On March 13, the Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project posted on social media:
“The community of Guapinol (Tocoa, Colón) welcomed us to discuss the security situation in the area and the work being done to #defend the land and the river. At PBI, we reiterate the importance of ensuring that the #protection measures granted to members of the community and the Tocoa Municipal Committee for the Defence of Common and Public Goods are upheld.”
Juan López
Environmental defender Juan López was a member of the Municipal Committee for the Defence of Common and Public Goods (CMDBCPT).
Infobae reports: “López was killed on September 14, 2024, inside his vehicle after leaving a church in the city of Tocoa, despite having precautionary measures granted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).”
Eighteen months later
Today, March 14, 2026, the ERIC-SJ Reflection, Research and Communication Team, “a multidisciplinary team made up of people who, hand in hand with the communities, want a better country to live in peace in accordance with the Catholic values of the Society of Jesus”, posted on social media:
“Eighteen months after Juan López’s murder, the wound remains open and justice is still nowhere to be seen. The case is sinking into the shadows of impunity, whilst the silence of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is crushing the hopes of those demanding the truth and punishment for those responsible.
Meanwhile, the threats that Juan reported continue to mount. The shadow of mining exploitation looms ever larger, and the implementation of Decree 18-2024 seems increasingly distant. This is not merely an unsolved case; it is about the defence of life, of the land, and of communities’ right to protect their environment.
Remembering Juan also means continuing his struggle.
Justice for Juan López.
Justice for the environmental cause he defended.”
Inversiones Los Pinares
An investigative report by Contra Corriente and Drilled reveals that U.S.-based Nucor maintained a relationship with Inversiones Los Pinares, the company behind a controversial mining megaproject in Honduras, at least until September 30, 2023, despite having claimed to have ended their ties in October 2019.
Investors in Nucor have included the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (an institutional investor that manages the Québec Pension Plan), the Royal Bank of Canada, the Bank of Montreal, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
PBI-Canada visits
Photo: PBI-Canada visited Tocoa and Guapinol on October 29-30, 2024.
Photo: On October 30, 2024, PBI-Canada visited Guapinol and saw the pelletizing plant associated with the Los Pinares megaproject.
Accompaniment
Peace Brigades International has accompanied Municipal Committee for the Defence of Common and Public Goods of Tocoa (CMDBCPT) processes and Guapinol River defenders since January 2019.
We continue to follow this.
