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Juan López, known for his fight in defense of the environment and human rights, was murdered on September 14 in Tocoa.
The State of Honduras could face a new conviction process before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) due to the lack of protection that resulted in the murder of environmentalist Juan López, which occurred in Tocoa, Colón, in the north of the country.
The violent death of the leader and municipal councilor for the Liberty and Refoundation (Libre) party has highlighted the serious failure in the protection system for human rights defenders in the country.
Juan López, known for his fight in defense of the environment and human rights, was murdered on Saturday, September 14 by hitmen who riddled him with bullets while he was inside his vehicle, which has generated great consternation and an urgent call for justice.
Despite the fact that he was receiving measures from the IACHR, the defender was completely defenseless. “We thought that with this new government we would have better conditions, but it has been the opposite,” said Melvin Espino, a relative of López.
The Catholic Church held the mayor of Tocoa , Adán Fúnez, directly responsible. The defender had requested his resignation a few days before his murder after the official appeared in a drug video that caused a scandal in Honduras.
Representative Maribel Espinoza, a lawyer and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party, expressed her indignation by stating that “the Government of Honduras will be condemned before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for the loss of the life of a man fighting for a noble cause. The protection system failed negligently.”
Espinoza demanded that officials responsible for the protection mechanism for human rights defenders be held accountable for their lack of action.
Former presidential adviser and political analyst Marvin Ponce urged Honduran authorities to take timely measures in the case.
“We demand that President Xiomara Castro, prosecutor Johel Zelaya and police chief Gustavo Sánchez immediately clarify the murder of Juan López and bring those responsible to justice,” Ponce Sauceda said on social media.
The death of Juan López has revealed the urgent need for reform in the protection system for human rights defenders in Honduras, where violence against activists continues to grow in the country.
Lawyer and analyst Joaquín Rivera also joined the reactions that hold the Honduran State responsible for the defender’s death.
Rivera claimed that in Honduras there is money for marches but not for the mechanism , in reference to the march called by the Government for Saturday, the day the defender was murdered.
During López’s funeral on Monday, a huge banner expressed the feelings of the community that said goodbye to him: “The State killed you.”
Meanwhile, the international community and human rights defenders remain attentive to the next actions and decisions that the Honduran State will take in response to this high-impact case.
