Urgent! Attack against Garifuna community radio in Triunfo de la Cruz

Urgent! Attack against Garifuna community radio in Triunfo de la Cruz

January 6, 2010

Today, early this morning, the Faluma Bimetu community radio was the victim of an attack carried out by unknown authors who set fire to the room where the community radio was installed.

Faluma Bimetu has been around for more than a decade, during which it has focused on strengthening Garifuna culture, as well as participating in the creation of an early alert system, programs concerning HIV/AIDS, and providing general information that goes beyond the habitual distortion that is normally promoted by mass media.

The Garifuna community radios fulfill a social function without any profit motive, especially Faluma Bimetu, which has been transmiting in an area that has been converted into a highly conflictive region by the powerful Honduran elites, because of the interest that financial groups have in displacing the Garifuna communities to use our beaches for their tourism projects.

In recent years, the Municipality of Tela has divided the community by way of a parallel Community Council (“Patronato,” the State-recognized form of local government) that favours the interests of tourism businesspeople. The Faluma Bimetu radio has been one of the champions of the defense of ancestral territory.

Eyewitnesses to the attack report that the humble building where the radio was housed has been destroyed, and that equipment has been lost. This incident is an enormous loss for the community of Triunfo and for the Garifuna people in general.

Fraternal Black Organization of Honduras, OFRANEH

Tel. (504) 442-0618, (504) 450-0058

Av 14 julio, calle 19, Contiguo Vivero Flor Tropical, Barrio Alvarado, La Ceiba, Honduras

email: garifuna@ofraneh.org, ofraneh@yahoo.com

Urgente: atentado contra la radio comunitaria de Triunfo de la Cruz.

Urgente: atentado contra la radio comunitaria de Triunfo de la Cruz.

Hoy, en horas de la madrugada, la radio comunitaria Faluma Bimetu sufrió un atentado perpetrado por desconocidos, los que incendiaron el local donde se encontraba instalada la radio comunitaria garífuna.

Faluma Bimetu tiene más de una década de vida, en la cual se ha centrado en fortalecer la cultura garífuna, al mismo tiempo participando en la creación de un sistema de alerta temprana, programas referentes al VIH/SIDA, y proporcionar información en general mas allá de la distorsión habitual que suele ser promovida por los medios de comunicación masivos.

Las radios comunitarias garífunas cumplen un función social sin ninguno espíritu de lucro, en especial la de Faluma Bimetu,la que venía transmitiendo desde una zona que la elite de poder hondureña la ha convertido en altamente conflictiva, dado el interés que tienen grupos financieros en desplazar a las comunidades garífunas para utilizar nuestras playas en sus proyectos turísticos.

En los últimos años la Municipalidad de Tela ha dividido la comunidad por intermedio de un Patronato (figura estatal de gobierno local) paralelo, afín a los intereses de los empresarios turísticos. La radio Faluma Bimetu ha sido una de las abanderadas en la defensa del territorio ancestral.

Testigos oculares del atentado ocurrido, señalan la destrucción del inmueble donde se encontraba la radio, además de la sustracción de equipo. El hecho acontecido es una enorme perdida para la comunidad de Triunfo y el pueblo garífuna en general.

Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña, OFRANEH
Teléfono (504) 4420618, (504) 4500058
Av 14 julio, calle 19, Contiguo Vivero Flor Tropical, Barrio Alvarado, La Ceiba, Honduras
email:garifuna@ofraneh.org, ofraneh@yahoo.com

Declaration of 8th General Assembly of COPINH - "Martyrs of the Resistance"

DECLARATION - 8th General Assembly of the Civil Council of Popular and Indigenous Organiations of Honduras - COPINH
“Martyrs of the Resistance Against the Coup”

In these days accompanied by clouds and cool winds we have paid homage to the fighters from amongst our people, we have spoken and agreed in the circle of our 8th General Assembly "Martyrs of the Resistance Against the Coup d'Etat," that we are aware that it is happening during a gloomy reprehensible time, but that it does not take away our hope, our dignity and the illumination given by our ancestors.

Our millenarian people, represented by many communities meeting together declares:

1-The systems of death, oppression and domination are trying to advance with their ideas and machines of death imposing on us economic models that further exploitation, consumerism and advanced plunder not just with decadent capitalism but with other systems of death like patriarchy and racism.

