http://www.sydney-says-no2honduras-coup.net/much-shorter-monthly-summari...
JULY 2013 – HONDURAS COUP UPDATE – INTENSIFIED POLITICAL PERSECUTION, ESPECIALLY AGAINST COMMUNITIES OPPOSING DAMS, MINES AND LIKE BUSINESSES..
Summary of political killings in July 2013:
Tomás Garcia of Copinh, participant of highway blockade against Agua Zarca dam, having had death threats, was assassinated by gunfire shots of the Honduran army, on 15/7.
Brother of MUCA farmer activist, Abel Israel Hernandez (26) was found killed, on 17/7.
Mireya Mendoza, judge who is Pro-Secretary of Association of Judges for Democracy, was assassinated on 24/7
Erwin Alexis Chamorro RamÃrez, activist and garÃfuna youth of ODECO, was killed on 21/7
Journalist of Canal 13, Oscar Omar Cardona, was found dead on 13/7
Military gunfire assassination, militarisation, and public-private alliance in repression against the blockade opposing the installation of a hydroelectricity dam Agua Zarca at Rio Blanco
Repression has been ongoing since the blockade began on 1/4/13
On 15/7/13, in the morning, as community members were arriving at the blockade (day 106) at DESA and Sinohydro meeting, soldiers approached the gates and without saying anything and opened fire – many shots - assassinating Tomás Garcia of Copinh and gravely wounding his son (17) Allan Garcia Dominguez. The police present watched and did nothing. Tomás was amongst the persons known to have received death threats, he also was offered bribes of thousands of lempiras by the companies but he never sold out and always stood by his community. Allan was with his dad when his dad was killed and with the same army bullets, his chest was perforated and his lung affected. That night new military contingents moved towards the region from Zacapa, and more use of gunfire by these are feared, despite which, the community, under terror and grief, resolved to maintain the blockade.
Before the assassination, on the build up:
On 3/7/13, police made accusations against already judicially persecuted indigenous leader Berta Caceres of having incited violence, stating they heard gunshots at the cafeteria and company office the night before, that day two trucks full of heavily armed police and warned that more were coming.
On 4/7/13 further discrediting reports against the community appeared in Honduran medias, accusing the blockading community of burning infrastructure of the dam site (despite the impossiblity of such), using the term 'terrorism' in the reports.
On 5/7/13, the international delegation present reported militarisation, home invasions, harrassment, and death threats against including Tomás Garcia, Berta Caceres, Aureliano Molina, Francisco Javier Sanchez, and Lucio Sanchez. They saw Berta Caceres and other Copinh members ordered out of the car, searched and yelled at. They also witnessed police and army being fed and housed by dam companies and used the company cars.
On 12/7/13, it was known that one of the main engineers of Agua Zarca and other men (including employees of both DESA and Sinohydro) went to La Unión community in DESA company cars to meet with two known hitmen in the region to follow through with death threats they made.
On 14/7/13, 34 soldiers in addition to police arrived and militarised the blockade. Soldiers are from the First Battallion of Engineers – headed by a School of the Americas (Latin American mercenary school of the US) graduate. Prior to the blockade, there were no police or soldiers present in the area.
After the assassination: Further discrediting media reports continued, to frame that soldiers opened fire in 'self-defence' – falsely claiming they were attacked by protesters with weapons and machetes, and further made false accusations that Copinh members opposed to the project shot and killed the youth Cristian Anael Madrid Muñoz – a relative of a company employee, whose body was found hours after the military's shooting.
Community leaders demand the immediate withdrawal of Sinohydro machinery, and the stopping of mliitary and judicial persecution against leaders and communities. The hydroelectricity dam project, facing sustained community protest and opposition, is still moving ahead in the name of clean energy! It is amongst projects that came from approval of General Law of Waters in December 2009, and concession of 47 rivers in September 2010, and 24 other such projects in July 2012.
