A relative of the Mayor of Tutule municipality, Carlos Arriaga, is claiming 20 hectares of the lands where the peasants have been working for over seven years. According to a statement by La Vía Campesina Honduras, Franklin Almendárez, Secretary General of the Rural Workers Central Union said: "Arriaga has the support of political and military authorities of the government in office and especially La Paz authorities. The lands occupied by the peasant company are communal and the company has been occupying them for many years so they are the true and only owners, not this man who wants to take control of them for being a relative of Tutule´s Mayor, Wil Guevara. We´ve submitted many claims against the Mayor since he violates the rights of peasants and indigenous people of Tutule municipality and other surrounding towns".

The Rural Workers Central Union filed a complaint against the police officers, the military officers and Arriaga.

More evictions to follow

In another statement, the members of the peasant company La Montañuela denounced this week the impending eviction in Juticalpa municipality, Olancho department, where the peasants have been settled for over 36 years.

Just like in the case of Tutule, the lands in this case granted by the National Agrarian Institute (INA) were demanded by Antonio Aguilar in 2002. At the end of 2015, the Supreme Court of Justice complied with Aguilar´s demand to cancel the titles granted by the INA to the peasants.

Source: Via Campesina Honduras