The Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project has posted on social media:
“Today we remember Juan López, a tireless defender of the environment. The legacy he left behind is more alive than ever.”
Their social media post includes several panels that say:
Juan Lopez, a legacy of struggle
“His love of life and his fight for justice left a lasting impression on all who knew him.” – CMDBCPT
Juan Lopez was coordinator of the Tocoa Municipal Committee for Common and Public Goods (CMDBCPT). In this role, he championed the peaceful defence of the Guapinol and San Pedro rivers.
He speaks out to denounce the environmental degradation of the ‘Carlos Escaleras Mejia’ Montana Botaderos National Park, pointing the finger at the EMCO Holdings/Los Pinares/Ecotek extractive megaproject as the culprit.
On the afternoon of 14 September 2024, Juan Lopez was murdered as he left his church. Thousands of people from Tocoa, Honduras and around the world mourn the death of a man who gave his life for a better world.
“We did not bury Juan; we planted him; and from that seed, a tree of hope grew.” – CMDBCPT
On the second anniversary of his burial, the CMDBCPT, family members, witnesses and legal representatives continue to demand justice for Juan and to keep his struggle alive.
Would you like to find out more about Juan Lopez’s legacy?
Visit https://www.guapinolresiste.org/
Share this post on your social media
Follow @Comite Municipal en Defensa de los Bienes Comunes y Publicos on Facebook and use the hashtag #JusticiaparaJuan.
Accompaniment
With PBI-Honduras, PBI-Canada coordinator Brent Patterson visited Tocoa and Guapinol on October 29-30, 2024, about six weeks after Juan Lopez was killed.
Peace Brigades International has accompanied Municipal Committee for the Defence of Common and Public Goods of Tocoa (CMDBCPT) processes and the defenders of the Guapinol River since January 2019.
As PBI-Honduras physically accompanies this process, PBI-Canada continues to follow this from Canada.
Additional reading: Research on the ownership structure of the Los Pinares megaproject in Honduras (PBI-Canada, June 16, 2025).
