Bursts of gunfire in the early morning hours, threats, and assault by security guards of businessman Miguel Facussé against a young man, took place in this community, celebrating 10 years of the struggle of the Land Recovery and Titling of Zacate Grande Movement and the opening of community radio Voice of Zacate Grande. Since the radio construction work began , Miguel Facussé, who aims to keep more than 4 thousand acres of land on the peninsula, sent a warning to communities, through a group of employees and agents of police investigation stationed in the area, in the sense that he did not want a community radio station to operate in Zacate Grande.
At that time (5 weeks ago), various community leaders were asked to come to the National Criminal Investigation Office in Amapala to explain the project to build the community radio.
Despite the threats, the community continued with the plan and it was until Wednesday, April 14 when it finally got in the air at the frequency 97.1 FM, the radio station La Voz de Zacate Grande, a long awaited desire and a right of people to transmit and receive information.
The celebration proceeded normally and hundreds of villagers and settlers cheered at the announcement that Voz of Zacate Grande is on air.
The event was attended by defenders of human rights, national and international journalists, community leaders, religious leaders, representatives of indigenous and Garifuna peoples and a representation of the community radio network in Honduras.
By late afternoon, the delegation of the Committee of Relatives of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (Cofadeh) received a complaint from the young José Osorio Vargas Adin, 19 years-old , who had been assaulted by security guards of Miguel Facussé in the field, when the boy travelled in a pickup vehicle with members of a string band, which enlivened the celebration and was headed toward the community of La Flor.
According to the story of people who witnessed the attack, the vehicle, where the band travelled, was intercepted by a car carrying 5 heavily armed guards who were angry at the people expressing joy for having a means of communication.
La intolerancia de los guardias privados de Miguel Facussé llevó a extremos de amenazar a los pobladores y uno de ellos se ensañó contra la humanidad del joven Vargas Osorio, quien recibió golpes en su rostro y espalda y que fueron propinados con la culata de un fusil M-16 recortado que portaba el guardia agresor. The intolerance of the private guards of Miguel Facussé went to the extreme of threatening people and one of them showed no mercy against young Vargas Osorio, who was beaten on his face and back, and was inflicted with the rifle butt of an M -16 gun, which was carried by the agressor guard.
Immediately, the Human Rights Attorney Kenia Cardona, journalist Marvin Palacios, and driver Carlos Varela moved to the area along with 2 other vehicles, where artists, Italian journalists, Argentines and the leadership of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), Bertha Cáceres with members of popular resistance, travelled.
The convoy of vehicles came to the attention of the attacking guards, and one of the journalists started to take photos of about 8 guards who remained stationed at the gate that gives access to the summer homes of MiguelFacussé, a step required to reach the La Flor community.
One of the armed guards who seemed in command of others, was upset because they were being photographed, the time took on a lot of tension because all the guards pointed their weapons at the vehicles and took positions around the convoy carrying the rights defenders, prosecutors, and popular leaders.
The seriously threatening attitude of the guards of Miguel Facussé, who surrounded the vehicles and were ready to fire on unarmed civilians, forced the journalist Marvin Palacios, editor of the digital journal of Cofadeh to get off the vehicle and tell the aggressive guards to calm down.
The celebration proceeded normally and hundreds of villagers and settlers cheered at the announcement that Voz of Zacate Grande is on air.
The event was attended by defenders of human rights, national and international journalists, community leaders, religious leaders, representatives of indigenous and Garifuna peoples and a representation of the community radio network in Honduras.
By late afternoon, the delegation of the Committee of Relatives of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (Cofadeh) received a complaint from the young José Osorio Vargas Adin, 19 years-old , who had been assaulted by security guards of Miguel Facussé in the field, when the boy travelled in a pickup vehicle with members of a string band, which enlivened the celebration and was headed toward the community of La Flor. According to the story of people who witnessed the attack, the vehicle, where the band travelled, was intercepted by a car carrying 5 heavily armed guards who were angry at the people expressing joy for having a means of communication.
La intolerancia de los guardias privados de Miguel Facussé llevó a extremos de amenazar a los pobladores y uno de ellos se ensañó contra la humanidad del joven Vargas Osorio, quien recibió golpes en su rostro y espalda y que fueron propinados con la culata de un fusil M-16 recortado que portaba el guardia agresor. The intolerance of the private guards of Miguel Facussé went to the extreme of threatening people and one of them showed no mercy against young Vargas Osorio, who was beaten on his face and back, and was inflicted with the rifle butt of an M -16 gun, which was carried by the agressor guard.
