Campesino Leaders Assassinated in Honduras

Irene Ramirez of the National Center for Rural Workers (CNTC), one of the leaders of the Campesino Movement of Aguan (MCA), was murdered on June 11th pm on a public street in the city of Trujillo. The MCA established the community Guadalupe Carney when the campesinos seized land that was part of an abandoned military base (the CREM). Landowning families in the region tried for years through intimidation and violence to force the campesinos off the land, but the MCA persisted and won a decision by the National Agrarian Institute granting them title to the land. The decree was never implemented due to the pressure from the large landowners and the harassment continued. The CNTC, MCA, ANACH, and other campesino organizations and advocate groups have recently increased public calls for the INA to fulfill the decree. Mr. Ramirez was murdered on the street in the provincial capital, in front of the Institute for Education and only a few yards from the police station . He had received death threats recently.

On August 3 a group of at least 8 hired gunman (working for the big landowners in the area) ambushed unarmed campesinos from Guadalupe Carney killing 2 men, Arnulfo Guevara and Concepcion Urrutia. The gunman then attacked another group of unarmed members of the community. Other campesinos from the area responded and in the ensuring violence all the gunmen were killed and it is reported that total casualties for the events may be 12 persons.

Other campesino activists in Honduras have been threatened recently including the coordinator of the CNTC community radio in La Paz, Juan Cruz Lopez.

La Voz de los de Abajo a solidarity organization in Chicago is participating in the urgent action on Irene Ramirez’s case called by FIAN (FoodFirst Information and Action Network - the link is below) for letters to be sent to the Honduran authorities by August 31, 2008. The CNTC has issued an open letter, which follows in English and Spanish and as an attachment.

For more information contact: La Voz de los de Abajo at  lavozchicago@yahoo.com.

JOIN IN THE URGENT ACTION:
FoodFirst Information and Action Network (FIAN):
 http://www.fian.org/news/news/honduras-murder-of-peasant-leader/?searchterm=Honduras
or if that link doesn’t function go to: www.fian.org then click on “News” and scroll to the article “Honduran peasant leader murdered”. The article includes sample letters, addresses etc. for the urgent actions.
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Public Communique from the National Center for Rural Workers, Honduras
The original Spanish follows the translation (translation by La Voz de los de Abajo)

Public Communiqué

From The National Center for Rural Workers (CNTC) to the government of the Republic, the Secretary of Public Security, Public Ministry, Human Rights, the Workers and Peasants Movement of the CREM; all the regional centers and base communities affiliated to our organization, FIAN in Honduras, other fraternal organizations and the Honduran people in general:

We communicate the following:

That the Agrarian Reform programs must guarantee ownership of the land with legal security and access to credit, technical assistance, housing, health, education, security, alimentation, and secure markets to the peasants for their economic and social development as an important part of Honduran society.

We demand that the Executive, Legislature and Supreme Court move forward real policies that guarantee a true integral Agrarian Reform process.

We demand that the Executive power allocate funds from the National Agrarian Institute for the execution of Decree No. 18-2008, that without having been implemented, is being answered by the landowners with violent evictions, persecutions, prosecutions, murders committed by assassins hired by the big landowners in collusion with the Police and Juridical authorities of the country


In order that it is clear to the government and the people of Honduras in general, the following is a narrative of some facts that show the harassment, persecution and the firm determination of the big ranchers to evict the campesinos and campesinas of the Campesino Movement of Aguan (MCA) from their lands.

In 2006, the assassination of Pablo Garay by assassins hired by the landowners.
On July 12 of the present year, the death of Irene Ramírez murdered in the same way and for the same motives.
The death of Jose Arnulfo Guevara and grave injury to Concepción Urrutia - acts caused by the Sorto family.

We want to clarify that when the provocations by the landowners (the Sorto family) began the MCA advised the civil and military authorities of the zone without obtaining any response, which demonstrates the collusion of the authorities with the big landlords against the campesinos and campesinas of Honduras.

We denounce the constant threat of eviction and the persecution of campesino leaders in this area and at the national level

We wish to alert our members at the national level to be ready for any call to defend our rights as a response to the situation that presents itself, and we demand:

The allotment of funds (necessary resources) for the implementation/execution of Degree No. 18-2008 in order to answer to the agrarian stagnation that is precisely the spirit of the Degree.

