The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) issued a letter expressing its solidarity with Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish liberation struggle, calling his ideas a source of global inspiration.
The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) has sent a moving letter to Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in political captivity in Turkey since 1999. In the letter, the indigenous organization reaffirms its solidarity with the Kurdish people and highlights the parallels between the two liberation struggles.
From the “sacred mountains of Intibucá,” this message is addressed to the hearts of the Kurdish people, wrote COPINH on behalf of the indigenous Lenca community. Referring to the PKK founder’s call for peace, COPINH said that Öcalan’s message of resistance and hope has reached Central America despite his imprisonment and isolation on the Turkish prison island of Imralı.
“The wind of resistance is blowing from the east. It tells us about a people—the Kurdish people—who, like us, are defending their culture, their land, and their right to live in freedom and dignity, despite all the military, economic, and political attacks,” the letter read.
COPINH, founded in 1993 and brought to international attention by the environmental activist and human rights defender Berta Cáceres, who was murdered in 2016, sees Öcalan’s philosophy as an important source of inspiration: “Like you, we do not believe that freedom comes from governments or corporations. It arises from self-organization, community, and a deep connection to the earth.”
The letter refers to the concept of democratic confederalism, which COPINH interprets as a form of self-determined, decentralized, and grassroots democratic administration—in line with indigenous notions of justice and collective decision-making processes. The council clearly expresses its rejection of authoritarian states and exploitative economic models: “We are united in our desire for a life without oppression, without occupation, without criminal networks.”
The letter concludes: “We send you strength, health, and hope from afar. May our letter be a seed against the normalization of imprisonment. Your words and ideas continue to sow hope in the hearts and minds of those who believe in a different world. We stand with your people in building a just peace for all. Because:
When a people rises up, no empire is eternal.
When a river sings, no prison can hold it back.
When dignity grows, it changes the course of history.
In recognition of all those who have paid the price for freedom, we embrace you with respect.
For the freedom of your people—and all peoples who resist oppression, violence, and exploitation.
With determination, resistance, and collective memory—from the heart of the Lenca people.
COPINH, July 2025.”
In a related social media post, COPINH called on the Turkish state to end the genocidal attacks against the Kurdish people and to release Abdullah Öcalan so that he can fully participate in the search for a just and lasting solution for his people and for the Middle East.
“We call on our sister organizations and peoples in resistance to raise their voices and join forces in these demands,” it added.
