Garifuna land rights struggle in Honduras

The Garifuna community in Honduras has moved from receiving state recognition to engaging in intense conflict with the government over land rights.

Initially, the Honduran administration participated in ceremonies to honor over 100 Garifuna women for their contributions to various sectors, including health, education, and culture. During these events, government representatives expressed commitments to gender equality and the inclusion of Afro-descendant women.

However, tensions have since escalated as Garifuna leaders, including Miriam Miranda of the Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña (Ofraneh), have accused the state of a ‘plan of dispossession and cultural genocide.’ Activists have established protest camps near the Supreme Court in Tegucigalpa, demanding that the government comply with Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) rulings regarding ancestral territories in areas such as San Juan, Triunfo de la Cruz, and Punta Piedra. While the government claims to be discussing international judgments and has approved new legislation to prevent dispossession, community leaders remain skeptical.

International oversight has increased as the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination called on the Honduran state to investigate reports of forced evictions, excessive use of force, and violence against indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. The Committee expressed concern regarding allegations of lethal force used by law enforcement and the military, particularly during anti-narcotics operations in Gracias a Dios and during peaceful protests. Additionally, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OACNUDH) has engaged with the Supreme Court and OFRANEH to discuss implementing IACHR rulings, emphasizing that criminal law should not be used as a mechanism to resolve long-standing territorial conflicts.