23
C. Problems presented with regard to the territory of the Garífuna Community
of Triunfo de la Cruz and its members
C.1. Expansion of the urban radius of the Municipality of Tela and its alleged
consequences regarding the traditional territory of the Community of Triunfo de la
Cruz and its members
73.
As stated by the representatives and the Commission, without objection from the
State, on September 26, 1979 the INA decided to destine an area of approximately 1380.4
hectares to the expansion of the urban radius of the Municipality of Tela. On April 24, 1989,
the INA authorized the expansion of the municipality’s urban radius in 3,219.80 hectares,
even though the resolution “[e]xcluded from the demarcated urban radius the lands allocated
to beneficiaries of the Agrarian Reform prior to this resolution, until their total value has been
paid for,” this “without detriment of the property or possession rights of individuals or
corporations within the demarcated area.”79 The aforementioned was approved by the
Honduran Institute of Tourism, excluding 40 hectares from the area expanded. 80 The growth
of the Municipality’s urban area covered part of the territory the Community states it has
traditionally occupied, including areas over which it had title deeds of full ownership and
occupation.81
C.1.1. Municipality of Tela, the company IDETRISA, and the Marbella project
74.
Between August 1993 and July 1995, the Municipality of Tela sold around 44 hectares
of land, which were in part from the area granted in guarantee of occupation in the year 1979
(supra para. 68), to the company Inversiones y Desarrollos El Triunfo S.A. de C.V. (IDETRISA)
and third parties for the execution of the tourism project “Club Marbella”. 82
75.
On September 17, 1994, the CODETT filed a complaint before the Public Prosecutors’
Office for Ethnic Groups regarding the sale of communal lands. 83 In June 1996, the Public
Prosecutors’ Office filed before the Sectional First Instance Court an accusation for the
continuous crimes of abuse of authority, simple fraud and aggravated fraud against several
authorities and former authorities of the Municipality of Tela.84 In October 1996, the Sectional
First Instance Court of Tela issued a commitment order against those accused of the crime of
Cfr. National Agrarian Institute, certification of Resolution N° 055-89, of April 24, 1989 (evidence file, folios
2038 to 2039).
79
Cfr. Honduran Institute of Tourism, certification of Resolution No. 002 of January 17, 1992 (evidence file,
folio 2041).
80
Cfr. National Agrarian Institute, Legal Services Division, Department of Land Affectations, Report DAT 01898, of January 22, 1998 (evidence file, 1713); CODETT, “The Historical Community of Triunfo de la Cruz founded on
May 3, 1524 – where the historical Triunfo de la Cruz mountain is located” (evidence file, folio 2212).
81
82
Cfr. Certified copies of public sales deeds granted by the Municipality of Tela in favor of IDETRISA and third
parties (evidence file, folios 1367 to 1707); Document from the General Attorney-at-Fact for Legal Matters of
IDETRISA addressed to the Executive Director of the INA, of August 22, 1997 (evidence file, folio 1350); Honduran
Institute of Tourism, “Analysis of the requests of full ownership of the Garífuna Communities” (evidence file, folio
1723); Inter-American Development Bank, Analysis of sociocultural impacts of the National Program for Sustainable
Tourism within the Garífuna Communities of the Tela Bay, July 2006 (evidence file, folio 6140).
Cfr. Committee for the defense of Triunfeña Lands (CODETT), complaint addressed to the Public Prosecutor
for Ethnic Groups of September 17, 1994 (evidence file, folios 2224 to 2227); Committee for the defense of Triunfeña
Lands, “The Historical Community of Triunfo de la Cruz founded on May 3, 1524 – where the historical Triunfo de la
Cruz mountain is located” (evidence file, folio 2213).
83
84
Cfr. Public Prosecutors’ Office, criminal charges, of June 11, 1996 (evidence file, folios 2235 to 2243).