On November 21, PBI-Honduras tweeted:
“PBI accompanies the @CntcTegucigalpa in the inspection of the bases “Hombres y Mujeres de Fe“ [Men and Women of Faith] and “Unidos al Campo” [United to the Field]. Today marks one year since the murder of Celenia Bonilla and Nelson García. We extend our condolences and reiterate the importance of clarifying the facts.”
On Facebook, PBI-Honduras adds: “From PBI we express concern about the levels of risk, violence and criminalization faced by people defending land, territory and environment as a result of their advocacy work.”
Last year, the National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders in Honduras posted:
“Once again the Honduran land is stained with peasant blood. Defender Celenia Bonilla and her husband Nelson García were murdered in her territory this Sunday, November 21, in the community of Cañada de Flores, municipality of Guaimaca, Francisco Morazán.
Both were leaders of the “Men and Women of Faith” Peasant Company, part of the National Central of Farm Workers (CNTC), who together with their companions and companions have fought for more than ten years in that land where they received all kinds of harassment and persecution, until this murder.
According to the CNTC, the so-called owner of the land, named Maximiliano Elvir, had threatened the members of the group, for which they consider his possible authorship should be investigated immediately.
The National Network of Human Rights Defenders in Honduras joins the outrage for one more crime of those who fight for the land for life. We demand justice for Celenia Bonilla and denounce the null importance that the State of Honduras gives to the agrarian conflict in the country, especially when it comes to attacks on the peasantry. The struggle for life cannot end the existence of our peasant companions.”
Earlier this year, EFE reported:
“A total of 11 human rights defenders were killed in Honduras in 2021, a year in which 332 attacks on activists were also registered, according to a report released Tuesday in Tegucigalpa. The document details that the last defender killed in Honduras was Celenia Bonilla, who was attacked by three men on November 21, 2021 in the municipality of Guaimaca, central department of Francisco Morazán. Bonilla was a defender of land and food for the peasant organization Hombres y Mujeres de Fe.”
The Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project has accompanied the National Union of Rural Workers (CNTC) since May 2018.
The CNTC is affiliated with the Unified Confederation of Honduran Workers (CUTH) which in turn is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), along with 150+ labour organizations including the Canadian Labour Congress.
