On November 16, PBI-Honduras tweeted: “PBI accompanies @MovAmplioHn in the defense of the river Jilamito. Communities demand @Simonds_BandSaw withdraw its support for the project in the face of the drought, rupture of the social fabric and the criminalization that the hydroelectric plant entails.”

In a series of tweets, the Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective also explains:

And on November 15, Criterio.hn reported:

“The inhabitants of the municipality of Arizona in the department of Atlántida have promoted a new form of struggle to make it clear that the waters of the Jilamito River are for the people and their communities.

This has been stated by the communities organized in the Broad Movement for Dignity and Justice (MADJ) established in the Dignified Camp for the Defense of Water.

Today they have demonstrated in front of the offices of HERMACASA in Honduras and SIMONDS SAW INTERNATIONAL in Massachusetts, USA, both companies are partners of INGELSA and the IESA Group owned by Emin Abufele Marcos main shareholder of the Jilamito Hydroelectric Project (PHJ).

On this day for the defense of life, sovereignty and dignity have expressed that the people of Arizona have already decided, at least in three assemblies of open council, that the waters of the Jilamito River will be destined exclusively for the consumption of the present and future generations of the municipality and in this way overcome the shortage that already suffer about 30 thousand inhabitants.

To fulfill the popular mandates in defense of the river, the people were constituted in Permanent Assembly since 2017, through the Dignified Camp for Water and Life.

As they have repeatedly denounced, in public spaces and in national and international institutions, the Jilamito Hydroelectric Project is a clear expression of acts of corruption, violence against communities, rupture of the social fabric, criminalization of community leadership, threats and violation of the human right to water, the environment, community participation, access to public information, sovereignty and dignity of individuals.

Faced with the lack of response to their complaints, challenges and many other actions, today they have begun a new phase of mobilizations to the headquarters of the companies and homes of the people who, through corruption and violence, intend to impose the PHJ with impunity.

“With our peaceful demonstrations and with our capacities, in articulation with the brothers and sisters of different parts of the world, today we re-promote the process to put a face and full identity to the executioners of our communities, we are taking another step to break with the violence, corruption and impunity of perverse groups like INGELSA-IESA.”

They called on international economic actors such as Simonds Saw International, the Inter-American Development Bank and any actor in the international financial system to withdraw and refrain from supporting the IESA-INGELSA group and the PHJ, as it did in April 2021, the DFC development finance corporation that has recognized the multiple complaints of the People of Arizona and made the decision to suspend the financing of 35.7 million dollars for the construction of the PHJ.

The right companies and people do not invest in or promote corruption and the violation of rights, they point out in their statement.

From the peaceful resistance and the legitimate right to defend their common goods, they reaffirm that they will continue to defend the sovereign and human decision that the waters of the Jilamito River and the natural wealth of the municipality of Arizona, be for the people; whatever it costs us, the statement ends.”

For our last article on this, please see: PBI-Honduras accompanies event marking the 4th anniversary of a blockade against dam on the Jilamito River.

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