According to a petition that is making its way around social media, three of Honduras’ Afro-Indigenous tribe leaders were kidnapped on July 18. Snider Centeno of the Garifuna people and leaders of Triunfo de la Cruz Community were taken by a group of men in bulletproof vests.

The men, especially Centeno, have been fighting to protect sacred Afro-indigenous land that the Honduran state has tried very hard to take.

In 2015, the groups were awarded a favorable sentence from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights against the state of Honduras for violating their land rights.

“As a proud member of the Garifuna community living abroad, I am saddened, frustrated and disgusted by what’s happening to my people in Honduras,” travel influencer Francesca of One Girl One World told Travel Noire. “The Garinagu have suffered wars, displacement, and disrespect for centuries and we can’t stand by and let it continue. I hope the international community will help us raise awareness and stand in solidarity as we continue to fight for what’s right.”

Honduras was ordered by the commission to pay reparations for the harms that had been committed against the Garifuna and similar communities. They were also ordered to return land they had stolen and later exploited for personal gain.

However, according to the petition, the state of Honduras has continued to keep the land and have even harmed and killed Afro-indigenous people trying to protect it.

The petition was created to bring more international awareness to what is going on in the country, in hopes that it will soon open up an investigation.

To read and/or sign the petition, you can check it out here.

Related: The Afro-Indigenous In Honduras