Photo: Guapinol River defender Jose Abelino Cedillo released from prison last night is greeted by his wife Juana Zúniga and their children.
On the morning of February 25, PBI-Honduras tweeted: “From @PBIHonduras we join in the joy for the release of the defenders of @guapinolre after 29 months in arbitrary preventive detention for defending the environment. We trust that the defenders will be repaired and their safety and that of their families will be guaranteed.”
The night before, Guapinol Resiste tweeted: “Defenders meet with their families. Finally, after 914 days of illegal, unjust and arbitrary imprisonment.”
On the evening of February 10, PBI-Honduras tweeted: “PBI accompanies the celebration after learning that the Constitutional Chamber grants protection to the 8 defenders of Guapinol, the trial is annulled and they will be released.”
The following day, it also tweeted: “We trust that this release will be immediate and that the safety of the defenders, their families and their communities will be ensured. From the communities they remember that the defense of common goods continues until the mining license is annulled.”
Still, it took two weeks after that Supreme Court of Justice ruling for the Guapinol defenders to be released from prison.
PBI-USA joins in the celebration of the release of these defenders.
At this moment of celebration, we also recognize that the struggle to defend the Guapinol River from the Los Pinares mining project continues.
EFE reports: “Los Pinares has installed a processing plant for iron oxide pellets in the municipality of Tocoa, department of Colón and has requested an ‘expansion of the area of the concession from 100 hectares to 1,000 hectares.”
PBI-Honduras has accompanied the defenders of the Guapinol and San Pedro rivers for the past three years.
Canal 6 video of their release from prison last night.
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