La Voz de los de Abajo and Casa Morazan are organizing the second delegation to Honduras since the coup in June. Folks from Chicago, Minneapolis, and New York will be in Honduras from January 23 - 31 to accompany the resistance movement during the inaguaration of the new coup president and to document the resistance and human rights violations that are increasing. Since the illegitimate elections of November 27, more than 10 activists from the National Reistance Front have been murdered death squad style. There have also been attacks on campesino and indigenous communities. The indpendent radio station of the Garifuna comunity in Triunfo de la Cruz was just burned down and the CNTC communities of the Unified Campesino Movement of Aguan were violently attacked on January 8 (See below)
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La Voz de los de Abajo spoke by phone with one of the leaders of the National Center for Rural Workers (CNTC) in Colon, Honduras to follow-up on reports from Radio Progreso and others about an attack on communities of the Movimiento Unificado de Campesinos de Aguan (MUCA). The MUCA communities (more than 20 cooperatives and 600 families) are affiliated with the CNTC.

On January 8th more than 500 military, police and paramilitaries attacked the campesinos who have recuperated state lands also claimed by big landlords of the region including Miguel Facusse Barjum, whose family is one of the most powerful members of the oligarachy in Honduras.

The campesinos were attacked with tear gas, beaten and their homes burned. At least 20 were injured and 17 were detained by the army. Many others scattered into the nearby hills. There were reports of serious injuries and news reports of 3 deaths (2 soldiers and 1 campesino), but the CNTC had not been able to confirm the deaths at the time we spoke with them. The detained campesinos have been released. This attack came less than a month after several members of the community were kidnapped and the communities threatened with attack.
The campesino movement in the Aguan region is known for its militancy and strength. Another major organization, the Campesino Movement of Aguan (MCA) is located nearby in another community of close to 600 families called Guadalupe Carney. The MCA is a united effort of the CNTC and another campesino organization, ANACH.

The CNTC is a national campesino organization in Honduras with communities in many regions of the country. It is an important member of the National Front Against the Coup/National Front of Popular Resistance. The CNTC is concerned about even more violence against campesino communities in resistance given the increased violence against resistance members and the fact that the new coup president, Pepe Lobo, is from the National Party which is the traditional party of the biggest landowners in the country. .