Luis Edgardo Soliz Lobo, Executive Director Instituto Nacional de Conservación y Desarrollo Forestal National Institute for Conservation and Forestal Development | Edwin Cantillano, Regional Forest Engineer Región Forestal de Yoro Forestal Region of Yoro |
July 23, 2022
Dear Srs. Soliz Lobo and Cantillano:
We are writing today to draw your attention to a situation unfolding in San Francisco de Locomapa, Yoro Department, in which Indigenous Tolupán land rights are being threatened. We are joining our voices with Members of the Preventive Council of the Tolupan Tribe to support their struggle to defend their forests.
José María Pineda, coordinator of the Tribal Preventive Council (Consejo Preventivo de la Tribu Tolupán) and member of the Broad Movement for Dignity and Justice (Movimiento Amplio por la Dignidad y la Justicia, MADJ), affirmed that government authorities implement forest management plans that represent capitalist interests but disrespect the ancestral title processed in 1864 by Father Manuel de Jesús Subirana, which includes seven and a half caballerias. María Ángela Murillo, a member of the San Francisco de Locomapa tribe, denounced that the previous administration of the National Institute for Conservation and Forest Development (ICF) granted a forest management plan that is still in force in favor of the timber businessman Wilder Domínguez, owner of the INMARE logging company, and at any moment he could execute it. Such an act would almost certainly provoke a confrontation.
Because deforestation has caused some water sources to go dry, the Preventive Council of the Tolupan Tribe of San Francisco de Locomapa tribe has asked government institutions, such as the ICF, to stop violating the rights of the Tolupán people. Police and courts are also siding with the interests of private companies instead of protecting the tribe. Police have attacked some community members. María Ángela Murillo and eight other Tolupán defenders are facing criminalization instigated by the INMARE logging company. The tribe has recorded at least ten murders of Tolupán land rights leaders, even some who had precautionary measures.
The Indigenous Tolupán land defenders of San Francisco de Locomapa are facing imprisonment, exile, and even death. We therefore strongly urge you to:
- promote and protect forest management policies that only allow Tolupan communities direct participation in activities for their own development
- protect the land rights of residents, workers and their families from any attacks by Wilder Domínguez
- hold accountable the police and other local authorities to respect the rights of the Tolupán communities
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai and Christine Stonebraker-Martinez
Co-Coordinators
copies:
Blanca Sarahí Izaguirre Lozano, National Commissioner for Human Rights of Honduras (CONADEH) ~ via email
Rosa Seaman, Vice-Minister for Protection, Secretariat for Human Rights (SEDH) ~ via email
Embassy of Honduras in Washington, DC c/o Alejandra Sandoval Taixes ~ via email and US mail
Carlos Bernal Pulido, Rapporteur for Honduras, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ~ via email and US mail
Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitiño, Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ~ via email and US mail
Isabel Albaladejo Escribano, Representative to Honduras of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OACNUDH) ~ via email
Alice Shackelford, UN Resident Coordinator in Honduras, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ~ via email
Movimiento Amplio por la Dignidad y la Justicia (MADJ) ~ via email
US Embassy in Honduras: Ambassador Laura F. Dogu and Ariel Jahner, Human Rights Officer ~ via email
US State Department: Molly Runyon, Honduras Desk Officer ~ via email
US Senators Brown & Portman ~ via email
US Representatives Beatty, Brown, Gibbs, González, Johnson, Jordan, Joyce, Kaptur, Latta, Ryan ~ via email
16 JUL 2022_MADJ_Honduras
