PBI-Honduras accompanies the National Union of Rural Workers (CNTC) at National Agrarian Institute as they defend access to land

On February 10, PBI-Honduras tweeted:

“@CntcTegucigalpa [National Union of Rural Workers] in the INA [Instituto Nacional Agrario/National Agrarian Institute] of Comayagua for the review of the status of the file of different campesino bases. We highlight the work of the CNTC in defending access to land, we show concern about the levels of risk they face.”

Land ownership in Honduras in deeply unequal.

Just 5% of large-scale farmers control almost two thirds of all cultivable land, while 71% of small-scale farmers have access to just 5% of it.

The CNTC, founded in 1985, is a small-scale farming and trade union organization that fights for a fairer distribution of land.

In this article, PBI-Honduras notes: “Of the 404 communities that form the CNTC, just 20% have titles to their lands. Many others have worked and lived on their lands for three or four decades and have spent 15 years awaiting the official recognition of their rights that never seems to arrive.”

As a result of this, land evictions are not uncommon.

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.