Vigilancia Social de Honduras (AIDEVISH), Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación (ERIC), Partido Socialismo o Barbarie (SoB), Coordinadora de Organizaciones Lajeñas, de Las Lajas, Comayagua Consejo Parroquial de parroquia de Goascorán, departamento de Valle Central Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo (CNTC) Red de Mujeres de El Progreso (REMUPRO)