Early Cases Archive

The following articles are about a variety of cases that AJS worked on between 2000 and 2005: 

Drunk Driving Laws
Despite thousands of accidents that occur every year in Honduras involving drunk drivers, until recently Honduran law failed to establish clear guidelines to control drunk drivers and to ensure consequences for offenders. Thanks to AJS-supported advocacy efforts carried out in partnership with families of the victims of accidents caused by drunk drivers resulted in the passage of new legislation making it easier to arrest and prosecute drunk drivers (Read more). AJS continues to support efforts to promote the just implementation of this law. 

AJS's involvement in drunk driving legislation started with the case of seven-year-old Leonardo René Morales was killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, who was let off because of family ties to a Supreme Court Justice. AJS project staff along with the Morales family were able to bring justice to both the killer of this little boy and the Magistrate who abused her power. Click here to read more.

Forestry Law
Current legislation does little to protect the forests of Honduras, perhaps the country's most precious resource. Lack of adequate regulations has encouraged widespread deforestation and environmental degredation. AJS is supporting efforts in cooperation with other groups to protect the interests of the rural poor who depend on the forest and to enforce environmentally sustainable practices. Click here to read more.

Water in Nueva Suyapa and Villa Nueva
AJS fought long and hard to increase the supply of municipal water to these two impoverished neighborhoods.

Police Brutality
In October of 1999, several thousand indigineous people came to the capital city of Honduras to protest the government's failure to address the conditions of extreme poverty in their communities, only to be met with violence. Police fired into the crowd, causing one man to lose his eye and injuring many others. AJS project staff worked with them to obtain compensation for injuries and recognition that such violent repression is unacceptabe. Click here to read more.

Garifuna Land Disputes
Under an international agreement the Honduran government signed and is bound to, indigenous groups such as the Garifuna people have a legal right to their ancestral land. However, these groups have been harassed and threatened by people with economic interests in their land. AJS-supported lawyers have worked with several Garifuna villages to obtain title to this land. Click here for the full story.

AJS continued work with Garífuna land titling with the community of Ruguma. When African palm production business invaded the land of the Garifuna community Ruguma, and harassed and threatened community members, an AJS-supported project brought media attention to the situation, protecting the community from further violence, and facilitated the making of a map which clearly establishes the community limits.
Click here to read more.

Pedro Mejia
Pedro Mejia worked for three years as a corporate vice-president for one of the wealthiest and most powerful people in Honduras, Miguel Facusse. However, when Pedro's brother denounced Miguel Facusse for environmental crimes, he had Pedro arrested (based on very questionable charges). Pedro was imprisoned for almost three years, despite the fact he was never proved guilty. Click here to read more.