Honduras: The Lempira indigenous peoples, including government or human rights programs aimed at them, their socio-economic situation, and redress available to them against discrimination

References to an indigenous or Amerindian group called Lempira could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Please refer to HND26107.F of 26 February 1997 for information on a Honduran group known as Lempira. As stated in that Response, information gathered in 1996 indicated that Lempira was the name of a group "recently formed" by indigenous individuals, described as a "social justice and human rights" organization in the department of Lempira with links to the former guerrillas of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) (CODEH 24 Feb. 1997).

The indigenous peoples of Honduras are reported to be the following (estimated 1993 population in brackets): Pech (1,595), Tawahkas (500), Xicaques (10,000), Chortis (3,500) and Lencas (90,000) (AI Sept. 1999, 1). The Misquitos (35,000) and Garifunas (300,000) are also classified as "indigenous" groups, but are of mixed Afro-Caribbean ethnicity and settled in the region after the arrival of the Spanish (ibid.). There is also a group of approximately 20,000 black persons who speak English and live among the Garifuna (ibid.).

In a 2000 article, Central America Report mentions a national mobilization of indigenous groups and refers to the seven indigenous groups which exist in Honduras, including the Misquito and Garifuna (CAR 22 Sept. 2000). The report names the various indigenous organizations taking part in the nationwide unrest, led by the National Council of Indigenous Peoples of Honduras (Consejo Nacional de Pueblos Indígenas de Honduras, CONPAH) (ibid.). However, the report contains no reference to a group or organization named Lempira or Lempiras.

One source provides alternative names for the above-listed groups: the Pech are also known as Payas or Payitas; the Xicaques are known as Jicaques, Turrupanes or Tolupanes; and the Tawahkas are also known as Toacas or Sumos (MP3Honduras.com 2002). The source provides no alternative names for the Lencas, Chortis, Misquitos and Garifunas (ibid.).

Please find attached the entry for Honduras from the Ethnologue ethno-linguistic encyclopedia. The document provides some additional alternate names for the above groups, and includes ethno-linguistic groups no longer present in Honduras; however, none of these are referred to as Lempira or Lempiras.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Amnesty International (AI), London. September 1999. "Honduras: La justicia defrauda a los pueblos indígenas." (AI Index: AMR 37/10/99/s)

Central America Report (CAR) [Guatemala City]. 22 September 2000. "Honduras: Gobierno accede a demandas de grupos indígenas." [Accessed 11 Mar. 2003]

Comité para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos en Honduras (CODEH), Tegucigalpa. 24 February 1997. Letter received by the Research Directorate.

MP3Honduras.com [Tela]. 2002. "Grupos étnicos de Honduras." [Accessed 11 Mar. 2003]

Attachment

Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 2002. 14th Edition. "Languages of Honduras." [Accessed 11 Mar. 2003]

Additional Sources Consulted

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 1998-2003

Country Reports 1998-2001. 1999-2002

IRB Databases

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1991-2002

Internet sites and search engines, including:

Amnesty International

Central American Human Rights Commission (CODEHUCA)

Human Rights Watch

Inter-American Human Rights Commission/Organization of American States (IAHRC/OAS) Reports. 1979-2003

La Prensa [Tegucigalpa]. 1996-2003

Red de Información Indígena

Refworld