‘Danger no longer only comes from the hitmen, but from the state’: the Honduran farmers labelled terrorists for protecting their land
After another massacre of smallholders – who are subjected to violence from palm oil firms and drug traffickers – the country’s new Trump-backed government has criminalised community leaders
TL;DR
- A massacre in Rigores, Honduras, killed 20 people amidst a long-standing land conflict in the palm oil-rich Bajo Aguán valley.
- The conflict involves small farmers, large palm oil corporations, and drug-trafficking groups, with allegations of fraud, intimidation, and violence.
- New laws under the current rightwing government are criticized for criminalizing land defenders, potentially equating peaceful protest with terrorism.
- Prioritization of agribusiness in land rights cases further disadvantages farmers and Indigenous groups.
- Impunity for crimes remains high in the region, with a lack of trust in authorities among the local communities.