Cultural Survival endorses Grassroots International's campaign

For over five months, the Lenca community of Rio Blanco has been blocking the illegal construction of a hydroelectric dam, part of a larger mega-dam complex, on their territory with the help of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). The concession for this dam was illegally granted without the constitutionally protected consent of the Lenca people who live in the area and who depend on the river to grow the beans, corn, yucca, plantains, and other crops to survive.

But mining companies, and the government they helped put into place in Honduras, aren’t accepting any limitations in their illegal plunder of the lands, forests, and waters. Those like COPINH’s members face physical, legal, and political attacks. Indigenous peoples have experienced assassinations, kidnapping, machete slashing, arrests, and threats almost weekly as they resist the company’s takeover of their territory.

Recently one leader Tomás Garcia was killed during a peaceful protest against the hydro-electric dam. And on September 12 three leaders of COPINH must appear in ourt to face charges by the Honduran government and hydro-electric dam. 

Please join Cultural Survival, Grassroots International and our allies in supporting Berta, Tomás, Aureliano and other peasant and indigenous leaders in their struggle to protect their land and territories from being grabbed big companies. Your voice matters.