Residents face riot police during an attempted eviction at Tierras del Padre, a Lenca Indigenous community between the municipalities of Ojojona and San Buenaventura, Francisco Morazan department, Honduras, on February 9, 2022. (Photo: Orlando Sierra/AFP via Getty Images)
Leftist President of Honduras Blocks Indigenous Community's Eviction
The Human Rights Ministry called the evictions a "clear violation of the human rights of over 100 families who live in the sector in an ancestral Lenca territory that dates from the year 1739."
Honduras' new leftist president on Wednesday intervened to halt a court-ordered eviction of an Indigenous community from their ancestral lands following violent scenes of the attempted forced removal by police earlier in the day.
Human Rights Minister Natalie Roque shared on social media that, with orders from President Xiomara Castro, lawyers and officials from her office went to the Tierras del Padre community, located just south of the capital of Tegucigalpa, to stop the evictions, saying the suspension was in accordance with the law and authorized by the state.
"We are not going to tolerate any aggression or blow against a pregnant woman or against a citizen or against a child," presidential adviser Pedro Amador said on the scene, according to a video circulated on social media
In a tweet, Roque accused judicial officials who'd approved the evictions of continuing "in the power of the dictatorship." As Agence France-Presse reported last month, "four of the five judges in the court's constitutional chamber were named to their posts by the previous Congress, which was dominated by the right-wing National Party of former president Juan Orlando Hernandez."
A statement from the country's human rights ministry called the proposed expulsions--performed at the behest of a businessman and land developer who claims ownership of the area--a "clear violation of the human rights of over 100 families who live in the sector in an ancestral Lenca territory that dates from the year 1739."
\u201cHuman Rights Minister Natalie Roque: \u201cWith instructions from President Xiomara, we are sending accompaniment & lawyers to suspend eviction. The HR Ministry & other Ministries accompany residents of Tierras del Padre. The justice system continues under the control of dictatorship\u201d\u201d— Honduras Now (@Honduras Now) 1644429869
Before the federal officials arrived to intervene, community members faced riot police who, according to local reports and photos, intimidated and hit several community members.
The planned evictions sparked concern from the Honduras office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Of particular concern, the office said in a Wednesday Twitter thread, was that a constitutional appeal of the evictions filed by the community had not yet been processed. The U.N. office further urged the state to halt the eviction order, noting threats to "the effective protection of the rights of the community, particularly its right to housing and food."
Castro, sworn in January 27 following a dozen years of the country being run by the right-wing National Party, is the country's first female president.
She is also the wife of Manuel Zelaya, Honduras's former progressive president who was in power from 2006 until 2009 when he was ousted in a Washington-backed coup.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Honduras' new leftist president on Wednesday intervened to halt a court-ordered eviction of an Indigenous community from their ancestral lands following violent scenes of the attempted forced removal by police earlier in the day.
Human Rights Minister Natalie Roque shared on social media that, with orders from President Xiomara Castro, lawyers and officials from her office went to the Tierras del Padre community, located just south of the capital of Tegucigalpa, to stop the evictions, saying the suspension was in accordance with the law and authorized by the state.
"We are not going to tolerate any aggression or blow against a pregnant woman or against a citizen or against a child," presidential adviser Pedro Amador said on the scene, according to a video circulated on social media
In a tweet, Roque accused judicial officials who'd approved the evictions of continuing "in the power of the dictatorship." As Agence France-Presse reported last month, "four of the five judges in the court's constitutional chamber were named to their posts by the previous Congress, which was dominated by the right-wing National Party of former president Juan Orlando Hernandez."
A statement from the country's human rights ministry called the proposed expulsions--performed at the behest of a businessman and land developer who claims ownership of the area--a "clear violation of the human rights of over 100 families who live in the sector in an ancestral Lenca territory that dates from the year 1739."
\u201cHuman Rights Minister Natalie Roque: \u201cWith instructions from President Xiomara, we are sending accompaniment & lawyers to suspend eviction. The HR Ministry & other Ministries accompany residents of Tierras del Padre. The justice system continues under the control of dictatorship\u201d\u201d— Honduras Now (@Honduras Now) 1644429869
Before the federal officials arrived to intervene, community members faced riot police who, according to local reports and photos, intimidated and hit several community members.
The planned evictions sparked concern from the Honduras office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Of particular concern, the office said in a Wednesday Twitter thread, was that a constitutional appeal of the evictions filed by the community had not yet been processed. The U.N. office further urged the state to halt the eviction order, noting threats to "the effective protection of the rights of the community, particularly its right to housing and food."
Castro, sworn in January 27 following a dozen years of the country being run by the right-wing National Party, is the country's first female president.
She is also the wife of Manuel Zelaya, Honduras's former progressive president who was in power from 2006 until 2009 when he was ousted in a Washington-backed coup.
Honduras' new leftist president on Wednesday intervened to halt a court-ordered eviction of an Indigenous community from their ancestral lands following violent scenes of the attempted forced removal by police earlier in the day.
Human Rights Minister Natalie Roque shared on social media that, with orders from President Xiomara Castro, lawyers and officials from her office went to the Tierras del Padre community, located just south of the capital of Tegucigalpa, to stop the evictions, saying the suspension was in accordance with the law and authorized by the state.
"We are not going to tolerate any aggression or blow against a pregnant woman or against a citizen or against a child," presidential adviser Pedro Amador said on the scene, according to a video circulated on social media
In a tweet, Roque accused judicial officials who'd approved the evictions of continuing "in the power of the dictatorship." As Agence France-Presse reported last month, "four of the five judges in the court's constitutional chamber were named to their posts by the previous Congress, which was dominated by the right-wing National Party of former president Juan Orlando Hernandez."
A statement from the country's human rights ministry called the proposed expulsions--performed at the behest of a businessman and land developer who claims ownership of the area--a "clear violation of the human rights of over 100 families who live in the sector in an ancestral Lenca territory that dates from the year 1739."
\u201cHuman Rights Minister Natalie Roque: \u201cWith instructions from President Xiomara, we are sending accompaniment & lawyers to suspend eviction. The HR Ministry & other Ministries accompany residents of Tierras del Padre. The justice system continues under the control of dictatorship\u201d\u201d— Honduras Now (@Honduras Now) 1644429869
Before the federal officials arrived to intervene, community members faced riot police who, according to local reports and photos, intimidated and hit several community members.
The planned evictions sparked concern from the Honduras office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Of particular concern, the office said in a Wednesday Twitter thread, was that a constitutional appeal of the evictions filed by the community had not yet been processed. The U.N. office further urged the state to halt the eviction order, noting threats to "the effective protection of the rights of the community, particularly its right to housing and food."
Castro, sworn in January 27 following a dozen years of the country being run by the right-wing National Party, is the country's first female president.
She is also the wife of Manuel Zelaya, Honduras's former progressive president who was in power from 2006 until 2009 when he was ousted in a Washington-backed coup.