PBI-Honduras accompanies ARCAH in Loarque as struggle against the pollution of the Choluteca River by El Cortijo company continues
PBI-Honduras has posted:
“We accompany ARCAH in the presentation of the documentary about the village Loarque, a community that has mentioned that it has been affected by the rubbish of the poultry company El Cortijo.
From PBI we show concern for the recent statement of Christopher Castillo, general coordinator of ARCAH, who has manifested to be criminalized, again, for his work as a human rights defender.”
El Cortijo
In January 2023, PBI-Honduras posted on social media: “Last week we visited again with ARCAH the community of Loarque. The Choluteca River and the people living around it in Tegucigalpa are heavily affected by the pollution, including the children who study in a school located nearby, as well as livestock. Since 2017, the year in which the poultry company ‘El Cortijo’ installed a chicken processor, people residing in the area are struggling to safeguard their health due to toxic waste and bad smells.”
In April 2024, the HCH TV channel reported: “Residents of the Loarque sector came out to defend the Choluteca River because they claim that a company in the sector is destroying it. …The residents denounce that this company is causing them discomfort in their nose and skin as a result of the contamination. They hope that authorities will regulate this company that operates in this sector.”
At that time El Heraldo also noted: “The demonstrators claim that the Choluteca River, which passes through the sector, is being affected by waste, so they demand the intervention of environmental authorities.”
Criminalization
Protect Defenders.eu has posted: “On March 29, 2021, environmental rights defenders and other members of ARCAH held a peaceful demonstration in front of the offices of the poultry company ‘El Cortijo’ to protest the activities of the company that have polluted a local river, when they were violently detained and threatened by some 90 agents of the State security forces, elements of the Honduran National Police, the ‘Tigres’ Command and the Police Investigation Directorate (DPI).”
That article adds: “The agents arrived at the scene in two military tanks and five patrols, and did not present any orders for dispersal or arrest. The agents confiscated and searched the defenders’ mobile phones, before taking them to the Police Directorate of Investigation (DPI) in Kennedy, Tegucigalpa.”
Christopher Castillo
On May 5, Castillo posted on social media:
“I have been summoned to court, under complaint of Mr. Joseph Walter Brenes, owner of the Poultry Company El Cortijo, accusing me of threats, aggressions, defamation and conspiracy against him.
This is how fast the judicial system works when it comes to persecute defenders, on the other hand, we have denounced for more than 5 years against this company for contamination of the Choluteca River, and we have never been given a resolution. This is the third trial against me. How long will this continue to happen in Honduras?
The clear objective is to stop the struggle, it is not with false accusations that they are going to achieve it, I will not be silent, the company is a murderous entity and the State of Honduras and its government endorse it.”
Accompaniment
Peace Brigades International has accompanied Castillo and the Honduran Alternative for Community and Environmental Vindication (ARCAH) since September 2022.
PBI-Canada coordinator Brent Patterson met with Castillo in October 2024 in Tegucigalpa.
Photo by Reportar Sin Miedo.
We continue to follow this situation.
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