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- Press Release
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- Guapinol Observatory: The State of Honduras must answer for the murder of Juan López and the security crisis faced by defenders in Bajo Aguán
Guapinol Observatory: The State of Honduras must answer for the murder of Juan López and the security crisis faced by defenders in Bajo Aguán
September 18, 2024 – From the Justice Observatory for Guapinol Defenders, we strongly condemn the murder of Juan López, a defender of common goods, leader of the Municipal Committee for Common and Public Goods in Tocoa, a man of faith, father, and fellow activist. We deeply regret this crime and demand that the State of Honduras be held accountable for this and other unresolved killings of defenders in the country.
The murder of Juan López and the crisis in Bajo Aguán starkly reflect the severe violence, impunity, and state negligence in Honduras, especially concerning the defense of common goods, land, and territory. The crisis in Aguán is not an isolated event but part of a long-standing territorial conflict, where private companies and criminal groups continue to exploit natural resources with complete impunity, costing lives in local communities.
The situation is urgent and unacceptable: in just 2023 and 2024, four defenders linked to the Guapinol movement were murdered in Honduras: Oquelí and Aly Domínguez, Jairo Bonilla, and now Juan López, the latter being a beneficiary of protective measures granted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) since 2023.
The organizations that form the Justice Observatory have stood by López and the Municipal Committee in denouncing these events internationally, exposing the State’s failure to implement these protection measures (MC-137-23), which were ordered for 30 human rights defenders and members of the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods in Tocoa. The lack of action reflects the State’s disinterest and the absence of coordinated institutional responses to the imminent risks faced by defenders in the country. Despite international recognition of the risks faced by Juan López and other members of the Municipal Committee and the protection mandate that included specific risk mitigation measures, the State chose to ignore them. Honduras continues to fail those who defend the waters, forests, and land — those who defend life itself.
It is deeply infuriating that, despite repeated calls for justice regarding the killings of defenders, the State’s silence and inaction persist. The risk faced by members of the Municipal Committee for Common and Public Goods in Tocoa is widely known, as highlighted by Early Warning No. 005-24 issued by the National Commissioner for Human Rights (CONADEH), which references the State’s failure to implement protective measures.
The State must not only protect the right to life and personal integrity of those under precautionary measures from potential attacks by private individuals but also refrain from participating in or enabling defamation campaigns, negative portrayals, or the stigmatization of human rights defenders and their work. We remind the State that guaranteeing the life and integrity of human rights defenders, particularly those under protective measures, is its international obligation — their safety is in the State’s hands.
The Observatory recalls that during the inauguration of President Xiomara Castro, a call was made for the release of the Guapinol defenders, sparking hope for change in the protection of human rights in Honduras and addressing the root causes of the crisis. However, more than two years later, the human rights movement in Honduras and the region is once again in mourning.
We demand justice for Juan López and the defenders of common goods in Honduras. The State must ensure an immediate, independent, and impartial investigation to hold those responsible — both materially and intellectually — accountable for this heinous crime. The risk remains, and it is urgent that Honduras guarantees all necessary protection measures for the family and members of the Municipal Committee, without budgetary excuses or institutional incompetence.
To Juan López’s family, comrades, and community: our deepest solidarity. We honor his legacy and life, and in his name, we will continue demanding justice and supporting the righteous cause for the rivers of Honduras.
Juan López lives!
Signed:
Cntro por la Justicia y el Derecho lnternacional (CEJIL)
Comité Internacional del NLG -Gremio Nacional de Abogados, USA.
Diakonia oficina Nacional Honduras
Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación (ERIC – SJ)
Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT)
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Clínica de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Virginia (UVA)
