Honduras: four campesinos wounded in land dispute

[Judi Lynn]

Honduras: four campesinos wounded in land dispute

Submitted by WW4 Report on Tue, 02/16/2010 - 17:06. Four campesinos were wounded, two with bullets, on Jan. 27 when police and private security guards attacked members of the Unified Campesino Movement of the Aguán (MUCA) at the Río Aguán in Trujillo municipality, near La Ceiba in northern Honduras. Antonio Estrada was shot in his left eye, and Rosendo Reyes was hit in the leg; both were hospitalized in La Ceiba. The incident occurred the day Porfirio ("Pepe") Lobo Sosa of the National Party began his four-year presidential term."

The MUCA members were trying to reoccupy land which they had been forced to leave in January. On Jan. 8 police arrested 30 campesinos while trying to remove them from land they were occupying. Some 150 police agents and 100 soldiers returned on Jan. 14 to remove the campesinos. The land has been the subject of a dispute between MUCA and three landowners, Miguel Facussé, René Morales and Reinaldo Canales, since 2006. MUCA charges that the landowners acquired the land illegally, since the National Agrarian Institute (INA) didn't authorize the sale, and that they are violating the agrarian reform law by not using the land productively.

In a press conference on Jan. 13, Francisco Funes, INA director in the government of former José Manuel ("Mel") Zelaya Rosales (2006-2010), said that the power of big landowners and repression against campesinos had increased since the military coup against Zelaya on June 28, 2009. (Adital, Jan. 29 from MUCA, Jan. 27; Vos el Soberano, Feb. 14)

One of the landowners, Miguel Facussé, is the uncle of former president Carlos Flores Facussé (1998-2002) of the Liberal Party, the owner of the daily La Tribuna and a strong supporter of the coup.

http://ww4report.com/node/8339

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Miguel Facussé

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Adolfo Facussé

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Some 31 residents of the community of Puerto large, south of Honduras, could be in the street, after the Court of Appeals left the area firm accused of land grabbing that promotes powerful businessman Miguel Facussé cahoots with the Ministry Public.

Valle, Honduras.- For the record, the prosecutor and lawyers for the businessman Miguel Facussé, promoted a lawsuit accusing the crime of usurpation of land to the people of Grande Grass, who would lose their farmlands, the only means of livelihood for themselves and their families, since the Court of Appeals made the accusation outright.
The residents of the area of large Zacate have lived for decades in the area, however, the powerful businessman Miguel Facussé, seeks the possession of such land or building views for tourist and hotel empires.

The trial against the poor settlers will continue with a preliminary hearing at an unspecified date in the Courts of Amapala, once the file is sent from the First Court of Appeals.

The lawyer for the residents of Puerto Grande, Horacio Baquedano explained that the crime of usurpation is the implication that the residents can be evicted from their land.

The First Court of Appeals ordered further proceedings, where the court of first instance of Amapala, department of Valle, must rule on this case will have an initial hearing scheduled for the coming days.

Baquedano argues that villagers accused "are innocent of the crime of theft and are the true owners of land in Grande Grass because they had the land and cultivated for many years."

In case the Court of Amapala guilty to the villagers, Baquedano "It would be unfortunate, because those people of that live, to cultivate the land."

"Here in our country are played many roles, there are influences that you can not control and have been defects that have been negotiated under the table politically, because in our setting is given, we are in Honduras and we know that," defense attorney emphasized .

Baquedano considered that an eventual eviction of the settlers and their families in Puerto Grande, would be considered a violation of human rights enshrined in international treaties and establishes the right to food of the people.

"When you run out of regular resources, we would have to go to an international body," said Horacio Baquedano, defense attorney of 31 people, including a woman, the Recovery Movement and Grass Land Titling Grande.

Meanwhile Danilo Canales, one of 31 people facing trial in court, said that despite the situation we are living, "we planted in August."

Channels claimed that the security situation for the people of Puerto Grande has not been very satisfactory, since people close to Michael Facussé intimidate people and sometimes there have been verbal and physical clashes between both sides.

The residents accused of theft must comply with interim measures submitted once a month to court and are prohibited from leaving the country.

In addition, Michael has handled Facussé infiltrate communities, so that patronage has formed a parallel in Puerto Grande, which threatens the decisions of the majority of the community.

Coyolito Club

Beginning in 1990, several capitalists linked to business with the state and exports of shrimp and melon, settled in the peninsula as a place to build summer mansions pompous.

This group of entrepreneurs who run the political and economic power in the country, since they are known as the Club of Coyolito, not even the former President Rafael Leonardo Callejas and other State officials built vacation homes in the area.

These capitalists gained ground in the area, in many cases by buying at irresistible prices for its high amounts, however in most cases, purchases were made on the basis of direct or veiled threats against the original owners.

To the extent that increased hoarding, many households had to sell under that remained isolated in the midst of the new properties.

Major land grabbers in the peninsula, he identifies Michael Facussé Barjum, prominent national agribusiness investor in different countries of Central America and the Caribbean and her husband Fredy Nasser, prosperous businessman thermal carriers and airports, among business known.

Data from COFADEH page

http://amigosdehonduras.es/content/view/34/39/