An anti-mining activist, Juan Lopez, was shot and killed in Honduras, President Xiomara Castro announced, pledging justice for his murder in a country notorious for violence against environmentalists. Lopez, 46, was gunned down as he left church in Tocoa, his widow Thelma Pena reported.
Castro condemned the “vile murder” in a social media post and ordered an investigation, emphasizing the need for justice. Lopez, a member of the ruling Libre party, had campaigned against open-pit iron ore mining in a local forest reserve and worked at the town hall in Tocoa.
Lopez had recently called for the resignation of Libre officials implicated in a bribery scandal involving drug traffickers, which had led to the resignation of Carlos Zelaya, the president’s brother-in-law.
In a 2021 interview, Lopez spoke about the dangers faced by environmental activists in Honduras, noting the constant risk to their safety. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights had previously ordered protective measures for him due to threats.
Fellow activist Joaquin Mejia honored Lopez as a dedicated advocate for social change and criticized authorities for failing to protect him. Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya condemned the murder and promised it would not go unpunished, praising Lopez’s relentless fight to protect natural resources.
Global Witness reports that Honduras is among the world’s most dangerous countries for environmental activists. In 2023, it ranked third globally for the number of activist killings, with 18 deaths, tied with Mexico. Colombia and Brazil were the top two.
From 2012 to 2023, Honduras saw 148 environmental campaigners killed, including Berta Caceres, a prominent opponent of a controversial hydroelectric dam who was murdered in 2016.
