INTIBUCÁ, HONDURAS: ONGOING REPRESSION, THREATS, ATTACKS AGAINST CIVIC COUNCIL OF POPULAR AND INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS (COPINH) AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL COORDINATION OF POPULAR RESISTANCE (CRRP)

All of the following incidents occurred in the twin cities of La Esperanza and Intibucá, department of Intibucá. These death threats, attacks and other acts of harassment and intimidation have been primarily against the key coordinators and leaders of the Regional Coordination of Popular Resistance (CRRP) and its member organizations.

The CRRP recently organized strong actions in the department of Intibucá, to demand a halt to illegal and irregular destructive logging activity, an end to the politicization of education, investigations into corruption in the municipalities, improved public services, support for local potato producers in the face of harmful agricultural policies, etc. Four occupations were maintained for over 3 weeks. On May 21, agreements were signed between representatives of the CRRP and the departmental and national governments. These included the immediate removal of Departmental Director of Education, Mario Cantarero, for dozens of documented cases of corruption in his administration, and a 40-day logging ban in the department of Intibucá while an integral commission investigates related allegations, and a number of other agreements revolving around the CRRP's main demands.

During the actions, there were acts of intimidation and harassment, and several movement leaders received death threats. In the past 2 weeks, these incidents have continued, and there have also been more serious incidents including an armed attack against a teacher and CRRP leader's house, and a series of violent death threats against COPINH.

The perpetrators of these grave human rights violations are reportedly linked to Mario Cantarero, ex-Departmental Director of Education, in the case of the threats and attacks against teachers who were active participants in the CRRP. In the case of the threats against COPINH, the perpetrators are reportedly linked to the powerful logging sector, which has a history of assassinating environmental activists in the department of Olancho. Although all of the actions and mobilizations were coordinated by the CRRP, COPINH has been fingered as responsible for the actions against deforestation in the department. The visible and publicized COPINH presence in these actions (occupations alongside of roads to stop logging trucks) along with the organization's long history of activism and mobilizations make their leaders and members targets for repression.

MAY 27: BULLET LEFT AT COPINH OFFICE

At about 11:30pm on May 27th, unknown men came knocking at the COPINH office, asking to be let in to sleep. As they did not respond when asked for their names, the door was not opened. The next morning, upon leaving the office, COPINH activists found an unfired 9mm bullet in the doorway.

MAY 27: ATTACK ON TEACHER'S HOUSE

At about one in the morning on May 27, there was an armed attack on the house of Teacher JOSÉ IDALECIO MURILLO. Idalecio is the Director of the Escuela Honduras in the community of Santa de Catarina, and is a respected leader of the Regional Coordination of Popular Resistance (CRRP). Assailants shot at the house, aiming principally at the window and door. The attack left 7 impacts, 9mm calibre, in the house, and several bullets entered the house.

Although no one was hurt, the attack clearly posed a grave danger to everyone sleeping inside. Aside from Idalecio Murillo, several family members were also present: Auristela Arriaga de Murillo, his wife; Carlos Roberto Murillo Arriaga, 21 years old; Vicky Paola Murillo Arriaga, 12 years old; Evelyn Valeska Murillo Arriaga, 15 years old; Juana Lorena Murillo; Carlos Eduardo Murilla Milla, 5 months old; and José Ramón Murillo Arriaga.

There were witnesses who recognized the vehicle and also the individuals responsible for the shooting. The assailants have been identified as: Pedro Celestino González, Carlos Morales, Trinidad Hernández and Asdrubal Salazar. No arrest warrant has been issued.

Since the attack, the victims have encountered a number of problems and resistance in their dealing with the Public Prosecutor's Office (Fiscalía) and the Criminal Investigation entity (Dirección General de Investigación Criminal, DGIC). The incident was denounced to both. The bullet casings were given to the DGIC, where agents reportedly said that the evidence was not valid. Witnesses have also changed their statements. While they originally named the assailants, they have since changed their story to say that they only recognized the vehicle, and did not recognize any of the attackers, leading many to suspect that the witnesses have been threatened and intimidated.