Immediately, the Human Rights Attorney Kenia Cardona, journalist Marvin Palacios, and driver Carlos Varela moved to the area along with 2 other vehicles, where artists, Italian journalists, Argentines and the leadership of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), Bertha Cáceres with members of popular resistance, travelled.
The convoy of vehicles came to the attention of the attacking guards, and one of the journalists started to take photos of about 8 guards who remained stationed at the gate that gives access to the summer homes of MiguelFacussé, a step required to reach the La Flor community.
One of the armed guards who seemed in command of others, was upset because they were being photographed, the time took on a lot of tension because all the guards pointed their weapons at the vehicles and took positions around the convoy carrying the rights defenders, prosecutors, and popular leaders.
The seriously threatening attitude of the guards of Miguel Facussé, who surrounded the vehicles and were ready to fire on unarmed civilians, forced the journalist Marvin Palacios, editor of the digital journal of Cofadeh to get off the vehicle and tell the aggressive guards to calm down.
Palacios told the head of the guards that people who were carried in the 3 vehicles were defenders of human rights, international journalists Italian, Argentine artists and residents of the community La Flor and needed to know about the complaint of assault against young Vargas Osorio.
The head of the guards denied they participated in the attack and ordered the deployment of at least 10 guards carrying assault rifles M-16 (military use), shotguns and pistols. Seconds later, another pick up vehicle carrying 8 guards stationed in the place.
The journalist Marvin Palacios tried to calm down the atmosphere that was getting dangerous and told the chief of the guards (a subject of thick-, medium height, fair complexion and mustache) that all he wanted was to take the report of the young man found in the La Flor community.
The guards were deployed and the convoy moved toward La Flor to collect the evidence, take photographs of the young man who was attacked and prepare measures to document a case in which security guards of Miguel Facussé intimidate, threaten and assault settlers in the area, acting with total impunity.
Cofadeh will file complaints to the Public Ministry and the Ministry of Security for the conditions of helplessness faced by 8 communities that inhabit the peninsula Zacate Grande and are at the mercy of security guards of agroindustrial businessman Miguel Facussé, who during years has harassed, prosecuted, and threatened communities fighting for land titling that legitimately belong to them.
COFADEH calls the attention of the authorities of the current regime led by Porfirio Lobo Sosa and international organizations that defend freedom of expression to focus their attention on Zacate Grande in view of possible attacks that might be raised against the physical integrity of social communicators and of the facilities of radio La Voz de Zacate Grande, the newly opened community radio.
http://www.defensoresenlinea.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=698:balas-amenazas-y-agresiones-durante-lanzamiento-de-la-voz-de-zacate-grande&catid=54:den&Itemid=171
The head of the guards denied they participated in the attack and ordered the deployment of at least 10 guards carrying assault rifles M-16 (military use), shotguns and pistols. Seconds later, another pick up vehicle carrying 8 guards stationed in the place.
The journalist Marvin Palacios tried to calm down the atmosphere that was getting dangerous and told the chief of the guards (a subject of thick-, medium height, fair complexion and mustache) that all he wanted was to take the report of the young man found in the La Flor community.
The guards were deployed and the convoy moved toward La Flor to collect the evidence, take photographs of the young man who was attacked and prepare measures to document a case in which security guards of Miguel Facussé intimidate, threaten and assault settlers in the area, acting with total impunity.
Cofadeh will file complaints to the Public Ministry and the Ministry of Security for the conditions of helplessness faced by 8 communities that inhabit the peninsula Zacate Grande and are at the mercy of security guards of agroindustrial businessman Miguel Facussé, who during years has harassed, prosecuted, and threatened communities fighting for land titling that legitimately belong to them.
COFADEH calls the attention of the authorities of the current regime led by Porfirio Lobo Sosa and international organizations that defend freedom of expression to focus their attention on Zacate Grande in view of possible attacks that might be raised against the physical integrity of social communicators and of the facilities of radio La Voz de Zacate Grande, the newly opened community radio.
http://www.defensoresenlinea.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=698:balas-amenazas-y-agresiones-durante-lanzamiento-de-la-voz-de-zacate-grande&catid=54:den&Itemid=171
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