Added to decades of U.S. and Canadian tourism operators illegally, sometimes violently taking Garifuna lands, to North American crime rings operating on ancestral Garifuna islands of Roatan and Bay Islands trafficking young women, weapons and drugs, to the “Prospera” privatized private city on Roatan underwritten by Peter Thiele, the island of Cayos Cochinos is threatened with eviction to make way for the Spanish version of “Survivor" reality TV.
Colonialist, capitalist land-dispossession -illegal and often violent- against Garifuna communities continues unabated.
Below, communiques from:
International Delegation in Solidarity with OFRANEH and Garífuna people
[En Espanol] OFRANEH, leading Garifuna land, rights and environment defense organization
This globally-driven theft of Garifuna territories is worsening now after the U.S. trashing of Honduras’ 2025 elections ushered back to power the corrupt, open-for-global-business National Party while giving a get-out-of-jail-free-card for Juan Orlando Hernandez, former President of Honduras for most of 2009-2022, who was the head of a drug-trafficking, weapons smuggling crime ring while President, using military, police and State institutions.
Concerted action is needed to support OFRANEH and Garifuna communities under siege, and in the home countries (U.S., Canada, Spain, etc.) of the endless onslaught of investors, speculators and business all trying to get their own ‘slice of the Caribbean’.
Screenshot from web page of Canadian company NJOI
Cayos Cochinos evictions in violation of international law rulings in favor of collective Garifuna rights to lands and territorie
17 Septiembre 2026
https://im-defensoras.org/en/2026/09/as-an-international-delegation-we-condemn-this-latest-act-of-violence-against-the-garifuna-peoples-and-demand-that-the-state-of-honduras-rescind-the-eviction-order-fulfill-its-obligation-to-protect-the-garifuna-peoples/
The International Delegation in Solidarity with the Camp for the Life of the Garífuna Peoples (composed of more than 30 human rights defenders and journalists from Latin America and Europe) learned of the eviction threat against communities organized under OFRANEH in Playa Uva, Cayo Menor, Cayo Cochinos, to protect their right to their territory and to protect the environment.
The reality show Supervivientes (survivors), produced by the Spanish television network Tele 5, is currently being filmed in this community. The production involves the companies Mediaset, MFE-MediaForEurope (Dutch company) and the Banijay Group (French company). Sociedad de Inversiones Ecológicas, S.A. (SIEC) is also active in this community. SIEC’s main investor is Fundación Azteca Honduras, financed by Grupo Salinas which is owned by Mexican Ricardo Salinas Pliego.
The “preventive eviction” order for 17 September 2026 was issued by the Criminal Court of First Instance, which has national jurisdiction over organized crime, environmental matters and corruption. This is yet another act of violence against the camp set up in Cayos Cochinos. In recent days, there have been threats to burn tents, sleeping mats and other camp supplies, as well as the deployment of a large police presence, which resulted in the assault against three women defenders.
International law rulings in favor of collective Garifuna rights to lands and territories
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has issued four rulings in favor of the Garífuna Peoples since 2015: the ruling on the Punta de Piedra and Triunfo de la Cruz cases in 2015, the ruling regarding the San Juan community in 2023, and the recent ruling on Cayos Cochinos.
All of them recognize the right to collective ownership, the Garífuna Peoples’ ancestral right to that territory, and the right to free, prior and informed consent.
The eviction order violates the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ rulings and leaves the Garífuna communities, which are constantly affected by these companies, highly vulnerable. For example, the filming of the reality show has led to a ban on fishing — one of the communities’ main sources of livelihood — and has disrupted sea turtle nesting, among other impacts.
We condemn this latest act of violence against the Garífuna Peoples and demand that the State of Honduras rescind the eviction order, fulfill its obligation to protect the Garífuna Peoples and comply with the rulings of the Inter-American Court.
We will remain vigilant and demand that our governments reject these acts that violate international treaties and agreements, and compel the companies involved to fulfill their corporate social responsibility obligations.
Recent post:
“Honduras: Garífuna People Resist Seizure Of Their Territories”, by Federico Pita
https://mailchi.mp/rightsaction/garfuna-people-resisting-illegal-land-grabbing-racism-and-criminalizations
More information
Karen Spring, Honduras Solidarity Network, karen@hondurassol.org
Grahame Russell, Rights Action, info@rightsaction.org
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See Rights Action September 2026 newsletter for summary of groups and issues Rights Action is funding and involved with.
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EcoJustice Radio interview with Grahame Russell
Garifuna people & Hondurans in resistance to U.S. & Canadian exploitation, violence & corruption
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