Honduras: News & Updates

The Court of Appeals of Francisco Morazán, in respect to the resolution of the Constitutional Chamber that annulled the criminal proceeding against the eight defenders of Guapinol, resolved the appeals filed by the defense on March 3, 2020, in relation to the indictment for the crimes of unjust deprivation of liberty and aggravated arson. Said court ordered that the proceedings be sent back to the court of origin, which is the Court of Trujillo. It should be noted that this judicial body has tried by all means to keep the defenders in prison despite the fact that it has never had any argument to do so, much less after February 9 of this year when the Constitutional Chamber admitted two appeals filed by the defense against the indictment and the denial of the change of measures of preventive detention to defend themselves in freedom.

Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) today led a group of 21 lawmakers in urging the Biden administration to form a strong partnership with Honduras’ new leader, President Xiomara Castro. In a letter sent to Secretary Antony Blinken, the bicameral group of lawmakers emphasize the urgency of U.S. and international backing for Castro’s platform of human rights, economic, and anti-corruption reform, including her pledges to strengthen human rights protections, form a new, United Nations-led anti-corruption commission, and combat poverty and inequality. They encourage the administration to seize the opportunity presented by new Honduran leadership to seek a fresh and more constructive pathway for U.S.-Honduran relations, one that prioritizes human rights, respect for the rule of law, and inclusive economic development that all Hondurans deserve.

While many applaud the swift extradition request, Hondurans and those knowing its history are well aware of the dismal role played by the US under the JOH regime in propping him up. Sentator Patrick Leahy finds clear words her: "Throughout the past eight years of decay, depravity, and impunity, successive U.S. administrations sullied our reputation by treating Hernandez as a friend and partner. By making excuse after excuse for a government that had no legitimacy and that functioned as a criminal enterprise, U.S. officials lost sight of what we stand for and that our real partners are the Honduran people." Similar words from Senator Senator Jeff Merkley: "“It was completely unacceptable that the U.S. government was supporting former President Hernández despite his extensive ties to narco-trafficking, including an alleged pattern of using campaign funds and taxpayer resources to protect and facilitate drug shipments to the United States."

What a turnaround. On February 9, six Guapinol water defenders were found guilty, A decision widely denounced and which left them with the, supposedly, only hope in the new amnesty bill. Yesterday morning, they lawyers presented an appeal based on the bill. But then all of this became redundant as the Supreme Court finally resolved the appeals in favor of them. "According to the resolution, by unanimous vote, the Constitutional Chamber ruled in favor of two appeals filed by the defense of the 8 defenders criminalized by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the mining company Inversiones Los Pinares, for the crimes of deprivation of liberty, aggravated damages and simple damages." This ruling annuls the trial and Wednesday's verdict. OACNUDH welcomed the ruling and called for their immediate release. People in Tocoa took to the streets to celebrate.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) admitted a complaint filed after the 2009 coup d'état by the victims of the systematic violation of human rights, which included deaths, torture, imprisonment, and persecution, among others. The communication was sent in December to the previous government but it was not disclosed. "The issue of human rights is a priority for the government of President Castro, it is an issue that is linked to justice, it is a moral feeling, to recover that image, that dignity that Honduras has," said the foreign minister.

For 8 years, residents of Azacualpa, Honduras, have been fighting the illegal destruction of their 200-year-old Maya-Chorti cemetery by the mining company MINOSA. Now, the cemetery has been destroyed completely, violating a sentence made previously by the supreme court to stop all exhumations and destruction of the cemetery.

2022 started in Honduras with everything in place for a new start. Xiomara Castro won the election with a clear mandate for change and even in Congress, the opposition alliance together with some Liberal Party dissidents could have reached a simple majority. But this in not the story of this month. Last month, several human rights defenders were murdered, the Guapinol water defenders are still in detention, the Congress is splitting in two and on top of everything, the Omicron-wave is hitting Honduras and its public health system. Read Daniel Langmeier's full report on January 2022 in Honduras.

The Guapinol Water Defenders are a group of community members local to the Guapinol and San Pedro Rivers, who protested against the US-backed mining company "Inversiones Los Pinares" and their illegal and environmentally harmful operations in the protected area of the Carlos Escaleras National Park in September of 2018. They have since been accused by the company on false claims and unjustly imprisoned for over two years, waiting for the trial to start as the Honduran state has ignored international calls for their release. Now, finally, after several postponements, their trial is getting close to the end. Here is a summary of what the trial has looked like so far and the most important events from each day.

After analyzing the inauguration of Honduras's new president Xiomara Castro and her inauguration speech, Jesuit priest Ismael Moreno, Director of the Team for Reflection, Research and Communication, Eric-sj, concludes that it will be four years of government in an internal environment complicated by the presence of the surviving forces of the dictatorship. There will be pressure from different sectors interested in weakening President Castro as soon as possible, he says. To face these powerful enemies, Xiomara Castro needs the support of the people and the social movements in Honduras.