Indigenous peoples in Honduras are constantly having their human rights violated. They are denied access to various resources and continuously struggle to protect their land and cultures. In addition seventy-five percent of their children have no access to education and eighty percent are malnutritioned (Martinez "Down With" 6). Often when they attempt to fight peacefully for their rights, their leaders are killed and the perpetrators are never brought to justice. Forty-one indigenous and Black leaders have been murdered in the last ten years, and not a single arrest has been made ("Indigenous and Black Peoples"). The Honduran government signed the 169th accord to the International Labor Organization (ILO) which calls not only for protection but promotion of, "the full realization of the social, economic and cultural rights with respect for their social and cultural identity, their customs and traditions and their institutions" ("Convention Concerning"). It also has provisions which guarantee the protection, promotion and preservation of indigenous human rights including their rights to land, culture, employment, education, health and to participate and cooperate in all areas of the decision making processes, especially in reference to issues which would affect their communities ("Convention Concerning"). However, similar to the accords signed between the Honduran government and Indigenous communities, the government has failed to fulfill the commitments it made by signing Covenant 169 of the ILO. This is obvious in the government's constant neglect in the protection of indigenous lands, culture and traditions and the lack of government response to the recent string of assassinations. In addition, according to the United States Department of State, in 1997, "small communities of indigenous people had little or no ability to participate in decisions affecting their lands, cultures, traditions, or the allocation of natural resources" ("Honduras Report").
Recently, there have been various assassinations of indigenous and black
leaders who were fighting to protect their land, culture and other human
rights that are continuously denied in their communities. Each murder was
very mysterious occurring just weeks and sometimes days after a land dispute
or protest. Leaders of the Civic Council of Grassroots and Indigenous Organizations,
"claim that the landowners and their allies in the armed forces are
using assassinations to stop indigenous and black communities from demanding
their historic right to land" (Martinez "Indigenous Leaders Murdered"
4).This is how the genocide that has been taking place for over 500 years
continues.
On May 14, 1997, just two days after the military and police forces violently
removed unsuspecting, sleeping demonstrators, Jorge Manueles, a leader in
the Civic Council of Grassroots and Indigenous Organizations, was brutally
murdered. According to the LatinAmerica Press, Manueles was, "shot
several times and his body was pierced with an iron bar and burned."
In addition the LatinAmerica Press states that Manueles death, "has
been directly tied to the fight for land reform" (Martinez "Indigenous
Leaders Murdered" 4). Manueles headed the opposition in a land dispute
against large landowners who were exacting the land of the Lenca people
in Intibuca, which is one of the most poverty stricken areas of Honduras
(Mejia "Honduras: Human Rights").
Other assassinations include the murder of a Garifuna leader, Jesus Alvarez
Rochez, on April 9, 1997 in the northern department of Colon. He was assaulted
and shot several times, and was hospitalized until his death on May 11,
1997. He too, had been involved in land disputes with private landowners
and was murdered while trying to protect his rights and the rights of his
people. (Martinez "Indigenous Leaders Murdered" 4). Similarly,
and also in April, Candido Amador Recinos and Ovidio Perez were, assaulted
with machetes in Copan. Their assassins scalped them and left their blood
dispersed along the road, "as a sign to other activists" (Mejia
"Honduras: Human Rights").
Another example of the injustices experienced by the various indigenous
tribes in Honduras is an assassination that occurred on November 1, 1997.
Elias Martinez was a leader in the Civil Counsel of Indigenous and Popular
Organizations (COPIN) and was killed by five gunshots while defending his
land and resources. The General Coordination of COPIN describes the atrocities
that were involved in his death, "they pulled out his eyes, cut off
his tongue, opened up his stomach, took out his internal organs and decapitated
him with the intention of creating general fear in our community" ("Honduran
Government Threatens"). This assassination also occurred recently after
the indigenous community destroyed the statue of
Columbus to protest the genocide and repression they have experienced
for 500 years.
Although the government of Honduras claims to be investigating the murders
and has set up a special commission to investigate the murders, no arrests
have been made.
The Tawanka People are a peaceful group who live in Mosquitia, in the Northwest region of Honduras. Their ancestral lands are located in the largest rainforest and oxygen producing forest in Honduras, and unfortunately has become the recent focus of various landowners, military officers and cattle ranchers who are concerned with usurping the productive resources of their land. Recently "hired thugs" have encroached upon their community using threats and intimidation to create fear and to find the council of Elders. The Tawanka's are being repressed and persecuted by these imposters who are attempting to destroy their culture and tradition in order to take their lands.
As a result of the threats and fear created in the community, especially
in relation to their council of Elders, the people are struggling no only
to protect their land, but their tradition and culture as well. The Council
of Elders for the Tawanka people represent their history, tradition and
culture and are essential to the preservation, survival and continued existence
of their people. By threatening the Council, these intruders threatened
their existence as a people.
The Tawanka people live in constant fear and are desperately trying to protect their elders since they cannot count on the government to help them. Although article 14 of the 169th covenant of the ILO states that, "Governments shall take steps as necessary to identify the lands which the peoples concerned traditionally occupy, and to guarantee effective protection of their rights of ownership and possession" ("Convention Concerning"), the Honduran government has failed to fulfill this committment.
"Convention Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries." University of Minnesota Library http://www.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/r1citp.htm (16 April 1998).
"Honduras Report on Human Rights Practices for 1997." U.S. Department of State http://www.state.gov/www/global/hu...ghts/1997_hrp_report/honduras.html (15 March 1998).
"Honduran Government Threatens to Imprison Indigenous Leaders For Actions Taken Against a Statue of Columbus." http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/8526/columbus.html (22 March 1998).
"Indigenous and Black Peoples of Honduras Pilgrimage: ‘Candido Amador Recinos.'" http://www.ibw.com.ni/~cgenica/pilgrim.htm (15 March 1998).
Martinez, Oswaldo. "Down With Columbus." Latinamerica
Press 29.39 (1997): 6.
- - -. "Indigenous Leaders Murdered." Latinamerica Press
29.23 (1997): 4.
Mejia, Thelma. "Death Pursues the Tawanka People."
Central America NewsPak 11.25 (1997): 7
- - -. "Honduras: Human Rights Groups Denounce Indigenous Murders."
http://www.ibw.com.ni/~cgenica/ipshon.htm (15 March 1998).
Please send questions or comments about this page to:
Chrissy Rose crose00@sequent1.providence.edu
Kathy Michienzi michik99@sequent1.providence.edu
Jenn Lucas jclucas@sequent1.providence.edu
This website was a project for Political Science 416, "Race and Politics in the Americas" at Providence College, Spring '98
Prof. Tony Affigne
