COPINH: Urgent call for solidarity

A statement by the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) calling for international solidarity against the political and judicial persecution of its leaders. The organization alleges that the Honduran court system is being used by the DESA corporation and the state to criminalize the Lenca people's defense of their territories and the River Gualcarque against a hydroelectric project.

• Four leaders of COPINH, including General Coordinator Bertha Isabel Cáceres Flores and members Aureliano Molina Villanueva and Tomas Gómez Membreño, are facing judicial persecution for defending the rights of the Lenca people and opposing the privatization of River Gualcarque in the context of a hydroelectric project.
• The DESA corporation has brought a case against COPINH members alleging damage and sedition. Judge Lissien Lisseth Knight sentenced Bertha Caceres to prison and imposed punitive measures on Tomas Gomez and Aureliano Molina, including requirements to appear in court every fortnight and restrictions on visiting specific locations. On October 3rd, the court further restricted Aureliano Molina by banning him from visiting neighboring communities.
• Bertha Caceres is facing accusations of "illegal possession of arms to the detriment of the internal security of the State of Honduras" brought by the Army and the Attorney General’s office. COPINH claims the weapon used as evidence was planted in their vehicle and that the Appeals Court of Santa Barbara has prioritized military testimony over an investigation into the weapon's actual ownership.
• COPINH demands the annulment of prison sentences and punitive measures, the cancellation of an eviction warrant for the Rio Blanco communities, and the enforcement of ILO’s Convention 169. They further allege that the DESA corporation and the Honduran army were involved in the unpunished murder of Tomas Garcia.

APA

admin (2013). COPINH: Urgent call for solidarity. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/copinh-urgent-call-for-solidarity/

Chicago

admin. COPINH: Urgent call for solidarity. Friends of the Earth International, 2013. https://www.foei.org/copinh-urgent-call-for-solidarity/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=admin |title=COPINH: Urgent call for solidarity |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=25 October 2013 |url=https://www.foei.org/copinh-urgent-call-for-solidarity/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{admin2013copinh, author = {admin}, title = {{COPINH: Urgent call for solidarity}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2013}, month = oct, url = {https://www.foei.org/copinh-urgent-call-for-solidarity/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }