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The spate of
violence and terror in Bajo Aguan does not stop. Another murder puts the peasant
families of the Unified Peasant Movement of Aguan (MUCA) into mourning. During
the past eight months 11 members of this organization have been already killed
in the African oil palm plantations. The witnesses blame killers hired by Palm
oil tycoon Miguel Facussé.
Francisco Miranda Ortega was
55. He was a peasant, member of MUCA, who
lived at the La Aurora settlement, a few kilometers away from Tocoa. This
settlement is the same where a few months ago more than one thousand people got
reunited as a result of agreements signed between this organization and the
government of Porfirio Lobo.
Víctor
Manuel Mata, Sergio
Magdiel Amaya, Rodving Omar Villegas and Oscar
Geovanny Ramírez
also belonged to La Aurora.
They were all massacred by strangers. They were all shot dead without mercy.
They were all members of MUCA and
beneficiaries of the agreements.
Francisco Miranda Ortega was
riding his bike on the way to Tocoa. When he reached the bridge
over the Aguan river, a place known as Cacho de Buey, he was shot dead from both
sides of the bridge.
“This time there are witnesses", told Sirel
MUCA leader
and member of the National Executive Committee of the National Front for
Popular Resistance (Spanish acronym FNRP), Juan
Chinchilla. “The witnesses saw six persons getting off a grey double cab
truck without license and hide in the palm plantations owned by
Miguel Facussé. When Francisco
passed by riding his bike, they opened fire and killed him. They left
him laying down there and left”, commented Juan.
“In less than two and a half months five brothers of
MUCA have
been killed. This is the result of a terror strategy being encouraged by
Facussé, with the support of
his gun men and with the accomplice silence of the authorities. Nobody is doing
anything to investigate these murders, military and police officers are rather
harassing us through their security forces”, asserted Chinchilla.
Since December 9, 2009,
when MUCA decided
to begin a land recovery process for the land taken away by landowners and palm
producers Miguel Facussé, René
Morales and Reinaldo
Canales, until today, already 11 peasants have been murdered. The Aguan region
keeps being stained with blood of the poor in order to feed the privileges and
the impunity of powerful business and political groups in the country.
“The MUCA is
reporting once again the impunity system knocking down its members, which
evidences that the democratic system of Honduras is
designed to favor oligarchic groups", states a communication released
immediately after this new murder.
Now, more than ever, it is necessary to reinforce international solidarity with
the Honduran people and with the thousands of peasants who fight for their
future, for a decent life and for the right to recover the lands taken away from
them through deception and violence.
Never again murders in Aguan or
anywhere in Honduras!
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