URGENT ACTION AGAINST ARMY'S INTERVENTION INSIDE TACAMICHE CHIQUITA's PLANTATION (HONDURAS)

(Banana Trade News Bulletin n. 6 - 2.1996)

   An urgent request to send letters to Carl Lindner, CEO, American Financial Corporation (Chiquita Brands International) from the independent trade union confederation Central Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo (CNTC) in Honduras, 1st February:

  "At five o-clock this morning a total of over 500 army and police personnel descended on the farming community of Tacamiche, in the North of the country, in order to take away more than 100 people who have been charged in connection with a land conflict with the banana transnational, Tela Railroad Company (a subsidiary of Chiquita Brands International - Ed).

  The land conflict has been consistently denounced to the appropriate government institutions for over a year, but to date there has been no response to the impoverished rural workers who are claiming the land for subsistence farming. Despite the fact that there has been no official legal warrant issued for this action, the police and soldiers from the Honduran army have for a second time, again in violation of international law, closed off the area to the peasant families who have sought refuge in the Catholic and Evangelical Churches.

  CNTC places the responsibility for these violations and any major consequences which may result from these illegal detentions with the government. We urge all organisations world wide with an interest in solidarity over the defence of human rights to respond urgently."

  Heidelberg-based food rights' organisation FIAN International has produced a draft letter to Carl Lindner, Chief Executive of Chiquita Brands International and President of the Republic of Honduras, Roberto Reina. It is enclosed with this mailing. (See also Banana Trade News Bullebn n. 4 - 8.1995).

  Contact Martin Wolpold of FIAN International for further information, fax: 49-6221-830545

LETTER TO BE SENT IN SUPPORT OF TACAMICHE COMMUNITY

  Please address letters to the President of Honduras (in Spanish) and the Chief Executive of Chiquita:

Su Excelencia
Dr Carlos Roberto Reina
Presidente de la Repblica
Casa Presidencial
Tegucigalpa
Honduras
Fax: 504 378521

Mr. Carl Lindner
Chief Executive
Chiquita Brands USA
Excelentisimo Senor
250 East Fisfth Street
Cincinnati
Ohio 45202
USA
Fax: 1 513 784 8030

  Me dirijo a usted por la profunda preocupacin que me causaron las nuevas noticias sobre los acontecimientos recientes en Tacamiche.

  Segun mis informaciones, en el da 1 de febrero, alrededor de 500 efectivos de la fuerza militar y de la policia entraron al pueblo de Tacamiche para capturar a ms de 100 personas procesadas por el conflicto de tierras con la empresa transnacional Tela Railroad Company. Los campesinos buscaron refugio en las dos iglesias del !ugar. Durante los prximos das, empleados de la Compania Bananera desmantelaron las casas de la comunidad donde las familias campesinas haban vivido por ms de 30 anos.

  Honduras es estado parte del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Econmicos, Sociales y Culturales y, por ende, se ha comprometido respetar y proteger el Derecho a la Alimentacion reconocido en el art. 11 del mismo Pacto.

  Como persona que se preocupa por el Derecho a Ailmentarse al nivel global, le solicito a su gobierno que adopte las medidas adecuadas para:

  Obligar la Tela Railroad Company a indemnizar a las familias de Tacamiche por el dano grave que les ha causado, garantizandoles acceso a un empleo permanente o tierra suficiente para poder alimentarse, y construyendoles nuevas viviendas.

  Atentamente, 



(Traslation)


  Your Excellence Mr President


  I am writing to you lo express my grave concern about the news I have received regarding the the latest events in Tacamiche.


  According to the information I have received, some 500 armed members of the military and the police enterd the Tacamiche village on 1 February to arrst more than 100 people invloved in the land conflict with the transnational Tela Railroad Company. The peasants' families were forced to seek refuge in the local Catholic and Protestant churches. During the following four days, 400 employees of the Banana Company destroyed the whole villag and all the houses of the community where the peasants' families had lived for more than 30 years.


  Honduras is state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and is therefore duty-bound to respect and protect the right to feed oneself as recognised in Article 11 of teh Covenant. As someone concerned about the right to feed oneself at a global level, I ask your government to adopt appropriate measures to oblige the Tela Railroad Company to offer adequate compensation to the families of Tacamiche, by providing jobs or sufficient land for all those affected, as well as adequate housing.


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