PBI-Honduras accompanies COPINH at mobilization against projects lacking free, prior and informed consent

On May 18, the Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project posted: “Yesterday we accompanied COPINH in a mobilization carried out in Tegucigalpa for the defense of common goods, against unconsulted projects.”

PBI-Honduras adds: “The mobilization ended with a sit-in in front of the Supreme Court of Justice, where the Viva Berta Feminist Camp remains, promoted in conjunction with the National Network of Human Rights Defenders in Honduras.”

Criterio.hn reports: “A contingent of around 70 riot police was sent to the headquarters of the Judiciary at the announcement of the march.”

The COPINH statement highlights: “Victims and their allies of the deadly Honduran extractive model took to the streets of the country’s capital to demand an immediate halt to the energy, mining, tourism and forestry projects that private companies are implementing with the full support of the State through acts of violence and corruption, and without the free, prior and informed consent of the affected indigenous and rural communities.”

In another statement, COPINH further notes: “We recall that Indigenous, Black and Peasant-led organizations in Honduras have spent years denouncing the mechanisms used to implement concessioning of our territories that include the privatization of rivers, land, subsoil, forests, beaches and others that coup governments have urged for the economic profit of small groups of businesses.”

PBI-Honduras adds: “There a public statement was read with some demands, including the following: that the entire model of unconsulted concessions be reversed throughout Honduras, the right of communities to actively participate in consultation processes is respected, the concession to the Agua Zarca Hydroelectric Project be immediately canceled, and comprehensive justice for Berta’s murder.”

Pasos de Animal Grande adds: “Indigenous members of the Lenca community have remained in the city of Tegucigalpa during the oral and public trial of Roberto David Castillo [a former hydroelectric dam company executive who is accused of being an intellectual co-author the murder of COPINH co-founder Berta Caceres].”

The trial began on April 6.

PBI-Honduras began accompanying COPINH in May 2016.

PBI-Honduras at the ¡Viva Berta! feminist camp earlier this month.