Two years after the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted Precautionary Measure No. 137-23 on behalf of members of the Comité Municipal para la Defensa de los Bienes Comunes y Públicos de Tocoa (Municipal Committee for the Defense of the Common and Public Goods of Tocoa) and the Bufete Justicia para los Pueblos in Honduras, Honduran authorities have failed to effectively, comprehensively, and collectively implement these measures. Despite international recognition of the gravity and urgency of the situation, the State continues to keep the beneficiaries in a situation of permanent risk.

Over the past two years, attacks, threats, and smear campaigns against human rights defenders have persisted and worsened, fueling an environment of harassment and insecurity. The lack of effective investigations and punishment of those responsible reinforces impunity and perpetuates violence in the region.

The murder of Juan López, a renowned human rights and environmental defender and beneficiary of these precautionary measures at the time of his death in September 2024, demonstrates the tragic consequences of the lack of a comprehensive state response. More than a year after the murder, there has been no substantial progress in the investigation or prosecution of the masterminds, maintaining impunity for the crime and evidencing the structural weakness of the justice system and the absence of effective protection policies for human rights defenders.

Deeply concerned by the State’s noncompliance with the commitments made before the IACHR, the undersigned organizations demand that the State adopt collective measures coordinated with the beneficiary communities and address the structural causes of the violence affecting them. The fragmented and reactive approach of state institutions has prevented a lasting solution that guarantees the safety and dignity of those defending the common goods in Tocoa and their legal representatives.

Although the recent decision by the Honduran Institute of Geology and Mines (INHGEOMIN) not to renew the mining license of Ecotek’s pelletization plant represents a step toward restoring environmental legality, this progress is threatened by discussions in the National Congress to approve a “fast-track” procedure for granting environmental licenses. This proposal risks weakening existing controls and endangering protected ecosystems, including the Carlos Escaleras Botaderos Mountain National Park.

In the current pre-electoral context, the organizations representing the beneficiaries reiterate their call on the Honduran State to urgently and effectively comply with the IACHR precautionary measures, ensuring the comprehensive and collective protection of the communities, the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the attacks, and the adoption of policies that ensure a safe environment for the defense of the common goods.

Signed by the following organizations:

• Bufete Justicia para los Pueblos
• Centro para la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL)
• Clínica de Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Virginia
• Comité Municipal de Defensa de los Bienes Comunes y Públicos de Tocoa
• Comité Internacional del National Lawyers Guild
• Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación (ERIC)
• Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights