"We will continue defending our ancestral territory to ensure our children never lose our culture, language and connection to land," Julian Eramos Castillo.

Dear Friend,

“Please help us. In this moment, two cars with armed people are entering Vallecito. The people of Vallecito are terrified. Please help us.”

This is the message we just received from our partner OFRANEH (the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras). This most recent attack on the Afro-Indigenous Garifuna community of Vallecito comes just days after three community members were forced to flee their homes after being shot at and after daily raids of the community’s beach by a gang of 6-8 men who have cut the fence surrounding Vallecito.

This continued violence and harassment are causing extreme anguish to community members, who are in constant fear for their safety and lives.

We need your solidarity to stop these violent attacks and repression.

OFRANEH is a community-based organization made up of Afro-Indigenous people who have been courageously defending their land against grabbing by agribusiness, narcotraffickers and tourism interests.  

Vallecito is central to the identity of the Garifuna community it represents the resistance and reclamation of all their ancestral territory. As Alfredo Lopez eloquently said, “Our ancestral territory is not just a piece of land under our feet. For us, it means spirituality, food, language and culture.”

OFRANEH has asked that you immediately contact the US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (who recently visited Honduras on a delegation), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and Honduran officials to demand immediate protection of Vallecito and intervention to stop the violence they are facing.

We will continue to keep you updated on what’s happening in Vallecito. Thank you for standing with the Garifuna during this critical moment!

P.S. Vallecito urgently needs your solidarity. Please take a quick moment to lend your voice to their struggle.