PBI-Honduras accompanies ARCAH defenders at hearing following complaint filed by poultry company owner

Published by Brent Patterson on May 20, 2025

On May 15, PBI-Honduras posted:

“Yesterday, we accompanied human rights defenders Christopher Castillo and Manuel Chinchilla of ARCAH in an attempted conciliation hearing following a personal injury complaint filed by the owner of the poultry company El Cortijo. In recent years, ARCAH has filed several complaints against the company, among others for alleged contamination of the Grande or Choluteca River. From PBI, we recall that it is important to continue with the investigations into the alleged contamination and we emphasize that the criminalization of human rights defenders is a strategy often used to delegitimize and hinder the work of human rights defenders.”

On May 16, Reportar Sin Miedo (Report Without Fear) reported:

“For alleged threats, aggressions, conspiracy on social networks and use of public image, the Justice of the Peace summoned two environmental defenders.

Those summoned by the judge are Christopher Castillo, environmental defender and general coordinator of the Alternative Community Claim (Arcah), and Enmanuel Chinchilla. The owner of the poultry company El Cortijo, Joseph Walter Brenes, is the one who accuses both of the aforementioned crimes.

An exhausting trial

In the face of these accusations, Christopher Castillo said that they have maintained the logic of denouncing the commercial company, the company as such. He added that they have never taken this issue to a personal level, beyond statements where Brenes is pointed out as the owner of the company.

Castillo added that the State and its investigative bodies have been pointed out more for not acting on allegations of pollution and damage that El Cortijo has been causing.

Castillo said that his colleague Emmanuel Chinchilla, a neighbor affected by the pollution, sought conciliation because it is a psychological, economic and physical wear and tear to stay in court.

Criminal threat Libra lawyer of El Cortijo

The lawyer representing the poultry company said that they had no intention of conciliating and that they were looking to go to trial. “We are going to take criminal action against you,” he said.

According to Castillo’s interpretation, what the lawyer said in the background is that they are going to take legal action against him that becomes criminal.

During the hearing at the Justice of the Peace, several human rights organizations provided their accompaniment to Arcah, including the PBI, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Secretariat of Human Rights.

“I am not going to apologize to any businessman”

Christopher Castillo said that the judge asked if they wanted to conciliate. “We cannot reconcile on something that is basically a crime, there is an environmental crime, a crime against the territory that we cannot negotiate,” the defender responded.

The environmental activist maintained his position as he has said in several interviews: “I should not apologize to a businessman, any capital, or the state for the dignity of activism and defense.”

Castillo mentioned that they had a period of two days for both parties to present evidence. For their part, the defenders will present documentation, screenshots and any type of format that shows that they do not have any personal problem with the owner of the company El Cortijo.

Christopher reported that they are called to an oral trial and that evidence that has to do with environmental contamination and contamination of the Choluteca River will not be accepted.

Lack of judicial objectivity

Castillo regretted the lack of objectivity of the court because it has not analyzed the origin of the conflicts, since the complaint is on a personal level. He added that it is necessary to evaluate the origin of the conflict.

Finally, the coordinator of Arcah called on the conscience of citizens because they are in the midst of an environmental death, but they do not react to this reality. He also questioned why obey a system of elites and a system of corruption that ignores us and uses us as a ladder to achieve its capital interests.”

The full article can be read at Defensores ambientales a juicio por denuncia de empresario avícola (Reportar Sin Miedo, mayo 16, 2025).

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.

We continue to follow this situation.

Further reading: PBI-Honduras accompanies ARCAH in Loarque as struggle against the pollution of the Choluteca River by El Cortijo company continues (PBI-Canada, May 7, 2025).