Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 11:26:32

Subject: Re: INDIGENOUS LEADERS JAILED

Priority: normal

Organization: Visitacion Padilla, Tegucigalpa Honduras

INDIGENOUS LEADERS BEGIN HUNGER STRIKE IN JAIL

On November 13, 1997 Salvador Zuniga and Candido Martinez, Indigenous Lenca leaders of COPIN, turned themselves in to the corresponding authorities after more than three weeks in hiding to avoid arrest warrants issued under the pretext of actions taken by COPIN against the statue of Christopher Columbus. Salvador and Candido were accompanied by 500+ Lencas who maintain a constant presence in Tegucigalpa, calling for their immediate release.

As of yesterday, Zuniga and Martinez became POLITICAL PRISONERS and are presently being held (for six days) while their case is reviewed at Regional Command 7 (CORE 7). These six days are crucial. Following the investigation, they will either be sent to jail or set free, depending on the "evidence" in their case. As political prisoners, we (COPIN) hold the Honduran government is fully responsible for any physical, psychological or moral damage they might suffer.

Knowing themselves to be completely innocent of the charges and viewing the actions of the government against them as POLITICAL PERSECUTION, Zuniga and Martinez have begun a HUNGER STRIKE in jail. There is also a considerable number of their supporters who have begun a HUNGER STRIKE that will continue until Salvador and Candido are released from jail.

Constant vigils at the jail, United Nations building and the Office of the Special Inspector of the Ethnic people are being realized.

YOUR CONTINUED SOLIDARITY IS URGENTLY NEEDED TO HELP ENSURE THE SAFETY AND OBTAIN THE RELEASE OF SALVADOR ZUNIGA AND CANDIDO MARTINEZ.

FAX TO:

HONDURAN PRESIDENT CARLOS ROBERTO REINA at 001-504-34-09-84

EMAIL TO:

Honduran Embassador in U.S. at embhondu@ix.netcom.net

or

Honduran President's Informational Office at oip@ns.hondunet.net

keep in touch with us at nancy%vp@sdnhon.org.hn

***COPIN'S CALL FOR SOLIDARITY IS ATTACHED***

URGENT CALL FOR SOLIDARITY TO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

The Indigenous Lenca community, located in the west of Honduras in Central America, belonging to the Meso-American culture, has been maintaining a resistance for centuries that has augmented in these last four years expressed in pilgrimages, marches, days of resistance in the capital city and the Indigenous and Black territories, demanding our fundamental political, social, cultural and economic rights, among others. This has had an important impact in our country and is an advance in Indigenous and Black development.

Today, once again, we raise up our voice, the voice of our ancestors, of Lempira, Mota, Etempica to denounce the grave situation that we find ourselves in such as the assassination of the 42 Indigenous and Black leaders. The most recent assassination took place November 1, 1997 against our companero Elias Martinez, member and leader in COPIN, assassinated for defending a water source, defending the earth, our mother creator. It was a cruel crime. Elias Martinez was killed by the impact of 5 gunshots from a 357 magnum. 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.

Our communities and organization are being threatened and persecuted. They want to intimidate us through military and paramilitary personnel, hired assassins, militarizing our office and the homes of our families. Added to this are the arrest warrants against Candido Roberto Martinez and Salvador Zuniga. These warrants accuse them under the pretext of taking down the statue of Christopher Columbus, but really seeks to gag and destroy the organizational and political process of our communities. In these moments our movement is confronting one of the strongest battles against the sectors of power in this country.

One of the principal battles is the application of the 169th Covenant of the International Workers Organization [of the United Nations], for Indigenous and Tribal communities of the world. Honduras has ratified this Covenant.

With this urgent call for solidarity, we desire that the government and the judicial system of our country respects indigenous rights and that the whole systemic plan that the government has undertaken against our organization be annulled.

We thank you in advance for your solidarity and your response to this call from the Indigenous Lenca community of Honduras.

For more information, please call [001-504] 25-49-25 (tel/fax) and 25- 26- 12.

General Coordination

COPIN