The 17th Latin American and Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (LACIGF 17) took place in Santiago, Chile on 7-8 November 2024. Código Sur was invited to participate in several of the forums and panels that took place during these two days. Here we share highlights from our participation in the forum on socio-environmental justice, digital technologies and raciality in the territories of Brazil, Costa Rica and Honduras.
Socio-environmental justice in the context of Honduras
Honduras is facing a socio-environmental crisis marked by the excessive exploitation of natural resources and the invasion of Indigenous and peasant farmer territories for extractive activities. From hydroelectric and mining projects to massive deforestation, Indigenous, Afro-descendant and peasant communities have seen their lands, livelihoods and fundamental rights threatened. In a country with high levels of corruption, political decisions often favour the interests of large corporations, while the state has been unable to protect the rights and territory of its citizens. This has resulted in a wave of violence, criminalisation and assassinations of human rights and environmental defenders, an alarming reality in the country.
Faced with this situation, socio-environmental justice emerges as an imperative need that demands an active and strategic defence of the territory, as well as the strengthening of affected communities to resist and denounce these violations. In this context, free technologies – those that are accessible, modifiable and usable without commercial restrictions – are gaining relevance, as they allow communities to organise themselves, defend their territories and make their struggles visible at the national and international level.
According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), household access to information and communications technologies (ICTs) has been in constant change in the last decade (2014 to 2023). While access to some devices, such as mobile phones and televisions, has been increasing, the opposite is true for radios and landline phones, which have been decreasing in number. These devices represent older technologies compared to more modern alternatives such as internet radio and mobile phones. People tend to adopt more advanced and convenient technologies as they become widely available.
The results of the INE Household Survey (EPHPM) of June 2023 indicate that of the 2,581,382 households in Honduras, nine out of 10 have access to some type of ICT equipment.
Around 2,387,433 have access to mobile phones (92.5%) and 1,936,521 to televisions (75%), the most common devices in households. During the period 2019 to 2023, there was an increase of 353,313 households with access to mobile phones and 231,900 with access to televisions.
Regarding the availability of a radio, radio recorder or stereo, 40 out of every 100 households reported having these devices. Compared to 2019, access decreased 28 percentage points.
When analysing access to computers, only 15.1% have this electronic device. Of the 390,782 households that have access to computers, 86.6% are in urban areas and only 13.4% in rural areas.
In particular, fixed telephones underwent a decrease of 28%, representing 65,000 fewer households with landline phones between 2019 and 2023.
The digital divide between urban and rural areas reflects inequality in access to connectivity and ICTs. While in urban environments, broadband infrastructure and connectivity are more accessible, in rural areas, this availability is limited or even non-existent.
Main challenges in the implementation of free technologies
- Digital divide: The lack of internet access and devices limits the possibility of fully implementing these tools in remote areas. In June 2023, 53.5% of the Honduran population aged five and over was estimated to have internet access. This figure reveals an increase of 14 percentage points over that recorded in 2019 (39.4%).
- Digital literacy: The disparity in internet access according to educational level may be due to economic limitations; people with lower educational levels face financial challenges that make it difficult to acquire devices or contract internet service. Another reason is the lack of digital literacy, i.e. knowledge on how to use technology or online services, among others. Although free technologies are accessible, many communities still need training to learn how to use these tools and apply digital security measures.
- Risk of retaliation and surveillance: Socio-environmental rights defenders are often subject to surveillance and criminalisation, which increases the risks of using technology in their advocacy activities.
- Income gap: An estimated 2.3 million people do not have access to the internet, representing a significant proportion of the population. The data indicates that people in the most disadvantaged economic conditions have limited or no access to the internet. This has implications in terms of educational opportunities, access to relevant information, job search opportunities and participation in the digital economy, among others.
