Honduras: Trial Nears in⁣ Murder of Environmental Defender Juan López

⁣ Updated⁣ June 08, 2025
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The trial for three men implicated in the death of Juan Antonio López, an environmental defender and coordinator for the Municipal⁤ Committee for ⁣the Defense of Common and Public‍ Goods of Tocoa, is scheduled⁣ for‍ June 3 in‍ San Pedro Sula,⁣ Honduras. Amnesty International ⁢views this trial as a critical step toward achieving truth, justice, and reparations for López’s ⁣family following his murder on ‍Sept. 14, 2024, in Tocoa.

Amnesty International is calling on Honduran authorities to ensure that all individuals suspected of⁤ involvement in López’s murder, whether as instigators or direct perpetrators, face fair⁣ trials. The case highlights the ongoing dangers faced by environmental defenders in Honduras.

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty ⁢International, stated that the crime against López underscores the persistent risks for environmental defenders in honduras. She⁣ acknowledged progress made‍ by the public ⁣Prosecutor’s Office in the examination and expressed⁣ hope that authorities will fulfill their duty to provide López’s family with truth, justice, and reparations.

Authorities arrested three suspects in connection with López’s murder in October 2024. A ⁢local court formally charged them and ordered their detention. The men have remained ⁢in pretrial detention since then.

Tocoa‍ Communities Face serious Risk

López was among 30 human rights‍ defenders, including members⁢ of the CMDBCPT and lawyers from Justice for peoples, who were granted precautionary measures by the Inter-American Commission on⁣ Human Rights in October 2023. Before his death, López spoke ⁢about the Honduran government’s ineffective implementation of these protective measures. The Honduran National Commissioner⁤ for Human Rights also issued an early warning regarding the ⁢lack of implementation.

Human ‍rights defenders in Tocoa communities and their legal representatives ‍have experienced continuous attacks⁢ and criminalization for opposing a mining⁢ project in the ⁤Montaña de ⁣Botaderos ⁤Carlos Escaleras Mejía national Park ‍since ⁤2015. The murder of Juan López is not an isolated incident.

In 2021, amnesty ⁤International recognized eight human rights defenders from Guapinol as prisoners of conscience after they were unjustly imprisoned for defending the right ⁢to‍ water. In January 2023, Aly Magdaleno Domínguez Ramos and Jairo Bonilla Ayala ⁤were killed⁣ by armed assailants. Five months later, Oquelí Domínguez, Aly’s brother, was ⁤also murdered. No one has been brought to justice for these crimes.

In February 2025, Justice for peoples reported surveillance of Kenya⁣ Oliva, a lawyer involved⁤ in López’s case and others related to the Carlos ‍Escaleras National Park. The CMDBCPT and Justice for peoples ⁤ have reported multiple instances of surveillance,defamation,intimidation,and forced displacement.

Global Witness reports that Honduras has the⁤ highest per capita rate of killings of land ⁤and environmental defenders worldwide. An Amnesty‍ International report from 2016 revealed that environmental ⁤defenders are often attacked,even ⁢when under‍ the protection of IACHR precautionary measures. The National Protection System, part of the Human ⁤Rights Secretariat, is responsible for implementing these measures but⁤ has been criticized for its ineffectiveness.

The crime⁤ against Juan López is evidence that the situation of environmental defenders in Honduras has not improved. The organization welcomes the progress made by ⁤the Public Prosecutor’s Office⁤ in ‍its investigations and hopes that all⁢ the authorities involved will effectively fulfil their duty to provide the⁤ family of‍ Juan López with‍ truth, justice and reparation

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

Amnesty⁣ International ⁤urges the Honduran government to prioritize the safety of López’s family, witnesses, and members of the CMDBCPT and justice for peoples. The organization also calls⁣ for the development and implementation ⁢of a protocol⁤ for investigating attacks against defenders, as mandated by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Guaranteeing the ⁣Right to a Healthy Environment

López coordinated the CMDBCPT, an organization of communities, religious groups, and environmental organizations that has challenged the legality of mining concessions granted to Inversiones Los Pinares since 2015.⁤ The group argues that these ⁢concessions⁢ have negatively ⁣impacted ⁤water quality⁢ in ⁢the ⁣Guapinol and San⁣ pedro rivers,as well as the carlos Escaleras Mejía National Park.

The CMDBCPT has sought information ⁤on the concessions and filed complaints with various authorities. Criminal charges have been brought against three Inversiones ⁣Los Pinares directors for illegal exploitation of natural resources. ‍The municipal secretariat of ⁣Tocoa is also accused of falsifying documents related to a 2016 ‍public‍ consultation that favored the mining projects.

Decree 18-2024, enacted on May 6, 2024, reinstates the original boundaries of the Carlos Escaleras national Park. However,concerns remain regarding a proposed law that could facilitate mining projects without adequate safeguards.⁢ the ⁤Environment Commission stated that mining projects and ⁢Indigenous territories are excluded from⁤ the legislation, but the text lacks safeguards on participation and access to information.

It is ⁢regrettable that the Honduran authorities are not ⁤taking the risks faced by‍ human rights defenders in their country seriously. It is ⁣vital that Xiomara Castro’s government stops looking the other way and takes strong and immediate measures to⁣ end violence against Tocoa communities who are defending the environment, including by investigating all attacks against them

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

Astrid Puentes Riaño, the United Nations Special ‍rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable⁣ environment, emphasized the importance of access to information, participation, ⁤and⁣ justice.She noted that active transparency is vital for matters‍ of ⁤public interest, such ‍as the exploitation of natural resources.

Guaranteeing the right to a healthy environment is not optional; it is indeed an obligation that the Honduran state has committed⁢ to. ⁣The Honduran state’s commitment to the environment and‍ to environmental defenders, however, has been insufficient and lacking in direction, ⁣but there is still ⁣time for it to get back on track. since this is a long-term ⁤responsibility, we also call on candidates for the upcoming general ⁤election in ⁤November 2025 to ⁣include in their programmes⁤ proposals that reflect the urgency in ⁤addressing this problem

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

Amnesty⁢ International also urges Honduras to ratify the “Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation⁢ and⁢ Justice in Environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

What’s next

The upcoming trial represents a crucial opportunity to address impunity ⁤and ensure accountability for attacks against environmental defenders in Honduras.‍ the international community will be watching closely⁢ to see ⁢if justice is served and if meaningful steps are ‍taken to protect those who defend the ⁤environment.