Escalated threats, bribery, and now kidnapping of international human rights observers by mining company Alutech, with state complicity, at La Nueva Esperanza
On 20/7/13 at 5.30pm, Nueva Esperanza community villagers and El Zapote community were threatened and harrassed by Wilfredo Funez – an employee sent by Lenir Perez (son-in-law of infamous palm giant Miguel Facussé) accompanied by 2 armed men – to sell their properties because the mine wants to open there. This is in addition to constant phone calls by unknown persons, and fear that the company are calling on the dozen armed men who have for a month maintained a state of siege in the community. Many families had to flee and refuge in the mountains or elsewhere.
On 25/7/13 at Nueva Esperanza, human rights observers/volunteers Orlane Vidal (26) of France and Daniel Logmeier (25) of Switzerland of PROAH (Honduras Accompaniment Project, Friendship Office of the Americas) have for less than 24 hours been accompanying 42 families who have been under threat, intimidation and pressure to sell their properties to Alutech, when Alutech guards surrounded the family home Orlane and Daniel were inside. Orlane and Daniel came out to talk to the guards and saw that there were over 40 men armed with guns and machetes. Orlane and Daniel passed an hour trying to talk with these but the guards kidnapped /obligated Orlane and Daniel to go with them with pointed guns and walk half an hour, where they were then obligated at gunpoint to go inside a company car – inside was the Alutech employee Wilfredo Funes who harrassed the community, a likely company engineer, and some armed men in the backseat. They were taken to the Florida community bus station and released there 2 hours later, before which Orlane and Daniel were asked if they were communists, told they had no reason to be there and that they were disrupting the work of the mining company. Some men made sexual threats to Orlane. The men also went through Orlane's and Daniel's cameras and phones and deleted from these photos of mining company cars. Orlane and Daniel were warned not to complain, and that if they come back, the armed men will 'disappear us in the forest and nobody will ever see us again'. While kidnapped, they sought information about who sent the armed men, from which the indirect but implicit response was that it was Lenir Perez.
When they got home, they answered a call from Wilfredo Funes saying, 'the mere boss wants to talk to you' to which they asked, 'who? Lenir Perez?' in response to which Wilfredo hung up. It was reported that in the region, journalists or human rights defenders get stopped and searched on checkpoints on the highways. In solidarity with those at la Nueva Esperanza – lives of families opposing the mines and remaining there are in danger – 250 human rights defenders from around Honduras and around the world are converging there, where 80 private guards are waiting.
Killing, Evictions, detentions and more on the contested palm plantations of Bajo Aguán
On 16/7/13, at 7.30am, a contingent of 180 of Xatruche Operation and police teargassed and evicted 98 farmers families of 28 de mayo occupying the San Martin community of Trujillo. The contingent beat and detained for over 12 hours the farmers Armando Sagastume (60), José Ãngel Sagastume (54), and DerÃan Galingo (17), Rony Javier Ãrtica Ãvila (18) and Orlando Andino Muñoz, who were freed at 9.30pm, with the bail condition of not going near the fields from which they have been evicted. 5 children aged 2 to 5 were teargas affected.
On 17/7/13, at 7.30pm, Abel Israel Hernández (26) was found assassinated (likely the night before) with two bullet wounds on his face, in the Salamá community. He is the brother of a MUCA farmers movement member who is part of La Aurora settlement.
On 23/7/13, at 3.30pm, at Panamá community, Xatruch operation members and police violently and forcefully home invaded without a judicial order, against Elda Yamileth Erazo and her 2 year old daughter Claudia Yamileth Leon, threatening them with detention if they did not cooperate. The destroyed their home belongings and stole $500 of their hard earned savings. Elda's spouse, who was out at the time, is Francis AnÃbal León, a leader of the Gregorio Chavez farmers movement. The Xatruch and police members were sneaky and entered through the Paso Aguan farms into the community to avoid detection by community members.
