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The Garifuna People Reoccupy Lands That Have Been Usurped in Vallecito (Limon)

by comppa for News- Honduras

The Garifuna People Reoccupy Lands That Have Been Usurped in Vallecito (Limon)

The Garifuna people have suffered heavy territorial pressure. These pressures are caused by corporations, politicians, and the military who make up the real political power of Honduras and who have been seizing power for decades.
Through 6 Associative Collectives the Garifunas have accomplished the titling of 1600 manzanas (4.3 square miles) of land in Vallecito, Limon, Colon, since the year 1997. Since then the invaders have begun to try to take over that territory. Miguel Facusse planted 100 hectares (0.4 square miles) of African palm in the Ruguma Collective, one of the six associative collectives. By the end of 1999, the Supreme Court issued an opinion in favor of the Garifuna, invalidating the claims of the “palm of death.” Facusse in 1993 took over Punta Farallones, adjacent to and belonging to the community of Limon.
Beginning in 2005, people associated with organized crime have imposed a reign of terror in the corridor of Limon – Punta Piedras, forcing the Garifuna that are located in Vallecito to minimize their presence and activities on the land belonging to the collectives. Subsequently, foreigners appeared who were allotted 900 hectares (3.5 square miles) of the 1600 (6.2 square miles) INA (National Agrarian Institute) recognized as belonging to the Garifuna people.
In July 2010, the OFRANEH signed a written agreement with INA officials to achieve the remediation of the associative collectives. However the invaders refused entry to members of INA and the Public Ministry.
The proposed installation of the Model City in the strip between the Bay of Trujillo and the Sico River, has sparked a resurgence of territorial pressure on the Garifuna communities; The Lobo administration has not consulted the Garifuna people about its pretensions to deliver our territory to investors and foreign companies in order to create an independent state.
Vallecito is for our people a territiorial reserve to build food security, hence the importance of recuperating the land of the associative collectives, where we have dreamed of also building the future Garifuna University.

Today hundreds of Garifuna from different communities called together by Iseri Lidawamari and OFRANEH are creating a presence in Vallecito, Limon, to reoccupy the territory that belonged to us historically, and is legally titled by the INA to the Garifuna people through the 6 Associative Collectives: Ruguma, Saway, Saway Sufritiñu, Walumugu, Satuye, Sinduru Free.
We urge solidarity, both nationally and internationally!
We do not seek violence; we do not want repression
We struggle for life, food sovereignty, cultural identity and national sovereignty.
Baruada, Satuye, Bandiemu, Walumugu, Lombardo Lacayo are present in this struggle.
Vallecito, Limon, Colon, August 26, 2012

OFRANEH
Honduran Black Fraternal Organization
Calle 19, # 130.
Alvarado Neighborhood
La Ceiba, Atlantida,
Honduras
telefax: 504-24432492
email: garifuna@ofraneh.org / ofraneh@yahoo.com
http://www.ofraneh.org
http://www.ofraneh.wordpress.com

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