Honduras’ death squads target indigenous activists

This video from Honduras says about itself:

Message from COPINH

16 March 2016

Tomás Membreño Gomez, Sub-Coordinator of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous organizations thanks Witness for Peace supporters and makes a call to continue mobilizing to seek justice for Berta Cáceres.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

Honduras: Top indigenous activist survives new murder bid

Thursday 13th October 2016

THE leader of an indigenous activist group in Honduras has survived a second assasination bid, just seven months after the murder of his predecessor.

The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras (COPINH) announced on Tuesday that its leader Tomás Membreño Gomez was attacked by a gunman on Sunday night as he was driving in the city of La Esperanza. Mr Gomez escaped unharmed.

Hours later on Monday morning gunmen attacked the house of another COPINH member Alexander Garcia, where he was at home with his family. All escaped with their lives.

The group condemned the violence against it, saying: “These are attempts to silence COPINH’S fight against the projects of death in the Lenca territories, boosted by this corrupt government, which kneels at national and transnational economic interests.”

The attacks on COPINH members follow the murder of the group’s founder and previous leader Berta Cáceres, who was shot at home in March after receiving numerous death threats.

Ms Cáceres was a busy enivonmental activist who led protests against the construction of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam project, which her Lenca people said would have flooded native lands and cut off their water supply.

Six people have been arrested over her killing, including employees of hydroelectric firm Desa and army officers.

Such murders have shot up since the 2009 coup against president Manuel Zelaya with 118 environmental activists killed since 2010.

Published on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, by Common Dreams: Leader of Honduran Campesino Movement Assassinated. Rural Honduran farmer and organizer received death threats for years: here.