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The battle for land rights and sovereignty of the island of Roatán has strongly involved the entire country.
In front of Wilford Webster’s hillside home, ocean waves break on the crystal waters that surround the coral coast.
“Look at this,” he says, pointing his arms at the panorama. “Who wouldn’t want that?”
To his left is a community of several hundred English-speaking people of black-Caribbean descent who live in the wooden, raised houses of their ancestors.
While on the right is a security booth with cameras, doors and security guards.
Next to it is a residence typical of the contested technology company, and a bulldozer digging deep holes for the foundations of the next phase of construction.
Webster’s home is on the island of Roatán that has become the center of a battle for land rights and sovereignty that has engulfed all of Honduras.
It’s also symptomatic of a wider phenomenon where foreigners, often technology or cryptocurrency enthusiasts, flood in with contested projects, threatening to drive out local residents, who are now likened to modern-day colonialists.
Webster has a message for those stationed near him: “Go home.”
The government in Honduras earlier rejected two laws that would have allowed for the creation of “semi-autonomous zones” called Zedes, but investors in Roatán, also known as Honduras Próspera, have challenged the move.
“When investing in Honduras, our company Honduras Próspera relies on the rights and guarantees of the Zede legal framework for decades,” the investors wrote in a statement, adding that they expect “Honduras to respect the commitments of international agreements.”
The conflict has been going on for a decade as the investors first came as a charity, opening a community center and then sought to build a tourist centre.
Residents saw no reason to be suspicious.
The island of Roatán, located 65 kilometers north of the country’s mainland, is also one of the main expat tourist destinations, known for its white sand beaches and spectacular diving.
After the court rejected the first attempt for foreign investment in the island, the company Próspera came back with another investment proposal of 60 million dollars, in the form of the cryptocurrency bitcoin. They have continued working on construction projects as if nothing had happened, saying that their resort will be an “oasis of freedom”.
Local officials say any deal for a Zede territory must comply with the legal framework. But the investors cite a clause giving them the right to lease the land for 10 years, which international trade agreements give them decades more.
“We have to continue the resistance,” says Gustavo Solórzano, legal representative of the local chamber of commerce. “The state must review these concessions and verify if the criteria have been met, or else cancel them,” he adds.
Meanwhile, residents say they remain vigilant: “We have our eyes open,” says Connor. “We don’t trust anyone.” /TheGuardian/
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