Environmental Human Rights: News & Updates

excessive use of force by police against peaceful protestors of Tahoe Resources’ Escobal silver mine in San Rafael las Flores in Santa Rosa Department

continued unjust detention of Abelino Chub Caal, indigenous and environmental defender in Izabal Dept., where agricultural and extractive industry companies are in land disputes with local communities; still facing two of initial five criminal charges (cf letter Feb 24 2017)

shooting death of Carlos Maaz Coc and injuries to other Maya Q’eqchi’ people when riot police attacked their peaceful demonstration calling for government to resolve the contamination of Lake Izabal in El Estor, Izabal Department, polluted by nickel mining.

death threats against the children of COPINH (Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras) leader Francisco Javier Sánchez and other general threats against indigenous Lenca people in Lempira Department where the DESA corporation wants to build the Agua Zarca hydro-electric dam

armed men threatened Aura Lolita Chávez and other indigenous women of CPK (K’iche Peoples Council) with sexual assault when the women tried to stop illegal logging on their ancestral lands in El Quiché Dept.

arrest, detention and travel ban of César Geovanni Bernardez, director of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH), which is in a legal battle to secure Garífuna (Afro-Caribbean people) lands against challenges by tourism developers

surveillance, attacks, and death threats against environmental and indigenous rights defenders Rodrigo Flores Peñalosa and Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez of the Tehuantepec Indigenous Peoples’ Assembly in Defense of Land and Territory (APIIDTT) in Oaxaca

attempted murder of Maynor López, son of human rights defender Francisca Ramírez, who is Coordinator of the Council for the Defense of the Land, the Lake and Sovereignty, active in organizing resistance to construction of the Nicaraguan Grand Inter-oceanic Canal