2.-The tragedy of the military, oligarchic and media coup d'etat, orchestrated and financed by U.S. imperialism and the international right-wing, has created a state of general regression of Honduran society, has violated individual, collective, political, economic, environmental, cultural, and social rights, to such a degree that it has completely broken down the Honduran constitutional system, with this coup d'etat they try to guarantee the great oligarchic and transnational interests and deepen the project of domination accompanied by strategies of militarization and brutal repression.

3.- This inheritance of death forms part of the arrival of Mr. Porfirio Lobo Sosa to the "presidency" of Honduras, who will inherit at the same time an enormous un-governability and political and economic crisis.

Because of the above we have decided:

1.- To reaffirm our historic disposition to struggle against death, whether it is called capitalism, patriarchy or racism, as was taught to us by our Man of the Mountain and our people who through 500 years have defended its territories, its autonomies and its culture and has condemned militarization and invasive power. We will struggle against the projects of plunder and privatization of our knowledge, water, land, territory, forest, mineral and metallic resources, public services, cultural richness and life itself.

2.- To reaffirm that we will continue in the struggle against the dictatorship, the coup d'etat and against the coup-backers and that we will intensify the work, the collective construction, the mobilization and organization to, along with the rest of the social movement, achieve the installation of a Popular Democratic National Constitutional Assembly of the people and to push for the re-founding of the Honduran nation.

3.- To condemn the systemic threatening and violation of human rights against members of COPINH communities by the unchecked repressive forces such as the military, the police, the air force, death squads, municipal coup authorities, the public ministry, among others.

4.- To salute the heroic resistance of the Honduran people expressed through the most diverse sectors and multiple and creative forms that teach us about the dignity, ability and commitment of the people.

5- To encourage the social and political movement to carry forth an emancipatory process and to re-found our country so that we can expeditiously deepen the organization, mobilization and consensus that makes us advance towards unity and the creation of a coming together of forces with ability and valor to take a determined and historic step.

With the ancestral force of Lempira, Icelaka and Etempica we raise our voices of live, justice, liberty and peace!

Those who die for life cannot be called dead!

He is coming and he comes with us from the end of the forgotten!

Given in Intibucá, Honduras - Territory in resistance, December 22nd, 2009

Declaracion del 8va. Asamblea General del COPINH - “Mártires de la Resistencia Contra el Golpe de Estado”

DECLARACION - 8va. Asamblea General del Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras - COPINH
“Mártires de la Resistencia Contra el Golpe de Estado”

En estos días acompañadas y acompañados por las nubes y con la frescura de los vientos en los que hemos rendido homenaje a los luchadores y las luchadoras de nuestro pueblo, hemos hablado y acordado en el círculo de nuestra 8va. Asamblea General “Mártires de la Resistencia Contra el Golpe de Estado”, estando conscientes de desarrollar la misma en el marco de un escenario sombrío, condenable pero que no nos arrebata la esperanza, la dignidad y la iluminación dada por nuestras ancestras y ancestros.
Nuestro pueblo milenario, representado por varias comunidades, reunido manifiesta:

1-Los sistemas de muerte, opresión y dominación pretenden avanzar con su idea y maquinaria de muerte

imponiéndonos modelos económicos que impulsan la explotación, el consumismo y la depredación avanzando no solo con el capitalismo decadente, sino con otros sistemas de muerte como el patriarcado y el racismo.

2.-La tragedia del golpe de estado militar, oligárquico y mediático, orquestado y financiado por el imperialismo estadounidense y al derecha internacional, ha creado un estado de involución general de la sociedad hondureña, ha violentado derechos individuales, colectivos, políticos, económicos, ambientales, culturales, sociales, a tal grado que ha puesto en quiebra total la constitucionalidad hondureña, con este golpe de estado se pretende garantizar la protección de los grandes intereses oligárquicos y trasnacionales y la profundización del proyecto de dominación que se hace acompañar con estrategias de militarización y represión brutal.

3.- Esta herencia de muerte forma parte de la llegada del Sr. Porfirio Lobo Sosa a la “presidencia” de Honduras, quien heredará al mismo tiempo una enorme ingobernabilidad, crisis política y económica.

Por lo anterior hemos convenido:

1.- Reafirmar nuestra disposición histórica de luchar contra la muerte, llámese capitalismo, patriarcado o racismo, como nos enseñara nuestro Señor de la Sierra y nuestro pueblo que a lo largo de 500 años ha defendido sus territorios, autonomías y cultura y ha condenado la militarización y el poder invasor. Lucharemos contra los proyectos de saqueo y privatización de nuestros conocimientos, agua, tierra, territorios, bosque, recurso minero y metálico, de servicios públicos, riquezas culturales y de la vida misma.

