Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ambiguous version found in Thomas's 1930 letter with one in which the
cultivators' activities were premeditated criminal acts. Also, the letter re-
ferred to the disputed area as ''La Isleta,'' and did not acknowledge the
formationofLaPaz.
However, after declaring its inalienable rights to the property, the
companyo
cial offered to cut a deal: ''The company is willing to consent
to the trespassers' (intrusos) presence, provided that they remain circum-
scribed in the area where they are currently established and on the strict
condition that they sell their bananas to the company under the same
terms as do other independent growers who farm theirown lands.''
108
The
TruxilloofferedtofacilitatethetransportoffruitgrowninLaPazbybuild-
ingabranchlinethatwouldbringthefruittothebankoftheAguánRiver,
at which point the fruit would be carried across the river via an aerial
tram to the company's main railroad. The company emphasized that any
grower who did not accept these terms would be bought out.
Butthepoquiteroswerenotreadytorelinquishtheirfields.OnApril2,
1934, they submitted a document to the municipal council signed by
around 100 individuals requesting that the legal status of their settlement
be changed from caserío (hamlet) to aldea (village).
109
In considering the
request, the municipal council acknowledged theTruxillo Railroad Com-
pany's claim to the land, but pointed to the existence of a school with 53
students as evidence of the community's legitimacy (conveniently forget-
ting that the council itself had authorized the school's creation). Council
members unanimouslyagreed to designate La Paz as a villagewith an area
of one square kilometer. The language of the act was unwavering in its
support: ''Should at any time theTruxillo Railroad Co. oranyotherentity
seek to assert a legal claim, the municipality will, regardless of the title
presented, ask for the expropriation of the land in the name of the public
good in accordance with Article 27 of the Agrarian Law.'' Ten days later,
Sonaguera Mayor Montiel telegraphed the Ministro de Gobernación, ap-
pealing for help in preventing the eviction of the 129poquiteros,plus some
500 field hands from Lot 19: ''If this comes to pass, what will more than
onethousandHonduranworkersdowithoutemploymentorhousing?''
110
On April 23, Governor Romero returned to the disputed property for
another meeting with the poquiteros thatresultedinthesigningofanact
layingouttwooptionsforthefutureof LaPaz:eitherthesettlerswouldsell
their farms to the fruit companyat a ''fairlyassessed rate,'' or the company
would sell the land to the settlers for the same price that it had originally
paid.
111
On May 3, government surveyor Camilo Gómez reported that La
Paz village was located on lands that were owned by the Truxillo Rail-
