Rights Action
October 22, 2019
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Aura Minerals is about to dig up bodies, again, in the Azacualpa cemetery, destroy the cemetery, then destroy the community of Azacualpa, Honduras
U.S. & Canadian company Aura Minerals continues to operate, via subsidiary company MINOSA, its open-pit, cyanide-leaching gold mine in western Honduras. Aura Minerals/MINOSA is supported by the corrupt, drug-trafficking government in power (including police and military), which is supported by the U.S. and Canadian governments since the 2009 military coup ousted Honduras’ last elected government.
After years of mining, destroying the local economy and much of the San Andres mountain range, Aura Minerals/MINOSA has now mined right to the edge of the Azacualpa cemetery, isolated on top of what remains of the San Andres range. Here, Azacualpa community members continue to resist the destruction of the cemetery, and then their village behind the cemetery.
Here, an October 20, 2019 video of how Aura Minerals/MINOSA is 10 meters from the edge of the cemetery, on top of the remains of the mountain, and continue to mine from below: https://www.facebook.com/ASONOG/videos/442836729999194/
On October 15, 2019, Hector Antonio Trigueros, a criminalized community defender from Azacualpa, and Lisbeth Jimenez (ASONOG), took Grahame Russell (Rights Action) to visit the mining operation and village of Azacualpa.
 It was in April 2018 that Floresmira Lopez stood with stick in hand by the remains of her father, who had just been illegally dug up by Aura Minerals/MINOSA. She forced them to stop digging up bodies from the Azacualpa cemetery. With other community members, she forced them to properly rebury her father.
Manuelito Rodriguez, Azacualpa Community member, October 2018.
"If I die, defending the remains of my loved ones, I want to be buried with them.”
Karen Yajaira Rodriguez, Azacualpa community member, August 2018.
Today, Aura Minerals/MINOSA is trying again – despite the rejection of community members, despite legal proceedings filed against Aura Minerals – to dig up the remaining cadavers in the cemetery, mine the gold underneath, and then mine the remains of the San Andres range up behind the cemetery, including the village of Azacualpa, some 300 meters away.
October 15, 2019, Aura Minerals/MINOSA has taken control, illegally, of the cemetery.
From the cemetery, one looks further up the range to the village of Azacualpa.
October 15, 2019, Hector Trigueros – one of 20 criminalized community defenders – looks from the cemetery up towards his community of Azacualpa, as mining continues from below, getting closer every day to the village.
From Azacualpa, one looks back down towards the cemetery, and the approaching mining operation …
 
Creating refugees and forced migration
After years of criminalizations and repression, destruction of the local economy and environment, it is estimated that some 400 villagers have been forced to flee the country and try and get to the U.S. Every day, as they say, more and more people are packing their knapsacks.[gr1]
Criminalizing land, environment and human rights defenders
Here, Hector Antonio Trigueros denounces threats to his life: https://www.facebook.com/896060573821176/posts/2427329954027556/?sfnsn=mo
#Alerta
“My name is Héctor Antonio Trigueros. I am from Azacualpa, La Unión, Copán. I am a human rights and environmental defender. I am being criminalized by Aura Minerals/MINOSA, and their contracted company INCOBE, that are operating the open pit San Andres mine. The company is laying waste to our territory, destroying natural water springs and rivers, destroying our forests and the peace and social harmony that used to characterize our lives.
“I alert Hondurans, Canadians, Americans and human rights organizations to the trumped up legal charges and threats against me and other community members who are defending our community well-being that was left to us by our ancestors who lie the cemetery.”
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Stopping this illegal mining operation is, obviously, difficult. Aura Minerals/MINOSA is supported by the corrupt Honduran regime even has president Juan Orlando Hernandez, his brother Tony Hernandez and the State itself are directly implicated in trafficking drugs to the USA.
Moreover, Aura Minerals/MINOSA is supported by the governments of the USA and Canada that not once have responded to or investigated the human rights violations, criminalizations, and destruction of the local economy and environment.
The Azacualpa resistance needs more support in Honduras; and needs much more political pressure and activism – and possible lawsuits ?? - in Canada and the US.
Solo el pueblo.
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More information
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Aura Minerals/MINOSA
[email protected]
+1 305-239-9332
www.auraminerals.com
Address / Dirreccion
155 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5H 4B6, Canada
78 SW 7th St, Aura Minerals @ WeWork, Miami, FL 33130, USA
Craigmuir Chambers, PO Box 71, VG1110, British Virgin Islands
Management / Gerencia
Rodrigo Barbosa, President & CEO, [email protected];
Sergio Castanho, [email protected];
João Kleber Cardoso, [email protected];
Richmond Fenn, [email protected];
Monty Reed, [email protected];
Board / Junta directiva
Rodrigo Barbosa, President & CEO, [email protected];
Stephen Keith, [email protected];
Philip Reade, [email protected];
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Tax Deductible Donations in the U.S. & Canada
To support the Azacualpa Cemetery and community defense struggle, and other community human rights, environment and territory struggles in Honduras and Guatemala, make checks to "Rights Action" and mail to:
- U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
- Canada: (Box 552) 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
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