PBI-Honduras accompanied Indigenous COPINH water protectors demand justice for the Palestinian people
The PBI-Honduras accompanied Civic Council of Grassroots and Indigenous Organisations in Honduras (COPINH) has posted on social media:
“On World Earth Day, we cannot ignore the cry of a land that bleeds: Palestine.
This is not a war, this is genocide!
Palestine suffers, resists, cries, screams, endures, fights… lives!
Because defending life, dignity and land, is also defending Palestine.
From COPINH, we raise our voices loudly and demand justice for the Palestinian people.
No more silence. No more impunity.
Free Palestine now!”
This is not the first COPINH has expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine.
On March 2, 2024, the eighth anniversary of the murder of COPINH co-founder Berta Cáceres, COPINH also posted: “At the #8yearAniversary of the Sowing #BertaCáceres, we stand in solidarity with the people #palestine, who face a painful humanitarian and environmental crisis on the part of the State of Israel. We firmly believe in the importance of people’s solidarity and support in such adverse times, therefore, from these Lenca lands we join the global action for Gaza and Palestine.”
About COPINH
COPINH is an Indigenous organization founded by the Lenca people in March 1993. More than 200 communities are currently members and more than 50 community groups actively participate in its work. The organization promotes the protection of territories and the recognition of the political, economic, social and cultural rights of Indigenous peoples in Honduras. Investigations into the murder of Berta Cáceres and COPINH’s work in communities where land conflicts have been ongoing for decades, have had a significant impact on the organization’s security situation. COPINH’s coordinators have been accompanied by PBI Honduras since May 2016.
Photo: COPINH co-founder Berta Cáceres was murdered on March 2, 2016 for her opposition to the construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Lenca River.
Other PBI accompanied organizations on Palestine
Numerous organizations, defenders and communities accompanied by Peace Brigades International – including Credhos, dhColombia, Nomadesc (in Colombia), the Cerezo Committee (in Mexico), as well as Maya Q’eqchi’ journalist Carlos Ernesto Choc (in Guatemala) – have expressed their concern about the situation in Palestine.
Photo: CREDHOS president Ivan Madero at the Palestine solidarity encampment in Munich, Germany in June 2024.
Human rights defenders targeted
Peace Brigades International (PBI) focuses on the protection and security needs of human rights defenders.
Dublin-based Front Line Defenders has stated in their report on the situation of human rights defenders in 2023/24: “Those defending the right to health and the right to life as doctors, nurses, or ambulance workers, those exposing and documenting war crimes as journalists, and those providing humanitarian support as volunteers or employees of aid agencies were all specifically targeted by Israeli bombs or guns.”
To date, as many as 1,586 human rights defenders have been killed in Gaza, including 175 journalists, 408 aid workers, more than 1,000 medical staff, 2 lawyers, and 1 International Solidarity Movement volunteer (in the West Bank).
In February 2024, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor endorsed this statement that says: “Any transfer of weapons or ammunition to Israel that would be used in Gaza is likely to violate international humanitarian law and must cease immediately.”
The Peace Brigades International statement on Gaza can be read here. It calls on the international community to “suspend the supply of arms to Israel and the armed groups involved in the conflict.” PBI-Canada also continues to call for a ceasefire and the Canadian civil society demand for an arms embargo on Israel.
PBI-Canada will also be present at the CANSEC arms show on May 28-29 in Ottawa where numerous weapons companies implicated in the genocide will be exhibiting their products.
Instagram image: @shut.down.cansec
Additional reading: The integration of Canadian and US military production puts Canada at risk of complicity in violence against human rights defenders (March 5, 2025).
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