URGENT ACTION NEEDED!!
HONDURAN GOVERNMENT THREATENS TO IMPRISON INDIGENOUS
LEADERS
FOR ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST A STATUE OF COLUMBUS!
On October 12, 1997, Dia de la Hispanidad (Columbus Day), 505 years after which Christopher
Columbus discovered America, members of the Civic Counsel of Indigenous and Popular
Organizations (COPIN) disfigured the statue of Columbus covering it with red paint, a symbolic
amount of their own blood, painting messages deploring the genocide and ultimately pulled the
statue off its base, breaking it as it fell. This date also commemorates six months since the
assassination of Indigenous Chorti leader Candido Amador Recinos, whose assassins have never
been brought to justice.
While the Honduran government officials have launched a full fledged campaign in the press
against the leaders of COPIN and threaten them with six years imprisonment, a hefty fine and
restoration, the same officials have remained complicitly silent in the case of Candido Amador
Recinos and the thirty seven (37) other indigenous and black activists who have been murdered
in the past few years. The attack is clearly political. Jailing Indigenous leaders under the pretext
of vandalism, poignantly illustrates their belief that a statue has more value than the life of a
human being.
In reference to the actions taken against the statue, Salvador Zuniga, Lenca Indigenous leader
states This action is symbolic. It is an informal educational action which can help the Honduran
population to reflect on the situation. We cannot do anything else except repudiate this
celebration as a patriotic act. Surely some people are going to say this is an act of vandalism,
but they are those who are on the side of the neoconquistadors. Their open letter states With
the arrival of the Europeans, the largest plunder of the riches of our lands took place. Being
conservative in our estimates, we can account for 185 thousand kilos of gold and 16 million
kilos of silver which only enriched the Spanish crown. Even more importantly, the worst
genocide ever lived in humanity was initiated in 1492, in which in less than 75 years, more than
70 million indigenous people, our forbearers, were assassinated. How could we not be sad on
this date which reminds us of our bloody history? The letter goes on to say In the history of our
communities and of the Honduran population in general, the conquest did not end with the
so-called independence. On the contrary, the killings and plundering, started by the Spanish
continue to this day, most recently with North Americans and International Bankers who have
impeded development, imposed military dictators and puppet governments and violated the
sovereignty as many times as they wanted....
The Indigenous struggles of Honduras did not begin with actions taken against the statue of
Columbus. The most recent round of the struggle began five years ago, when COPIN organized
the first Indigenous Pilgrimage calling for justice, the delivery of ancestral lands and an end to
the plunder of their natural resources. This past May, the fifth pilgrimage, provoked by the
assassination of Candido Amador Recinos, took place continuing the call for ancestral lands,
improved security, an end to human rights abuses and an investigation into the murder of
Candido and other Indigenous leaders. Each year, the government has signed accords to end the
pilgrimages and then refuses to complete its promises. It is estimated that less than twenty
percent of the promises have been completed in the past five years. Each pilgrimage has
adhered to a policy of active non-violence and has included tactics such as non-violent
encampments and demonstrations, calls for community support and hunger strikes.
Unfortunately the Honduran government has responded with violent forced removals,
intimidation, manipulation of the press and uncompleted promises.
Twenty-two hard fought government promises were won this year in May during the fifth
pilgrimage, when thousands of Indigenous people occupied the Honduran capital of
Tegucigalpa. These include the promise to deliver 22,000 acres to the Chorti people, an
investigation into the murder of Indigenous leaders and increased security. A permanent
resistance was mounted in Tegugucigalpa during the months of July and August to press for
recognition of their human rights and completion of the accord signed in May. Unfortunately,
they were unable to obtain fulfillment of any of the promises. To this date, not one acre of land
has been delivered, the assassins of Recinos enjoy amnimity and Indigenous leaders continue to
receive death threats and intimidation by wealthy landowners and government officials.
As the Honduran government gears up for the prosecution of the destruction of a statue,
Indigenous communities continue to suffer from a lack of governmental attention to the
problems they face including loss of land, discrimination, lack of basic governmental services
such as medical attention or education, early death brought on by their poverty, the violent
assassinations of their leaders and centuries long repression. The actions that took place against
the statue of Columbus grew out of the growing frustration with a government that refuses to
address the issues facing the Indigenous people and a repugnance for the celebration of a hero
that began a chain of destruction in the history of Indigenous people in America. The reprisal of
the government with relation to these actions continues another link in the chain. This latest
round is being personified against Salvador Zuniga in particular and other leaders of COPIN in
general in an attempt to debilitate and politically persecute a powerful Indigenous movement.
As Zuniga states, If this is vandalism, if the Honduran courts qualify it as vandalism, then we ll
go to jail, but we will go with all the pride and dignity of our lives.
LETTERS OF SUPPORT, CALLING FOR AN END TO THE POLITICAL PERSECUTION OF SALVADOR ZUNIGA AND OTHER LEADERS OF COPIN ARE URGENTLY NEEDED.
THESE LETTERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE PEOPLE LISTED BELOW AND SHOULD EMPHASIZE YOUR CONCERN FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF
INDIGENOUS LEADERS, THE NEED TO COMPLETE THE ACCORDS SIGNED IN MAY
AND AN END HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.
FAX LETTERS TO:
1) PRESIDENT CARLOS ROBERTO REINA AT 011-504-34-09-84
2) EDUARDO ORELLANO; PUBLIC MINISTRY AT 011-504-39-36-87
3) SUPREME COURT AT 011-504-33-97-93
4) EDUARDO VILLANUEVA: SPECIAL INSPECTOR FOR ETHNIC PEOPLES
AT 011-504-37-82-37
HONDURAN INDIGENOUS SUPPORT COMMITTEE
Aptdo 4371, Tegucigalpa Honduras America Central
(WE DO NOT HAVE AN EMAIL THAT WORKS YET)