- Gender gap: Data disaggregated by gender indicates that women have more access to the internet, with 54.5% of women as compared to 45.5% of men. It should be noted that 67% of women who have access live in urban areas. Of the 2,597,851 million women who have access, only 820,007 are from rural areas. Rural women face additional challenges in accessing technology and taking advantage of its benefits.
Strategies and tools for socio-environmental justice with free technologies
Digital communication for political and social advocacy
Digital platforms provide communities with the opportunity to make their struggles visible and to connect with supportive actors at the national and international level. Digital communication strategies focus on:
- Dissemination of denunciations and testimonies: Social networks, blogs and alternative media allow the dissemination of testimonies from communities, presenting their perspective on environmental conflicts and denouncing human rights abuses.
- Awareness campaigns: Communities can implement campaigns to educate society about the importance of protecting the environment, biodiversity and the rights of Indigenous and peasant communities.
- Digital direct action: Activities such as online petitions and calls to action allow more people and organisations to join the socio-environmental struggle in Honduras, putting pressure on responsible entities and promoting legislative reforms.
Digital security for the protection of land defenders
Criminalisation of environmental advocacy and state surveillance make digital security essential. Free technologies offer encryption, anonymisation and security tools that protect the identity and information of activists. La Milpa Digital is a strategic initiative that has become a key tool for the formation and strengthening of organisations and social movements in Honduras. To create Milpa Digital we were inspired by many experiences. Created by Código Sur and licensed under Creative Commons, it is based on the popular education approach developed mainly by Paulo Freire. Offering reader-friendly content related to digital protection, free technologies and free culture in Latin America and the Caribbean, this digital platform has managed to adapt and democratise the use of free technologies in favour of socio-environmental justice and popular education in the country.
The materials offered by La Milpa Digital are designed in accessible and straightforward language, allowing people with different levels of technological experience to understand and utilise digital tools for activism and social organising. By focusing on popular education, these resources promote inclusive participation and strengthen communities' sense of technological autonomy, enabling them to use them to document injustices, organise campaigns, and coordinate more effectively to defend their territories and natural resources.
La Milpa Digital also facilitates digital literacy on issues such as online privacy, data protection, and the use of free software, essential elements in a context of socio-environmental struggles. Thanks to these training materials, Honduran organisations have been able to advance in the appropriation of technologies, strengthening their capacity to respond and to raise their visibility in the face of the challenges they face in the defence of their rights.
Some examples of tools we use:
- Encryption of communications: Secure messaging tools such as Signal allow defenders to communicate confidentially, preventing third parties from accessing their conversations.
- Device and network protection: With the use of VPNs and secure networks, communities can protect themselves from monitoring or hacking attempts that could put their operations and data at risk.
- Secure storage of information: We promote the use of platforms such as Nextcloud to store documents and files on secure servers accessible only to authorised members.
Creation of a digital support network and community collaboration
Free technologies allow the creation of communication networks that unite communities and organisations in defence of the environment. These networks make it possible to:
- Share knowledge and experiences: Communities from different regions can exchange knowledge about their experiences, resistance strategies and best practices in the defence of their territory.
- Organise joint actions: With the support of collaborative platforms such as BBB and Jitsi Meet, meetings can be organised and actions can be planned safely and effectively.
- Strengthen cohesion and mutual support: These collaborative networks create a sense of community and solidarity, strengthening resistance to attacks and criminalisation.
Successful cases in the use of free technologies in socio-environmental defence in Honduras
Case 1: Guapinol River monitoring and defence
The Guapinol community in Honduras has faced major threats from mining projects that pollute their river. Being in the middle of a community meeting in Honduras, among people who have spent years defending their land and environment, immediately reveals the urgency of their objectives. Faced with the constant threat of projects that put their territories at risk, these communities have decided to take control of the technological tools at their disposal to promote socio-environmental justice. It is not just a matter of learning to use a mobile phone or opening an account on social networks; the goal is to build a solid network that serves as a shield and a loudspeaker, a safe space from which to organise and protect themselves.
