[TheCruxofBag]

Trujillo, Colón, Honduras

Honduran authorities reported an armed attack on an African palm oil plantation, where 14 people lost their lives. Among the deceased are reportedly three sisters - Mirian, Mirza, and Lina Rodríguez; the remaining victims have not yet been identified.

One neighbour reported counting at least 17 bodies - victims described by him as local community members who were ambushed while heading to work. Police arrived around 7:30 a.m. but reportedly stayed back at a nearby settlement and did not immediately approach the scene. Some families reportedly removed bodies of their relatives in vehicles before authorities fully secured the area.

According to police, there is a permanent police presence in the region where the plantation is located due to historical conflicts, going back decades, related to land invasions and disputes. In the early 1990s, many peasant-owned cooperatives were transferred to agribusinesses for palm oil production.

Between 2009 and 2013, more than 120 deaths were recorded after peasant movements began occupying the palm oil plantations, resulting in armed confrontations with private security forces and police. The death toll related to these tensions has since exceeded 200.

[Necrotic Bowel]

“Palm oil” sounds like something a teenager boy uses regularly.

[Mr.NoCredit]

Why the hell would someone kill a bunch of farmers!?!

All they do is work hard for a living.

[G00nster1]

communists

[yah]

I'd like to know how that dude died with his feet up on the wall.

[Yanni]

Originally Posted by yah ↗

I'd like to know how that dude died with his feet up on the wall.

obviously sitting on the wall when shot and fell backwards

[kellyhound]

Originally Posted by Mr.NoCredit ↗

Why the hell would someone kill a bunch of farmers!?!

All they do is work hard for a living.

The farmers killed were employed by an armed group that controlled the plantation, a local rural group leader told.

The leader, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said local residents heard widespread gunfire.

The police chief in nearby Trujillo, Carlos Rojas, told local media that the criminal groups occupy and illegally exploit several large African palm plantations, using the money from the crops to obtain weapons.

Local farmer groups however accuse transnational agribusiness corporations of sponsoring the criminal groups to carry out land occupations and prevent residents from reclaiming disputed lands.

Gangs/drug cartels use these stolen plantations as a dual-purpose asset. They use the remote, dense fields to secure drug trafficking routes and they harvest and sell the palm fruit illegally to generate fast cash.

The poor locals often have no other choice than work there to generate income for their families.

The 3 sisters in better days.

[docfr8]

Damn, they got blasted on the spot .. They didn't even have a chance... Palm oil business is deadly

[mr_feelgood]

I hate when farm equipment breaks

[PatriceIs60]

Originally Posted by yah ↗

I'd like to know how that dude died with his feet up on the wall.

I'd love to know how that happened. I've never seen that before