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**Human Rights Monitor **
Contact the Land Research Action Network:
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Peasants Assassinated in Honduras
July 21, 2003
After more than 18 years struggling for a piece of land, a number of farmers and peasant activitst were killed when working in their community by group of hitmen under command of the Honduran landowner Jos Len Argueta. Together COCOCH and CNTC condemn these acts of violence and call on the Honduran government and Human Rights Councils to take action.
| COCOCH (Honduan Coordinating Council of Peasant Organizations) |
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| CNTC ( National Union of Rural Workers) |
| Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
Peasants Assassinated in Honduras
20 July 2003
The boards of the Co-ordinating Council of Peasant Organizations in Honduras (Consejo Coordinador de Organizaciones Campesinas de
Honduras - COCOCH) and the National Union of Rural Workers (Central
Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo - CNTC) declare to the central government, the Supreme Court , the Police, the Minister for
Security, Human Rights organisations, the national and
international community and the people of Honduras in general
following:
1.Yesterday, Saturday the 19th of July 2003 were assassinated savagely
our peasant friends JOSE SANTOS CARRIOS and FABIAN
GONZALES, peasants members of the group "Senderos de
Progreso", of the conmmunity El Jicaro, municipality of San José,
Province La Paz, and members of CNTC.
2. That our assassinated friends, after more than 18 years struggling for a piece of land, were killed when working in their community by group of
killers under command of the landowner Jos Len Argueta, carrying
guns of heavy caliber. The assassinated were warned and had announced
this to the local authorities who did not try to prevent this criminal
act, violating the most fundamental human rights.
3. COCOCH and CNTC deplore this act and express their indignation to the agrarian authorities as well as to the police for their lack of engagement to solve the conflicts in the rural areas and to allow the
assessination of our peasant friends.
Because of this COCOCH and CNTC demand:
a) To the President of the Republic, Ricardo Maduro, to define an integrated
agricultural policy and to investigate the functionaries of the
Governement for their lack of engagement to prevent it, thus allowing
this crime.
b)To the agrarian authorities that they will once and for all legalize the land
belonging to the peasants of the Group "Senderos de Progreso".
c) To the Supreme Court of Justice to procede the investigation and to judge the landowner JOSE LEON ARGUETA as the intellectual author and
to the 4 muderers that shot dead the two peasants, especiallyJOSE LUIS RUBIO, MARIANO RUBIO Y LUIS FRANCISCO RUBIO AMADOR as those who committed the crime. Not doing this signifies that they show themselves in agreement with the murderers.
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COCOCH and CNTC solidarize themselves with the families of those assessinated and demand the government of RICARDO MADURO concrete and quick answers to our demands.
COCOCH calls upon their organisations and their peasants base to remain vigilant for further mobilisation to demand justice and respect for the rights of peasants men and women. In the name of people we demand the government of RICARDO MADURO and the landowners to stop the repression against peasants.
We inform that the funeral will be today sunday the 20th of July
en la comunidad de El Pedernal, Municiplality of San Jos, Province
La Paz at 3:00 p.m.. We ask you to solidarize yourselve through your presence.
"BECAUSE THE LAND BELONGS TO US, WE FIGHT UNTIL THE END"
For more information Please Call:
Alicia Calles (+504) 972-4757 (cell phone)
Marvin Ponce (+504) 963-1782(cell phone)
Rafael Alegria (+504) 969-5091(cell phone)
COCOCH (Consejo Coordinador de Organizaciones Campesinas de Honduras)
232-5072
CNTC (Central Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo)
223-9516
For more information on land reform in Latin America click here###
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