The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
September 16, 2024

Outspoken Honduran Land and Water Defender Juan López Is Killed
---------------------------------------------------------------

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.


.