Honduras urged to comply with IACHR rulings for Garifuna land rights

An international delegation of over 30 human rights defenders and journalists has called on the Honduran government to comply with four rulings issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR). These rulings, issued between 2015 and 2026, recognize the ancestral land rights and collective property of four Garifuna communities: Triunfo de la Cruz, Punta Piedra, San Juan, and Cayos Cochinos.

Activists and the Garifuna organization OFRANEH are currently protesting in Tegucigalpa, demanding that the state prioritize ancestral land titling over private interests. The delegation reported that a “preventive eviction” order was issued by a national court for the Cayos Cochinos area, which activists claim violates IACHR mandates regarding prior, free, and informed consultation.

Reports indicate that the tension in Cayos Cochinos involves interests from various entities, including media production companies and investment groups, complicating the struggle for territorial protection and environmental preservation.