Two Forest Defenders Were Murdered in Honduras
Site where the bodies of Honduran environmental activists were found, Feb. 27, 2025. Photo: teleSUR
February 28, 2025 Hour: 2:32 pm
Since 2023, at least 30 environmentalists and Indigenous rights defenders have been murdered in this Central American country.
On Thursday, Honduran Human Rights Secretary Angelica Alvarez denounced the murder of environmental activist Juan Silva, 70, and his son Juan Silva, 20, in the mountainous area of Santa Cruz de Soroguara, in the department of Francisco Morazan.
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The two social activists were killed in Las Botijas, Villa de San Antonio, Comayagua. Alvarez urged the Prosecutor’s Office to open a thorough and impartial investigation to identify those responsible and ensure they are held accountable for their crimes.
“Environmental defenders are heroes of humanity who protect life itself. We repudiate the violence against them. Enough is enough!” she said, recalling that several criminal groups operate in the area of the crime, targeting public property and environmental commons.
Juan Silva had previously reported illegal logging in the Soroguara protected area. On Wednesday, he and his son left their community to document evidence of these illegal activities, apparently in response to a request from the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF).
When they did not return, their relatives reported their disappearance, triggering a search involving police officers, military personnel, and local residents.
This crime adds to a long list of murders of environmental activists in Honduras. Over the past four decades, dozens of Honduran environmental defenders have been killed, including prominent figures such as Jeannette Kawas (1995), Carlos Escaleras (1997), Berta Caceres (2016), and Juan Lopez (2024).
The majority of these cases have remained in impunity, despite some victims having precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Since 2023, at least 30 environmentalists and Indigenous rights defenders have been murdered in Honduras, said the National Commissioner for Human Rights (CONADEH), which called on authorities to ensure justice and prevent these crimes from going unpunished.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: El Libertador – Cholusat
