Honduras: Killing of human rights defender and leader of the Garifuna community of Triunfo de la Cruz, Martín Morales Martínez

On 28 May 2023, the human rights defender and leader of the Garifuna community in Triunfo de la Cruz, Honduras, Martín Morales Martínez, was found dead after having been reported as missing by his family on 27 May 2023.

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Martín Morales Martínez was a member of the Committee and the Commission to ensure the implementation of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ ruling in favour of the Garifuna Community of Triunfo de la Cruz as a result of the violations against human rights and the community property. He was also a member of the Land Defence Committee (CODETT) of the same community.

The body of Martín Morales Martínez was found in the River Gama, in the area of Secundino Torres, a territory which had been recovered by the Garifuna community of Triunfo de la Cruz from land grabbers. The area of Secundino Torres is a territory of collective property of the community, which overlaps with the Punta Izopo National Park, and has become a point of disposal of the dead bodies of other land defenders of the territory. On 28 January 2023, another member of the Committee, human rights defender Ricardo Arnaul Montero, was also found dead in the area. The human rights defender Martín Morales Martínez had requested protection measures in December 2022 from the National Secretary of Human Rights and had reported to the national authorities the death threats he received.

On 18 July 2020, the Garífuna human rights defenders Sneider Centeno, Milton Martínez Mejía and Gerardo Tróchez disappeared in the community of Triunfo de la Cruz, and their whereabouts remains unknown while no progress has been made by the Office of the Public Prosecutor’s in their investigations. In February 2021, the Garifuna Committee for the Investigation and Search for the Disappeared of Triunfo de La Cruz (SUNLA, in Garifuna) was established by the Black Fraternal Organisations of Honduras (OFRANEH), with the support of human rights organisations, as an alternative investigation mechanism in the absence of an adequate response from Honduras authorities.

The killing of the human rights defender Martín Morales Martínez occurred in a context of generalised and systematic threats, killings and attacks against the Garifuna Community of Triunfo de la Cruz. The community, along with other garifunas who are part of the OFRANEH, had repeatedly reported the targeting and death threats against members of the Land Committee and Commission to ensure the implementation of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ ruling in favour of the Garifuna Community to national authorities, yet they have not taken any action to respond to the situation. -

Members of the Garifuna Community of Triunfo de la Cruz have been facing reprisals and an increase in violence since they began the struggle to reclaim their rights to the land which had been grabbed by private companies and the municipality with the acquiescence of the State. This was the finding of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2015, whose ruling obliged the government of Honduras to identify the territory to be returned to the Garifuna Community of Triunfo de la Cruz, which the government has not done.

Prior to the killing of Martín Morales Martínez, on 3 February 2023, the community of Triunfo de la Cruz presented a report of the five zones in the country with the highest risk and threats to land defenders in the community, including the area of the River Gama, to the National Protection Mechanism and the police forces. To date, there has been no action taken by the police or any other authority in the country regarding the killing of the human rights defender Martín Morales Martínez.

Front Line Defenders has closely followed the harassment and violence that the Garifuna Community has been subjected to, and in February 2023 conducted a field mission to Triunfo de la Cruz. This mission verified the risk that this community faces, which has included the killing of Ricardo Arnaúl Montero in January of this year and the disappearance of four community defenders in 2020. There has been no action taken or response made by the authorities in relation to any of these cases.

Front Line Defenders expresses its concern at the killings and systematic violence that the Garifuna Community has faced, as it believes these are linked to their legitimate and peaceful activities in defence of human and land rights. Front Line Defenders reiterates its call for the authorities in Honduras to adopt and implement effective mechanisms and policies that recognise the valuable contribution of the work of human rights defenders to Honduran society. The organisation also recalls the government’s obligation to guarantee the personal integrity of all human rights defenders.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Honduras to:

• Publicly condemn the killing of Martín Morales Martínez;
• Initiate an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the killing of Martín Morales Martínez, and into the other killings and harassments against all the members of the Garifuna community of Triunfo de la Cruz, publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;
• Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of the Garifuna community of Triunfo de la Cruz;
• Take measures to put an end to attacks against human rights defenders in Honduras, so that they can continue their activities in defence of human rights without fear of reprisals, in accordance with Honduras’ international human rights obligations.