1 August 2011 | News | Human rights
Old Modernity
Honduras: Organizations fear “model city” will displace 50,000 indigenous
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Real World Radio interviewed Miriam Miranda, of the National Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) about this project. She said “the communities have not been consulted and there is no information about it. Congress takes decisions about the territories of garifuna indigenous people without consulting, without providing clear and timely information on model cities”.
She said that in the name of “modernity” that model cities would represent, it is likely that 20 garifuna communities end up being displaced from their territories, thus affecting 50,000 coastal communities.
The Garifunas learned about this risk last May when a business forum was held in San Pedro Sula, which was dubbed by the Honduran organizations “the Honduras auction”.
Paul Romer, from the US, gave a conference there. According to OFRANEH he is the “prophet” of model cities, and he was invited to promote “the wonders offered by handing over vast national territory to the international financial capital”.
These real estate investments would be possible as a result of the government’s approval of the Special Development Regions in January of 2010, and which was later regulated by the constitution in May.
“Before the auction of Honduras there was a coup d’état perpetrated in June of 2009, which turned the country into a political, social and economic lab as part of the US extreme right’s offensive to stop the advance of popular governments in South America” says OFRANEH.
Photo: ciepac.org