Militarisation, eviction, and capturing of a farmers leader, on sugar plantations, v Azunosa/SABMiller @El Progreso
On 2/7/13, at 6.30am, in Agua Blanca Sur, a contingent of over 400 heavily armed military, police and Azunosa sugar company guards evicted over 1000 families of the farmers movements ADCP and CNTC, for the 4th time this year. The contingent arrived with company machinery and destroyed homes, over 420 hectares of maiz, and another 280 hectares of cassava, plaintain, beans and vegetables, to replace with sugarcanes. 3644 hectares of land held by Azunosa was declared by state department INA state agrarian land, in 2012, on which farmers legally began occupation. Over 1000 set up camp at Agua Blanca Sur after the eviction despite continued presence of soldiers.
On 26/7/13, at midday, when CNTC leader Magdalena Morales (50) was facilitating a meeting at the CNTC office with at least 10 CNTC members, state investigative agents who arrived in a double cabin vehicle without numberplates driven by an Azunosa employee, captured Magdalena without showing any orders. She was charged with land usurpation, damages and prejudices to the state, and was kept overnight at Yoro police station and released the next day with bail conditions including to stay away from the land occupation site, and to sign at the courts every 15 days. This is not her first experience of persecution, for example, Magdalena was amongst farmers arrested on 15/8/12 at an Azunosa eviction.
Death threats, yet another killing, and a kidnap and beating against journalists speaking up
On 4/7/13, journalist Mario Castro of the program El Látigo Contra la Corrupción received several text messages from 99926688, that threatened him with, 'the same will happen to you as what happened to your dear colleague...' (AnÃbal Barrow, Mario's friend and colleague, was kidnapped and killed)
On 9/7/13, the same date that the body of the journalist AnÃbal Barrow was found, journalist Eduardo Maldonado, owner of HCH channel, received a text threat from 9567 2668: 'for this they kill these pendejos for sticking their noses in things that are none of their business',
On 13/7/13, the body of Óscar Omar Cardona was found having been killed by gunshots, on the street in Miraflores, La Entrada Copán. Oscar worked as a producer for Canal 13, and his dad worked for the same, for the news programs
On 18/7/13, journalist Joel Coca of Canal 11 at Puerto Cortes was intercepted by unknown persons as he was leaving the channel where he works, and beaten with a wooden bat until he was left semiconscious, after he spoke up on air on topics that he believes affects the interests of his attackers. As they pushed him into the car he felt a beating in the back and heard the bat hit the car's roof (instead of his head which he believes they aimed for).
Journalist of human rights media defensoresenlinea, Marvin Palacios reported receiving continued threats.
Judge of Association of Judges for Democracy assassinated, human rights prosecutor detained and threatened
On 10/7/13, Edy Tabora who works in human rights special prosecutors, was illegally and arbitrarily detained by police of Santa Rosa de Copán. Threats against him were also reported.
On 24/7/13, Mireya Mendoza Peña – member of the committee of Association of Judges for Democracy (and judge of El Progreso Sentencing Court), was assassinated. Mireya was an enthusiastic member of the AJD collective, as the Pro-Secretary.
Attempt against Libre ('electoral arm' of resistance) politicians
On 14/7/13, in Olancho, Santa Maria del Real, the Libre party building with a full meeting inside had shots fired at from a passing car – gravely wounding youth leader José Orlando Palacios Mayen (17), also inside were the mayor candidate, the MP candidate Miguel Navarro and understudy of Zelaya, Carlos Muñoz..
Repression against uni students
At 1pm on 23/7/13, students of the main UNAH (autonomous university of Honduras) campus in Tegucigalpa who occupied the road in front of the university, were repressed by police and army with indiscriminate and excessively fired tear gas bombs – so much that the police and military left when they ran out of teargas bombs. Students have been injured by having been hit by the bombs in their bodies and heads. One suffered an epilepsy attack amidst the skirmish and was forced onto a police patrol and deprived of needed medical attention by having been taken into custody. The protest was against the congress approval of Law of Higher Education (that privatises education).
Illegal forced displacement against villagers of Zacate Grande, by building a wall
On 9/7/13, villagers of Zacate Grande placed a formal complaint that a self-proclaimed landowner Heriberto Cruz is building a wall in the communities of Puerto Sierra and Playa Blanca, with arrangements with the judges, prosecutors and police already made, to force over 100 families to abandon their lands and crops.
