IACHR Grants Precautionary Protection Measures to Pedro Pinto Cabrera and His Immediate Family in Honduras

April 14, 2023

Washington, D.C.—On April 13, 2022, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 18/23, through which it granted precautionary protection measures in favor of Jesús Pinto Cabrera and his immediate family in Honduras, whom it deems to be at serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to their human rights.

According to the petitioners, Pedro Pinto is a public sector worker who is employed by the Forest Conservation Institute and carries out environmental advocacy activities in the Guisayote Reserve in La Labor municipality, Ocotepeque department. This work has led Pedro Pinto and his son to be the target of violence, threats, and intimidation since November 2022. Although measures have been taken to protect them, the petitioners claim these are insufficient.

The State reported that the Secretariat of Security adopted protection measures in favor of Pedro Pinto in December 2022. These consisted of a police liaison officer, police patrol cars at his home, and occasional police escorts. It also noted that the Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting investigations into two situations that were reported.

After analyzing the factual and legal allegations presented by the parties, the IACHR observed that the events in question are related to Pedro Pinto's environmental advocacy work. It took into consideration the seriousness of the recent attacks targeting him, which have also affected his relatives. It also noted that these events intensified from November 2022 to February 2023, and that the protection measures that have been adopted are not sufficient to mitigate the risk that Pedro Pinto is experiencing.

Consequently, in accordance with Article 25 of its Rules of Procedure, the IACHR decided to grant precautionary measures and requested that the State of Honduras:

1. adopt the necessary measures to protect the rights to life and personal integrity of Pedro de Jesús Pinto Cabrera and his immediate family;
2. take the necessary measures to enable the beneficiary to go about his work without being subjected to acts of intimidation, threats, or other acts of violence in the course of carrying out his duties as reserve ranger at the Guisayote Reserve and president of La Mesa neighborhood Water Board in La Labor municipality, Ocotepeque department;
3. agree on any measures to be adopted with the beneficiary and his representatives; and
4. report on the actions it implements to investigate the alleged events that led to the adoption of this precautionary measure so as to prevent them from being repeated.

The fact that this precautionary measure has been granted and its adoption by the State does not entail a prejudgment on any petition that may eventually be filed before the inter-American system to allege that the rights protected by the American Convention and other applicable instruments have been violated.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 063/23

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