[act-ma] 7/22 Preparing for the Pandemic in Honduras

[Charlie Welch]

The "disappearance" of another Garifuna leader and several community 
members  (see below) gives added urgency this situation.

Preparing for the Pandemic in Honduras

Omar and Sendy Suzao have been working to protect and promote their 
Garifuna culture both locally here in Boston and in Honduras.   For a 
number of years Omar has spent most of his time in Honduras helping to 
organize their community in a small town called Sambo Creek.  TecsChange 
has been working with them on a community computing center.  A working 
committee Omar helped organize has helped prevent the construction of a 
dam that would have flooded traditional Garifina territory.   They have 
also managed to keep the drug gangs for operating directly in their town.

Sendy Suazo will give an overview of town history and Garifina culture.

Omar Suazo will report from Honduras about his communities’ efforts to 
organize to prepare and protect themselves in the light of the coming 
pandemic. The mostly Garifuna community of about 1000 homes is 
self-organizing to prepare for the coming storm.

Alba Bodden is a leader in a Boston based organization of Honduran 
immigrants that has been working for years addressing a range of issues 
will talk about her organizations efforts.


Wed July 22^nd 7 PM

This Program is Cosponsored by the Community Church of Boston, the Mass 
Peace Action (MAPA) Latin America Committee, Encuentro5 and TecsChange.

*Join this Program on Zoom:*

*https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5183695800?pwd=QThXOU9Db0l3MEh2ZUkrVkt1K0UyUT09 
<https://communitychurchofboston.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=97f7dfeb0bfd338d2250fe8e5&id=564a6cf039&e=3e8e4cf5c6>*

*One tap mobile *(for cell phone users)
*+19292056099 US (New York)*

*To access by phone:*
*+1 929 205 6099 *

*Meeting ID:* *518 369 5800*

*Password: 230417

/Also streaming live on the CCB Youtube Page 
<https://communitychurchofboston.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=97f7dfeb0bfd338d2250fe8e5&id=76a7a8e139&e=3e8e4cf5c6>/* 




Act now! Demand authorities an immediate emergency investigation and 
action to save the lives of Snider Centeno and the other Garifuna people 
disappeared ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
Urgent Action: Garifuna leader and 3 community members kidnapped and 
disappeared in Honduras

On the morning of Saturday, July 18, *Garifuna leader Snider Centeno and 
other three members of the Triunfo de la Cruz community where kidnapped 
and disappeared by a group of men* wearing bullet proof vests with the 
initials of the Honduran National Police (DPI in Spanish). The DPI is 
the Investigative Police Directorate and when it was formed years ago, 
*was trained by the United States*. As of this Monday Morning, there is 
still no word on the whereabouts of Mr. Centeno, Milton Joel Marínez, 
Suami Aparicio Mejía and El Pri (nickname).

*Click here to take action now!* 
<https://default.salsalabs.org/Ta2e74c44-7fd7-40be-9fc6-001010d4bb35/255733d6-ef30-4984-a5ee-4003dbd94db2> 


Snider was the president of the elected community council in Triunfo de 
la Cruz and his community received a favorable sentence from the 
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 2015. However, the Honduran 
state has still not respected it. The kidnapping and disappearance of 
Snider and the 3 other men is *another attack against the Garifuna 
community and their struggle *to protect their ancestral lands and the 
rights of afro-indigenous and indigenous people to live.

National and international pressure forced the Honduran Ministry of 
Human Rights to put out a statement urging authorities to investigate 
and act. *Your support can make the difference!*

For more information and updated on what is happening in Honduras, 
please follow the Honduras Solidarity Network 
<https://default.salsalabs.org/T4199bafe-4542-43e8-814d-313c7b87261f/255733d6-ef30-4984-a5ee-4003dbd94db2>.