Press release by MILPAH (Lenca independent indigenous movement of La Paz) and CONROA (National Coalition of Environmental Networks and Organizations)
On Wednesday 26 November at 6 am about 100 families of indigenous Lenca vendors were evicted from the centre of the city of Marcala. They have occupied the site known as La Calle Empedrada (‘The Cobbled Street’) for over 18 years.
This violent eviction, during which most of the sellers’ wares were thrown onto the ground, was carried out by the Marcala municipal police, supported by the army and the national police.
The evicted street sellers are members of the Association of Indigenous Lenca Vendors and are being supported by MILPAH and other organizations as COPINH and CINPH.
Since their eviction, the families have taken over Marcala’s town hall. Their demands include being allowed to return to La Calle Empedrada which they have occupied for over 18 years and which is a convenient place for people from the surrounding municipalities to do their shopping, as it is close to transport points.
MILPAH and CONROA are concerned at the measures the civil and military authorities have taken in this case and request solidarity, both nationally and internationally, and for complaints about the eviction to be sent to the following individuals and government offices:
Óscar Chinchilla
Fiscal General Ministerio Publico Honduras (Director of Public
Prosecutions)
Tel (504) 22213099, 2221562
Juan Orlando Hernández
President of the Republic of Honduras
Arturo Corrales Álvarez
Minister of Security
Tel: (504) 2220-4298 y (504) 2220-4299
Fax: (504) 2220-1711
Email: info@seguridad.gob.hn
Web site: www.seguridad.gob.hn
Roberto Herrera Cáceres
CONADEH (National Human Rights Commissioner)
Fax: 2231-0204, 2231-0882,2235-7697, 2235-3532 Email: central@conadeh.hn
Yanitza Rodríguez CONADEH Representative for the Department of La Paz
Barrio La Granja, Palacio Judicial, La Paz, La Paz, Honduras Tel. 2774-1042
Email: lapaz@conadeh.hn
Marcala, La Paz, 28 November 2014 MILPAH-CONROA