PBI-Honduras accompanied ARCAH and COPINH support the call on Honduran government to cancel the Ecotek petroleum coke thermoelectric project

Photo: PBI-Honduras was present at the self-convened popular assembly that rejected the Ecotek/Los Pinares megaproject; December 9, 2023.

Guapinol Exige Justicia (Guapinol Demands Justice) has posted on their website: “On Saturday, December 9, 2023, the people of Tocoa were called by the Municipal Corporation to participate in an open town meeting regarding the Ecotek petroleum coke thermoelectric project, one of the seven components of an iron oxide megaproject promoted by the ‘Emco Holdings’ consortium of Ana Facusse and Lenir Perez.”

That post adds: “More than 2000 people showed up early at the Froylan Turcios Institute to ensure that their voice was heard, despite a stigmatization campaign against the human rights defenders of the Municipal Committee in Defense of the Common and Public Goods of Tocoa in the run-up to the town hall, with the intention of provoking fear in the population.”

It then notes: “Municipal staff tried to prevent voters from entering the Institute and, upon seeing the large number of people who had arrived to vote against the project, Mayor Adán Funes refused to enter the Institute to hold the open town meeting. As a result, the people self-convened a popular assembly, in which the municipal councillors were present, and voted against the petcoke thermoelectric plant and Emco’s megaproject.”

Photo of the popular assembly.

Now 100+ organizations have demanded that: “The decision of the People of Tocoa validly expressed on December 9, 2023, through a popular assembly, be respected and implemented immediately by all levels of the Honduran government.”

Their demands also call for: “The immediate and unconditional cancellation of the Emco Holdings megaproject, including the ASP and ASP2 mining concessions [100 hectares each] of Inversiones Los Pinares [where they would dig for iron oxide]; the petroleum coke thermoelectric plant and the Ecotek pelletizing plant concession; the concessions for the use of water from the Guapinol, San Pedro and La Ceibita rivers.”

The 100+ organizations include the PBI-Honduras accompanied Honduran Alternative for Community and Environmental Vindication (ARCAH) and Civil Council of Grassroots and Indigenous Organisations in Honduras (COPINH).

These demands are also supported by the PBI-Guatemala accompanied Campesino Committee of the Highlands (CCDA),

And the letter was signed by organizations in Canada including the Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network (ARSN), Canadian Jesuits International, Comité para los derechos humanos en America Latina  (CDHAL), and Caritas Canada.

To read the full list of signatories, go to 100+ organizations demand Honduran authorities respect decision of the people of Tocoa to say NO to petcoke thermoelectric plant and Emco’s mining megaproject.

Further reading: PBI-Honduras present as consultation rejects Ecotek petcoke plant that would power iron oxide pelletizing plant near the Guapinol River (December 12, 2023)

We continue to follow this.