By Giorgio Trucchi - Rel-UITA
http://www.rel-uita.org/agricultura/palma_africana/campesinos_rodeados_y_atacados.htm
A strong contingent of military, police and security guards of landowner and producer René Palma Morales, is about more than 300 farmers in the cooperative La Trinidad, belonging to the Peasant Movement Authentic Aguán Vindicator (MARK). On April 30 peasant families recover the land they claim as their own, and have since undergone several eviction attempts so far left at least two wounded.
"For 15 minutes they stopped shooting. Military XVth Infantry Battalion, police and security guards attacked us Rene Morales at 5 am and tried to evict us, but could not. We
fired heavy weapons and we have two injured companions, one of them is the farmer Antonio Rivas.
keeps us close, and one week we have been unable to get out of our cooperative. We are running out of food and water, and at any time could strike again, "he said with great concern the Framework Steering Sirel, Julián Hernández.
more than 16 years ago, MARK affiliated cooperatives began a legal action to recover land they claim as their own and who, they say, they were usurped by the landowner and producer René Morales Nicaraguan palm.
Given the inefficiency and in many cases of collusion with the landowners, the Judiciary, April 30 BRAND members decided to recover the lands of the cooperative La Trinidad, on the left bank of the river Aguán, Trujillo.
"Since we recover our land we have been repressing. On 1 May there was a first attempt to evict violent. We were attacked by shooting and has since maintained a military blockade that prevents us out.
harassment and attacks have been ongoing, but we have no alternative. These lands are ours and we are robbed of them. We tried through the courts, but 16 years have passed and we have not achieved anything, because the judiciary is to serve the landowner René Morales.
The only solution, "said Hernandez, is to return what belongs to us, and we are willing to stay here. Better to kill us to defend our lands continue to suffer hunger and poverty, "the director of MARK.
In this difficult situation, FIAN Honduras issued a statement condemning the Police Force and the Army for serving the largest landowners in the region, and called for solidarity of all organizations social, "to prevent violent incidents continue to occur that often end with the lives of our comrades and their families."