MAY 20: DEATH THREATS AGAINST COPINH

On Thursday, May 20, at approximately 9am, an unknown man entered the office of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), asking who the leaders of the organization were and who was currently present. EUGENIO MEJÍA, the COPINH Secretary and part of the organization's General Coordination, identified himself as such when asked. The intruder, reportedly a member of the Rosa Mejía Rodezno family, which sells wood to the Lamas logging company, an infamous destructor and exporter of Honduran forests, asked him "with what right did you rob my wood," insulting COPINH.

He was referring to an action the previous night, when COPINH members in the department of La Paz maintained a highway blockade in solidarity to stop wood being transported from Intibucá along the road leading to Marcala, La Paz. Logging trucks were being stopped and wood peacefully confiscated. Eugenio, who was not aware of the previous night's action, responded that it was the people of Intibucá and the CRRP who were demanding a halt to destructive logging practices and not COPINH. The man responded that it was COPINH "and you are going to pay for it" ('y vos me la vas a pagar'), adding insults.

EFRAÍN SORTO SORTO, a coordinator of land issues, entered the room and was asked if he worked with COPINH. When he responded yes, he was told "you're going to pay for it too." A third COPINH member, EDIN ADAN DÍA, entered and was told the same thing.

The man left and as he walked away down the street, he repeatedly shouted "I'm going to get the three of you" ('a los tres los voy a quebrar') and "I'm going to kill the three of you" ('a los tres los voy a matar').

The threats have been denounced to the Direction of Criminal Investigation (DGIC), the National Human Rights Commission (CONADEH), and the Public Prosecutor's Office (Fiscalía), although the latter did not want to accept the report.

MAY 18: DEATH THREATS AGAINST TEACHER

On May 18, Teacher LUIS MURILLO, the brother of IDALECIO MURILLO, whose house was shot at on May 27, was the subject of death threats by Teacher Gualberto Hernández, an employee of the Departmental Direction of Education and the brother of one of the reported assailants involved in the May 27 attack.

MORE DEATH THREATS, INTIMIDATION, HARASSMENT

Over the past weeks, there have been numerous death threats and acts of harassment against CRRP organization leaders, including: JORGE FIDEL RAMOS, JUSTO SORTO, SILVESTRE BAUTISTA and BERTHA CÁCERES, all active coordinators of COPINH; NOEL PINEL, President of the National Federation of Potato Producers (FENAPA), and other FENAPA leaders; ESPERANZA MARTÍNEZ, President of the National Indigenous Lenca Organization of Honduras (ONILH); FATHER LUCIO AMAYA and FATHER CELSO SÁNCHEZ, local Catholic Church leaders; among others. These have included harassment at home, intimidatory visits, and death threats.

UNJUSTIFIABLE CRIMINAL CHARGE

NOEL PINEL, President of FENAPA, has also been the victim of persecution in the 'justice' system. He is being charged with aggravated robbery for an action of the CRRP, which on April 30th confiscated 500 sacks of genetically modified low quality potato seed being imported by Norberth Barth, Consul of Holland, in direct violation of the agreements of the Roundtable on the Potato, between the Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock and producers. The criminal charge, instigated by Guillermo Raude and Saul Martínez, is clearly an act of political persecution for Noel's active role in the CRRP, as a single individual cannot possibly be held responsible for the actions of a group which carried out the action to demand that the agreements of the Roundtable be respected. What is more, it was national police agents who stopped the truck and demanded to see the contents, which the driver originally assured was melons.

This preliminary report was prepared by Sandra Cuffe, who works with Rights Action in Honduras. For more information, to participate in a fact-finding solidarity delegation to Honduras or to support COPINH and other grassroots organizations working for social and environmental justice in Honduras, please contact Rights Action: info@rightsaction.org, 416-654-2074, www.rightsaction.org