PBI-Honduras has posted:
“From PBI Honduras, we send our deepest condolences to the @CntcTegucigalpa [National Union of Rural Workers] and to the family of campesino leader and land defender Olman García, who was murdered on August 4 in Ceibita Way (Esparta, Atlántida).”
The image below states:
“In memory of land defender Olman Garcia
From PBI Honduras, we send our deepest condolences to the National Union of Rural Workers (CNTC) and the family of the campesino leader and land defender Olman Garcia, who was assassinated on August 4th in Ceibita Way (Esparta, Atlántida). We recognize the important and courageous advocacy work that Olman carried out to promote access to land and land tenure for small farmers in Honduras. His murder highlights the risks that land defenders continue to face in the country.”
The Agrarian Platform and the Coordination of Popular Organizations of Aguan (COPA) has also posted:
“1. We strongly condemn the vile and cowardly murder of the coordinator of the Campesino Movement of Ceibita Way, affiliated to the National Center of Rural Workers (CNTC), OLMAN GARCIA ORTIZ, which occurred on Sunday, August 4, 2024, in the village of Ceibita Way, Municipality of Esparta, in the department of Atlántida,
The violent act occurred in the afternoon when hired assassins shot him repeatedly until they took his life while he was riding his motorcycle, his body remained inert on the pavement of the road.”
These two groups further note:
“5. We hold the Dinant Corporation and the Facusse family responsible for this new crime committed against our brother OLMAN GARCIA ORTIZ, we also denounce the collusion of the National Preventive Police and the Cobras Special Forces in a series of acts of violence and serious violations of human rights against peasant families fighting for the right to land and food.
6. We denounce the officials of the Protection Mechanism who denied the right to request protection to our compañero Olman García, whose right to life and to continue with his family was denied by hired assassins.
7. We demand that the Public Prosecutor’s Office conduct an immediate and exhaustive investigation to capture those responsible for this vile and cowardly murder.
8. From the Bajo Aguán region we send our most sincere expressions of solidarity with the families and comrades of our brother Olman García and we join them in the demand for justice for our martyrs.”
Accompaniment
The CNTC, created in 1985, is a small-scale farming and trade union organization that fights for the distribution of land.
In Honduras fewer than 5% of landowners control 60% of the fertile terrain.
The CNTC is affiliated with the Unified Confederation of Honduran Workers (CUTH) which in turn is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), along with 150+ labor organizations.
PBI-Honduras has been accompanying the CNTC since May 2018.
Published by Brent Patterson on