TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS (HRNW) — Amnesty International has intensified its campaign for the protection of Garifuna land defenders in Honduras, calling on authorities to end the criminalization of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities defending their ancestral territories.
Amnesty’s latest campaign, published September 3, calls for an end to the criminalization of Garifuna land defenders and highlights continuing concerns over threats, intimidation and legal pressure faced by people defending community land rights.
The Garifuna people, an Afro-Indigenous community living along Honduras’ Caribbean coast, have long faced disputes and threats connected to land, territory and development projects. Human-rights organizations have repeatedly called for stronger protection of community leaders and defenders.
Amnesty’s intervention places renewed international attention on the rights of Garifuna communities and the broader issue of protecting environmental, Indigenous and land defenders from retaliation.
The organization is urging Honduran authorities to ensure that defending Indigenous and community land rights is not treated as a criminal activity and that people exercising their human rights can do so without fear of persecution.
The campaign comes amid growing global concern over attacks against environmental and land defenders, particularly those challenging powerful economic interests or seeking recognition of collective territorial rights.
Amnesty is calling for concrete action to protect defenders, investigate threats and attacks, and ensure that Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities can participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their territories.
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Disclaimer:
This report is based on information published by Amnesty International and other publicly available sources. The allegations, assessments and recommendations described are attributed to the respective organizations. HRNW presents the report for public-interest journalism and human-rights awareness.
