El Movmiento Ambientalista de Olancho, (the Environmental Movement of Olancho) promotes the appreciation, promotion and recuperation of the environment by organising and training communities to protect their surroundings. The organisation was established 15 years ago as a result of destructive activities carried out in the region which provoked an environmental crisis casuing widespread contamination which has led to various diseases within affected communities.

The Movimiento Ambientalista de Olancho, Environmental Movement of Olancho (MAO)was established in 2000, in the largest county of Honduras, with vast areas of forest. MAO has concentrated on two main issues of concern: increased poverty, as communities do not benefit from their natural environment, increasing their misery. Floods – as a result of inadequate disaster preparedness. In 1998 Hurrican Mitch devastated Honduras plunging it into an economic crisis setting the country back 25 years.

MAO is a grass roots organisation with a social conscience. As a result it is well known both at a national and international level. The majority of its members come from rural backgrounds. The communities defend their rights and land by preventing production in logging areas, blocking roads, initiating strikes and publicly denouncing abuses carried out by logging companies.

The Movement has resisted repression from the last three governments, as well as logging companies, the military, and law suits initiated by COHDEFOR (Corporación Hondureña de Desarrollo Forestal).

MAO members, including Carlos Flores, Mauricio Hernández, Arturo Reyes, Heraldo Zúñiga and Roger Iván Cartagena were killed by loggers and in some cases by the police. These cases have not been investigated and the perpetrators have still to be identified. Others have been exiled from the country. In difficult times we have gained strength from weakness, because we believe in what we are defending.

I personally have received death threats on various occasions, with sums of $40,000 being offered for my head. I have also been asked to leave the country and have had various legal suits brought against me by logging companies.

We are currently working on a project aimed at encouraging communities to appreciate the forest (water, earth, environment, and the wood itself) and we have come to an agreement with the Government and the logging companies to create models of application and sustainable development of forest resources.

We hope that the Government will adhere to the agreement and that it will demonstrate the political will to implement the substantial and necessary changes, and that it will end corruption committed both politically and by COHDEFOR.