IRTF News

murder of Roberto Antonio Gómez, father of student activist Andy Johan Gómez Jerónimo of the University Student Movement (MEU) at National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) in Tegucigalpa

illegal searches by National Police of the home of women’s and environmental rights defender Sonia Jeannette Sánchez Pérez in Santo Tomás, San Salvador Department

threats and attacks on three leaders of COPINH (Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras): national leadership coordinators Sotero Chavarría Fúnez and Asunción Martínez, and general coordinator Bertha Zúñiga Cáceres

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.

assassination in Atlántico Department of Bernardo Cuero Bravo, attorney for AFRODES, the National Association of Displaced Afro-descendants, a coalition of 96 internally displaced Afro-Colombian organizations

hundreds of people from Laguna Larga, El Petén Department, stranded at the Mexico-Guatemala border in temporary shelters after 1,000 Guatemalan security forces carried out a massive eviction because of a long-standing land dispute involving a national park and an oil driller