We demand that Decree No 18-2008 should not be politicized and should not be declared a Decree “with standing” which is the unconstitutional proposal of the Federation of Agricultural Growers and Ranchers (Federación Nacional de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Honduras- FENAGH).

We demand that the police, political and military provide effective security to all the MCA at the national level and that our campesinos and campesinas have never provoked confrontations of any kind, their only purpose (which is also a right) is to obtain a parcel f land to work and to sustain themselves and their families.


Because the land is ours, we struggle to the end.
Unity, Land, Justice and Liberty

Comayaguela MDC., 04 de Agosto, 2008.
Central Nacional de los Trabajadores del Campo (CNTC)




COMUNICADO PÚBLICO

La Central Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo (CNTC) al Gobierno de la Republica, Ministerio Público, Secretaria de Seguridad Pública, Derechos Humanos, Movimiento Campesino y Obrero del CREM, a todas las Regionales y Bases afiliadas a nuestra organización, FIAN en Honduras, otras Organizaciones Fraternas y al Pueblo Hondureño en general, comunicamos lo siguiente:

1. Que los Programas de Reforma Agraria deben garantizar a los campesinos y campesinas la tenencia y seguridad jurídica de la tierra, más el acceso al crédito, asistencia técnica, a la vivienda, salud, educación, seguridad, alimentación, a mercados seguros para asegurarles su desarrollo económico y social como parte importante de la Sociedad Hondureña.

2. Al Poder Ejecutivo, Poder Legislativo y a la Corte Suprema de Justicia les exigimos impulsar verdaderas políticas que garanticen un verdadero proceso de Reforma Agraria integral.
3. Exigimos al Poder Ejecutivo la asignación de los Fondos del Instituto Nacional Agrario (INA) para la ejecución del Decreto No. 18-2008, que sin haberse implementado aun tenemos como efecto o respuesta de parte de los terratenientes, desalojos violentos, persecuciones, compañeros procesados, asesinatos realizados por sicarios contratados por los terratenientes en contubernio con las Autoridades Policiales y Judiciales del país.


4. Para que quede constancia ante el Gobierno y pueblo Hondureño en general, narramos a continuación algunos hechos que demuestran el hostigamiento, persecución y la firme determinación de los Ganaderos de desalojar de sus tierras a los campesinos y campesinas del Movimiento Campesino del Aguan (MCA):


a. En el año 2005 el asesinato del compañero Pablo Garay asesinado por sicarios contratados por los terratenientes.
b. En fecha 12 de Julio del presente año la muerte del compañero Irene Ramírez asesinado de la misma forma y por los mismos motivos.
c. La muerte del compañero José Arnulfo Guevara, siendo herido de gravedad el compañero Concepción Urrutia hecho provocado por la familia Sorto.
Aclaramos que al principio de la provocación por parte de los Ganaderos (familia Sorto), el MCA dio parte a las autoridades civiles y militares de la zona sin obtener de estas respuesta alguna, por lo que queda demostrado la confabulación de las Autoridades con los Terratenientes en contra de los campesinos y campesinas de Honduras.

Denunciamos la constante amenaza de desalojos y la persecución de dirigentes campesinos en esa zona y a nivel nacional.

Alertamos a nuestros afiliados y afiliadas a nivel nacional a estar atentos y atentas a cualquier llamado que para defender nuestros derechos se les haga por la situación presentada últimamente. Y por lo tanto exigimos:

1. La asignación de los fondos (Recursos necesarios) para la ejecución del Decreto No. 18-2008 y así poder dar respuestas a la mora agraria que es precisamente el espíritu del Decreto.

2. Exigimos que el Decreto No. 18-2008 no sea politizado y que no sea declarado con lugar el recurso de inconstitucionalidad presentado por la Federación Nacional de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Honduras (FENAGH). Exigimos a las autoridades policiales, políticas y militares que proporcionen una seguridad efectiva a todo el Movimiento Campesino del Aguan y a nivel nacional ya que nuestros campesinos y campesinas nunca han provocado enfrentamientos de ninguna clase y que su único propósito (el cual es también un derecho), es procurar una parcela de tierra para trabajar en ella y asegurar su sustento y el de sus familias.


Comayaguela MDC., 04 de Agosto, 2008.

POR QUE LA TIERRA NOS PERTENECE,
LUCHAREMOS HASTA EL FINAL

UNIDAD, TIERRA, JUSTICIA Y LIBERTAD

CENTRAL NACIONAL DE TRABAJADORES DEL CAMPO (CNTC)