Outspoken Honduran Land and Water Defender Is Killed
HAVANA TIMES – In Honduras, a prominent anti-mining activist was gunned down Saturday as he left a church in his northeastern town of Tocoa. Juan López was a member of the ruling LIBRE party and campaigned against open-pit iron ore mining. This is Juan Lopez speaking three years ago.
Juan López: “It is not gold or silver or any of these metals which makes a nation wealthy, but it is the agriculture. … Our voices of dignity and sovereignty have not died; they keep getting stronger.”
A new report by Global Witness found Honduras had the third-highest number of murders of environmental defenders, tied with Mexico, with 18 recorded killings in 2023.
Private corporate concerns are unable to respond to calls for environmental and agricultural reform and protection, so they turn to the gun. Immediate profit will always push the boundaries of developing nations and their needs. Juan Lopez was a hero, green activists and example to all who fight and oppose corporate greed.