October 6, 2018
We alert the national and international community to the situation of vulnerability facing the community of Guapinol, Tocoa, Colón, which has sustained an encampment for the defense of water rights for over 68 days.
The community has been the target of persecution, stigmatization and criminalization due to its defense of natural resources. Now, arrest warrants have been issued for 18 human rights defenders and social leaders.
Attention and solidarity is requested for this community that denounces the violation of rights.
A media outlet in the zone has informed that in addition to the 18 arrest warrants under file 148-2018, there is also the possibility that the encampment will be evicted.
We also denounce the persecution and harassment of social and religious organizations that support the people in the defense of water, land and territory such as the San Alonzo Rodríguez Foundation, the Coordinator of Popular Organizations of the Aguán (COPA) and the San Isidro Parish.
We hope that the illegal and unjust arrest warrants against members of the community, religious leaders and human rights defenders in the zone are not acted on.
We exhort the national and international community to speak out in defense of communities that struggle for life.
Committee of the Families of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH).
Tegucigalpa, M.D.C., October 6, 2018
