Garifuna Afro-Indigenous peoples on Honduras' northern Caribbean coast are facing severe threats and violence from private developers, drug traffickers, and state forces as they seek to reclaim their ancestral lands. Despite a 2015 ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordering the Honduran government to return these lands, the state has not complied, and the situation has worsened. Since the early 17th century, the Garifuna have lived on this land, relying on subsistence agriculture and fishing. However, the expansion of palm oil plantations, tourism developments, and drug trafficking has threatened their way of life.
Human rights activist Rony Leonidas Castillo Güity recalls seeing changes in his community with the construction of a highway in the early '90s, leading to the influx of outsiders. Now, luxury developments, like the Indura Beach & Golf Resort, have been built on Garifuna land without their consent. Activist Miriam Miranda notes that these territories have been overtaken by African palm oil cultivation, contributing to the displacement of traditional farming and the loss of livelihoods.
The Garifuna communities continue to face criminalization, threats, and violence. More than 150 Garifuna people have been killed, and several leaders have been disappeared or murdered. The Honduran government and military have been accused of acting in favor of private interests, including protecting developers involved in questionable land transactions. Despite international rulings and protests, the Garifuna's struggle for their rights and lands persists, with activists like Miranda emphasizing their desire for peace and a future for their youth.
