Killing of human rights and environmental defender Juan López
On 14 September 2024, human rights and environmental defender Juan López was shot dead by a group of unidentified armed individuals while in his car in Tocoa, department of Colón, Honduras.
Juan López was an environmental defender and coordinator of the Comité Municipal de Bienes Comunes y Públicos (CMDBCP) in Tocoa. Through his coordination role, Juan López advocated for the protection of the Guapinol and San Pedro Rivers, as well as the Montaña de Botaderos “Carlos Escaleras Mejía” National Park, from the detrimental impact of mining and extractive projects on their ecosystems. His peaceful protests against the extractive megaprojects of EMCO Holdings/Los Pinares/Ecotek made him a target for death threats, harassment, and criminalization.
On 14 September 2024, human rights and environmental defender Juan López was shot dead by a group of unidentified armed individuals while in his car in Tocoa, department of Colón, Honduras.
Juan López was an environmental defender and coordinator of the Comité Municipal de Bienes Comunes y Públicos (CMDBCP) in Tocoa. Through his coordination role, Juan López advocated for the protection of the Guapinol and San Pedro Rivers, as well as the Montaña de Botaderos “Carlos Escaleras Mejía” National Park, from the detrimental impact of mining and extractive projects on their ecosystems. His peaceful protests against the extractive megaprojects of EMCO Holdings/Los Pinares/Ecotek made him a target for death threats, harassment, and criminalization.
On 14 September 2024, after leaving San Isidro Labrador church in Tocoa, a group of unidentified armed individuals shot Juan López dead while he was in his car. The environmental defender had previously faced death threats, targeting, and harassment, leading the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to grant precautionary measures to him and other members of the CMDBCP in 2023. Both the IACHR and UN mandate holders have condemned his murder and called on the Honduran authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and enhance protection for human rights defenders in the country. Additionally, the defender was facing criminal charges, with a case reopened against him and other CMDBCP members few days after his killing.
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the killing of Juan López and expresses its deep concern over the continuous aggression towards environmental defenders, particularly in connection with their legitimate work defending human rights in the context of extractive projects. Front Line Defenders also highlights the concerning pattern of attacks and killings perpetrated against defenders who had been granted protection measures from national and internations institutions.
Front Line Defenders calls on the Honduran authorities to:
- Publicly condemn the murder of human rights defender Juan López;
- Conduct an immediate, thorough, and impartial investigation into the assassination of Juan López, identifying and prosecuting those responsible in accordance with Honduran law;
- Take concrete steps to end attacks against human rights defenders in Honduras, ensuring they can continue their work without fear of reprisals, in line with Honduras' international human rights obligations.