Training in free technologies is essential for these processes. For example, in one of the recent workshops, we used methodologies that could be replicated organically. The idea is to empower organisations and social movements and make them see that technologies and their use are not strictly technical, but can be exercised in real time and autonomously, which is vital, since it not only makes it possible to demonstrate the impact, but also to create effective communication networks between communities. Technological independence allows those affected to document and denounce, without depending on third parties who, many times, may not be available or understand the situation in depth.
But technology, in this context, is a means and not the end. Social networks and digital platforms are tools to make conflicts visible in national and international media, gaining global support and solidarity. However, cyberactivism requires more than just publishing; it is a form of resistance that also carries risks, especially in regions where surveillance and retaliation are a constant threat. Digital security is therefore a priority: protecting information and safeguarding those who share it becomes a collective effort. Training in the use of digital security technologies allows communities to minimise risks and protect their environmental advocacy work.
Finally, the creation of a network of digital support and collaboration between communities positively affects local organisation. Through these connections, it is possible to exchange knowledge and coordinate joint actions, amplifying their efforts and giving visibility to a struggle that would otherwise remain isolated in small points on the map. The goal is not only to resist, but to strengthen a network of solidarity that allows them to defend their rights and their environment in a safe digital space, demonstrating that, when communities organise and find support, they can face any threat, no matter how big it may seem.
Case 2: Digital advocacy and accompaniment of COPINH in the liberation of the Gualcarque River
The struggle for the liberation of the Gualcarque River, led by the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras (COPINH), is one of the most emblematic examples of resistance in defence of territory and natural resources in Honduras. Since the emergence of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project, which threatens this river sacred to the Lenca people, COPINH has used a combination of digital advocacy and free technologies to document, make visible and denounce the human rights and environmental violations linked to the project.
Through social media platforms and with the support of friendly organisations, COPINH was able to highlight the environmental and cultural impacts that the hydroelectric project would have on the Lenca community. These digital communication tools also allowed COPINH to mobilise the international community and amplify its denunciation in multiple languages, generating a wave of global support.
The international pressure and digital visibility achieved by COPINH made a crucial difference in their struggle. It was thanks to these tools that COPINH managed to stop the advance of the hydroelectric project and, finally, open investigations into the murder of Berta Cáceres, their leader and a tireless defender of the river and the Lenca territory. Digital advocacy and the use of free technologies have become important allies to protect the territory, allowing communities to make their causes visible and add voices from different corners of the world. These digital tools have not only strengthened resistance, but have proven to be essential in the defence of socio-environmental justice in Honduras.
Case 3: Digital security for the protection of environmental leaders
In areas where environmental leaders face criminalisation, the adoption of digital security technologies has been key. Through the use of encryption and anonymisation, it has been possible to protect identities and maintain confidentiality in communications, minimising surveillance risks and allowing leaders to continue to work safely in defence of the environment.
Conclusion
We conclude by saying that the construction of a more just and equitable society requires a re-evaluation of popular organisation, not only as a means to promote change, but also as a fundamental space to strengthen community ties and social commitment. In this process, technology should be seen as a tool to facilitate communication and access to information, but always subordinated to collective objectives and not as an end in itself. It is essential to recognise and confront the growing alienation generated by the excessive use of social networks, especially among the younger generations, as it threatens active participation in grassroots movements and organisations.
Furthermore, bridging the digital divide in rural areas remains a priority. Although access to mobile devices has improved, barriers persist, mainly affecting communities with less access to education and economic resources. Digital exclusion limits not only access to the digital economy and education, but also full participation in social and cultural life. Similarly, women in rural areas face specific challenges that demand inclusive and equitable policies. Only through a comprehensive approach that considers both access to technology and the strengthening of the social fabric will it be possible to build solid foundations for an inclusive and sustainable future.
Itzel Cabrera attended LACIGF 17 on behalf of APC member organisation Código Sur with the support of the APC Member Engagement and Travel Fund.