2.- Reafirmar que seguiremos en la lucha contra la dictadura, el golpe de estado y contra los golpistas y que intensificaremos el trabajo, la construcción colectiva, la movilización y organización para junto al resto del movimiento social alcanzar la instalación de una Asamblea Nacional Constituyente Popular y Democrática del pueblo e impulsar la refundación de la nación hondureña.

3.- Condenamos el sistemático hostigamiento y violación de derechos humanos contra miembras y miembros y comunidades del COPINH por parte de las fuerzas represivas impunes como militares y policiales, fuerza aérea, escuadrones de la muerte, orejas, autoridades municipales golpistas, ministerio público, entre otros.

4.- Saludar la resistencia heroica del pueblo hondureño expresada por los mas diversos sectores y de las mas múltiples y creativas formas que nos enseñan de la dignidad, capacidad y compromiso del mismo.

5- Animar al movimiento social y político que le apuesta a liberar un proceso emancipatorio y por refundar nuestro país para que, con celeridad profundicemos la organización, movilización y consenso que nos haga avanzar hacia la unidad y a la conformación de una correlación de fuerza con capacidad y audacia para dar ese paso histórico y determinante

¡Con la fuerza ancestral de Lempira, Icelaka y Etempica se levantan nuestras voces de vida, justicia, libertad, dignidad y paz!
¡Quienes mueren por la vida no pueden llamarse muertos!
¡Él viene, y viene con nosotros desde el final de los olvidos!

Dado en Intibucá, territorio en resistencia, a los 22 días del mes de diciembre del 2009.

Another young member of resistance Renán Fajardo Argueta found dead

Committee of Family Members of the Detained and Disappeared of Honduras (COFADEH) dnounces crime committed against Renán Fajardo Argueta

The Committee of Family Members of the Detained and Dsiappeared in Honduras, COFADEH, denounces the crime committed Teusday afternoon against the young man Edwin Renán Fajardo Argueta (22), an active member of the Resistance. His body was found this past December 23rd in the afternoon after a constant search by family members and friends worried about his absence as he was supposed to travel on Wednesday to Roatán, Islas de la Bahía, for Christmas with his family.

COFADEH received the information about finding his body in an apartment in the San Rafael neighborhood in Tegucigalpa, in the Villar Rosales Building, where he had lived for a long time. There was a cord found around his neck and a broom stick behind his head and there were signs of violence as everything was strewn about. The act may have occurred between four and five in the afternoon on Tuesday December 22nd.

His killers tried to simulate a suicide but his body was found in a small closet of his apartment bleeding from its nose and his body was dirty like it had been tied up according to the neighbors who saw the scene of the crime. The people responsible for his death took his camera and a computer.

On Monday of this week he had communicated to friends that he was very worried because he felt pursued because he had received text messages in his telephone and didn't want to leave for Roatán where his family was because of the danger of being in public places and that's also why he didn't want to go see friends who wanted to meet up.

Several neighbors said they had seen suspicious cars without license plates and with tinted windows circulating around the area in recent days, this has generated much fear because since August strange things have been seen.

His die-hard activism in the National Front of Resistance included participation in marches, sit-ins, and all the activities by that organization of which he was always in the front lines and where he took photographs with the camera that they stole from him. He also traveled to different places around the country to raise consciousness about the need for a National Constitutional Assembly.

Edwin Renán was a very admired young man in his neighborhood for being so respectful and responsible. The apartments he lived in were very secure, nobody could enter if they didn't live in them.

An agent of the investigation manifested that the autopsy will determine the causes of his death and added that in his neck was the cord and the broom stick behind his head and that, "it would be hard for it to have been a suicide because the broomstick would have broken with the weight of his body," he said. A vigil for Edwin Renán will happen in the building where he lived and his body will be taken to Roatán at seven in the morning.

COFADEH condemns this new act of violence that blinds the life of a young man with a promising future for Honduras. The killings of active members of the Resistance have increased in recent days in a selective way, using simulations of criminal violence to cover up the deaths.

We make an urgent call to the international community and especially to human rights organizations to carry out urgent necessary actions to stop this human hunt against the Honduran population who continues in resistance since the 28th of June when the military-political-business-imperialist coup was perpetrated.

WE NEITHER FORGET NOR FORGIVE THE ACTS OR THE ACTORS

Commitiee of Family Members of the Detained and Disappeared of Honduras, COFADEH
Tegucigalpa, Honduras December 23rd, 2009