National Garifuna Council plans peaceful protest

The National Garifuna Council is preparing for a peaceful protest tomorrow morning in solidarity with Garifuna communities in San Juan, Honduras. The demonstration is being organized to raise awareness about concerns surrounding ancestral land rights and what organizers describe as human rights issues affecting Garifuna communities in Honduras. The connection between Belizean Garinagu and communities along Honduras’ Caribbean coast dates back generations. The Garifuna people arrived on the Honduran coast in the late 1700s after being displaced from St. Vincent, and over time established communities throughout Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. For many Garinagu in Belize, the situation in San Juan is deeply personal, as families across both countries share common ancestry, culture, language, and history. President of the National Garifuna Council, Alex Nolberto, says the protest is about standing with their brothers and sisters in San Juan while calling attention to the challenges they are facing.

The council says the current concerns cannot be separated from the long history of struggles faced by Garifuna communities, including the protection of their ancestral territories and cultural identity. Treasurer of the National Garifuna Council, Ifasina Efunyemi, spoke about that shared history and why events in San Juan continue to resonate with Garinagu in Belize.

The National Garifuna Council is inviting members of the public to join the peaceful demonstration, which is scheduled for tomorrow, from 8 to 10 a.m.  starting at Mario Jones sporting complex and concluding outside the Embassy of Honduras on St. John’s Street in Belize City.