EcoJustice Radio interview with Grahame Russell
Garifuna people and Honduras in resistance to U.S. (and Canadian) imperialism, exploitation, violence and corruption
“It's just the same old rich, powerful northern countries’ interests on steroids. And fundamentally, including these military alliances with this cabal of undemocratic, military-backed, right wing governments, it's about resources. It's about access to markets. It's about access to rich land to produce things for export. And it's about oil and gas fundamentally. And actually, I think this President Trump, you know, Trump administration round two, 2.0, has actually been a bit more explicit about that and more honest about it than previous administrations.”
Listen (68 mins)
https://jackeidt.substack.com/p/honduras-in-resistance-a-case-study
In this episode of EcoJustice Radio, Jack Eidt speaks with Grahame Russell of Rights Action about human rights and justice, land and environmental defense struggles in Central America, particularly in Honduras, covering: the U.S. and Canadian-backed military coup (June 2009); 13 years (2009-2022) of the U.S./ Canadian-backed “open for global business”, drug-trafficking government of the National Party and President Juan Orlando; serious reform efforts of the elected government of President Xiomara Castro (2022-2026); the U.S. trashing of the November 2025 elections, bringing the National Party back to power while pardoning the convicted drug trafficker, former President Juan Orlando Hernandez.
Resistance and culture of Garifuna people
Grahame and Jack focus particular attention on the historic and on-going land, rights and cultural defense struggles of the Garifuna people, suffering and resisting the onslaught of the global (mainly U.S. and Canadian) tourism industry on Roatan and nearby islands, and along the north Caribbean shore of Honduras.
Grahame addresses: who is the Canadian “porn king” Randy Jorgensen and his mini-empire of tourism investments enabled by alleged land theft, corruption and violence; the Prospera “model city” spear-headed by U.S. billionaire Peter Thiele on ill-gotten lands of Roatan; the January 1, 2022 kidnapping and sale into sexual slavery of Angie Pena that was carried out by the “Delta Team” organized crime ring comprised mainly of U.S. citizens on Roatan, dealing in human trafficking for sexual exploitation, child pornography, criminal conspiracy, arms trafficking and drug trafficking.
Host Jack Eidt
Publisher https://wilderutopia.com/
Exec. Producer/Co-Host http://ecojusticeradio.org/
Writer https://www.pbssocal.org/project/high-dry
Co-Founder https://socal350.org/
Other Ways to Listen:
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mrjxRzYfYa1HURBLgvcoO?si=pOXkPcMbQqCRATQ0g000yQ
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/socal350/honduras-in-resistance-a-case
Recent background
Case not solved: Angie Peña kidnapped by “Delta Team” network of American pedophiles in Roatan, Honduras, Rights Action, April 2, 2026
U.S. stomps on Honduran elections and pardons former drug-trafficking President of Honduras, by Grahame Russell, Dec. 3, 2025
Canadian tourists blaming Garifuna people (Honduras) working and struggling to not lose lands and communities to relentless onslaught of tourism industry, by Karen Spring, Honduras Solidarity Network, Oct. 16, 2025
U.S. and Canadian tourism investors at center of land conflicts and criminalizations of Indigenous Garifuna people in Honduras, by Karen Spring, Honduras Solidarity Network, Aug. 26, 2025
Canadian and U.S. tourism in Honduras, cases of child pornography and sex crimes, past and present: “A network of child sexual exploitation, human trafficking and other crimes”, by Grahame Russell, March 27, 2025
OFRANEH & Garifuna people
OFRANEH: @ofraneh / garifuna@ofraneh.org / www.ofraneh.org /