Garífuna community faces eviction in Honduras over reality show filming

The Garífuna indigenous community in Cayos Cochinos, Honduras, has faced police evictions following a court order labeling them “unauthorized occupants.” The dispute centers on the filming of the reality show ‘Supervivientes: All Stars’ on Uva de Cayos beach, a site owned by the Sociedad de Inversiones Ecológicas, a consortium in which Mexican businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego is a majority shareholder through Fundación Azteca Honduras.

Local residents and the organization Ofraneh report that the production has disrupted essential activities, including fishing, water access, and turtle nesting. In response to the protests and the displacement of the community, the production company Mediaset has moved the contestants to a different, more inhospitable location in Laguna Cacao.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the situation, stating that the treatment of the Garífuna people is “not right.” She emphasized that any economic activity in protected conservation areas or territories owned by indigenous peoples must strictly adhere to all legal regulations.