Killing, terror and landgrabbing against Indigneous communities
On 21/7/13, the garÃfuna youth Erwin Alexis Chamorro RamÃrez was assassinated in La Ceiba. Erwin is an activist and member of the GarÃfuna dance square of the ethnic development organisation ODECO
A general statement was made, that the Moskitia people organised in MASTA have continued to receive threats, resisting landgrabbing of untitled land, deforestation, etc, in relative isolation, living in areas reachable from other parts either through several days on boat, or quicker by helicopter.
NEWS from Honduran Congress
Neoliberal laws congress passed this July:
New Law of Municipalities: while decentralisation could be to democratising and towards self governing autonomous communities with participative structures, in Honduras, whenever municipalisation is used it has meant transferring state responsibilities to an authority without then also trasnferring needed resources. Under this law the mayor is empowered to make decisions without other council members about contracts with other entities including the selling out/privatisation of its functions – for which it is not given adequate resources to carry out. The law also facilitates alliances and contracts with the council, to provide another mechanism to facilitate model cities. It also abolishes legislation for open meetings.
Law of reconversation of public debt with unused natural resources: this involves creating mechanisms for concessions that endure 20 years to be made, quantifying the submitting and exploitation of common goods such as forests, rivers, etc, over 20 years – the titles of which to be converted into/sold as bonds, sold to the highest bidder, towards paying public debt and interests charged to the state. Finance Minister Cerrato said he has met already with Canadian, Peruvian and Chinese investors interested in investing in hydro and thermic energy and mining exploitation.
Neoliberal bill in discussion in congress this July:
Bill: New Law of Higher Education: the public autonomous university always had exclusivity in organising, directing and developing higher and professional education and the funding for the same – if approved, both the funding and decision making will be opened up to private universities, leading including to privatisation, and UNAH medical science students will finish as graduates rather than doctors. This bill presented by UNAH is almost the same as the one drafted by the National Association of Private Universities in 2011, and UNAH privatisation is amongst the IMF demands.
Human rights in Honduras?
Honduran human rights expert Bertha Oliva warned that what happened in Rio Blanco – an attack by army with firearms against a peaceful protest that killed at least one protester – is no incidental but part of a strategy to implement what is left of social movements, as the November elections are approaching. Meanwhile, representing the army, General Osorio Canales tries to make everyone believe that the officer shot his gun out of self-defence because his victim had a machete in his hand.
Moving to the Bajo Aguán region, head of the Xatruch military operation there dared declare that from November 2012 to date, that there has been no bloodshed in the Colón province, when in fact, 16 have been killed, and are in impunity.
The defacto president Lobo, on the other hand, is quoted to have said on his facebook that human rights defenders are making his job of fighting violence difficult, for opposing his bills to create harsher penalties in the criminal code.
And for something that looks like a joke, but isn't, over 1000 religious tourists came from US to Honduras, to 'pray, so in Honduras, the violence stops'. One of the Honduran protest songs goes, 'no, no no, no basta rezar, falta muchas cosas para conseguir la paz!'.
A GLIMPSE AT SOLIDARITY, IN, WITH, AND FROM HONDURAS...... THIS JULY
The Rio Blanco highway blockade against the dam has gone for 4 months, and still remains, despite an assassination now by the army..
Resistance against the mine of Lenir Perez, son-in-law of palm giant/murderer Miguel Facussé, also keeps going despite really serious threats to everyone involved in La Nueva Esperanza
Farmers land occupations continue against palm and sugar giants.
Over 600 teachers are re-mobilising and re-organising after a long break from the streets. School and uni students putting up fights too.
So much, and even, a solidarity letter from Honduran comrades, with Sydney Uni arrestees this year, see the beautiful letter here and in Honi Soit:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/07/15/letter-from-honduras-of-demandsolidar...
4 years is too long of this bloody military coup, - a crew in Sydney said. Check out this crew's solidarity action – article and video here:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/07/19/honduras-in-australia-without-borders...
The struggles to re-make this world has no borders.
