Press Release
IACHR Press Office
Washington, D.C. —The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted a working visit to Honduras between October 30 and November 1, 2024. The visit aimed to make progress on the Work Plan for establishing a follow-up mechanism for the recommendations issued in the report published this year and to engage with authorities, beneficiaries, and their representatives on the implementation of precautionary measures.
The mission was led by Commissioner Andrea Pochak, rapporteur for Honduras, and included a technical team from the Executive Secretariat. On the first day, the IACHR met with Foreign Minister Enrique Reina, Human Rights Minister Angélica Álvarez, and technical staff from both ministries. It also took part in a discussion on the Work Plan for creating a follow-up mechanism for its Report on the Human Rights Situation in Honduras and establishing a close, productive dialogue with the authorities responsible for compliance with the recommendations in the report. The IACHR later met with civil society organizations to promote their in the Follow-Up Mechanism.
In Tegucigalpa, the delegation also met with authorities responsible for implementing precautionary measures, including representatives from the Attorney General's Office, the Secretariat of Human Rights and Security, the National Protection System for Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Media Workers, and Justice Operators, and the Public Prosecutor's Office.
Between October 31 and November 1, the IACHR delegation traveled to Tocoa in the Bajo Aguán region. There, it met with beneficiaries of Precautionary Measures 50-14, granted to leaders of peasant movements in Bajo Aguán, and Precautionary Measures 137-23, issued in favor of members of the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods of Tocoa and the Justice for the Peoples Law Firm, along with their representatives.
These measures were granted in response to agrarian conflict and disputes related to extractive mining projects in the area. The IACHR pack found that beneficiaries have faced significant risks in their efforts to defend land, territory, and the environment. The delegation also visited the El Chile Cooperative, toured the Guapinol River banks, and met with the local prosecutor's office.
The IACHR gathered firsthand accounts from beneficiaries of precautionary measures in Tocoa, who reported ongoing threats, harassment, surveillance, and violence. The interviewees highlighted the presence of criminal groups in the region, smear campaigns, and criminalization targeting them, as well as the lack of effective investigations into these acts of violence over the years.
The IACHR called again on the Honduran State to provide urgent solutions to the lack of protection for the beneficiaries of these precautionary measures, which has led to irreparable harm, including the recent murder of Juan López, the beneficiary of Precautionary Measure 137-23. The IACHR also underscored the critical role that defenders play in protecting the land and environment.
Beneficiaries also raised concerns about challenges in the effective implementation of measures ordered by the National Protection Mechanism. The IACHR took note of the State's information regarding initiatives to strengthen this. In the IACHR's opinion, to enable human rights defenders to go about their work safely, the Protection Mechanism must be equipped with adequate financial resources and improved management capacity to implement security plans effectively.
Beneficiaries also pointed to the justice system's failure to respond effectively to the serious acts of violence, including murder, and threats that they have been the targets of, resulting in widespread immunity. The IACHR remains concerned about the decentralized approach to investigations and the lack of progress in identifying those who planned the crimes, as seen in the case of Juan López's murder.
During the visit, stakeholders emphasized the need to address the ongoing conflict in Bajo Aguán. Leaders of campesino movements called for the implementation of a Tripartite Commission to investigate human rights violations in the region and find solutions to the agrarian conflict around the recovery of lands as a result of the agrarian reform in Bajo Aguán, as outlined in the February 2022 agreement between the Honduran government and campesino organizations belonging to the Agrarian Platform and the Coordination of Popular Organizations from Aguán (COPA).
Environmental defenders noted the ongoing presence of armed groups in the National Park and the circulation of weapons in the area in response, they called for the enforcement of the environmental and disarmament policies set out in Decree 18-2024, concerning the conservation of Carlos Escaleras Mejía National Park in Montaña de Botaderos, and Decree 17-2012, prohibiting civilians from carrying weapons in the Department of Colón.
The IACHR acknowledges the Honduran Government's commitment to implementing these agreements with the urgency they require. It also urges the state to continue strengthening institutions in Bajo Aguán. Implementing these agreements and enhancing protection mechanisms are vital to achieving compliance with precautionary measures and mitigating the risks that gave rise to them.
The IACHR thanks the Government of Honduras for its invitation and logistical support during the working visit and appreciates the opportunity for open, constructive dialogue at the highest levels. It also expresses its gratitude to the organizations, individual beneficiaries, and communities for taking part in meetings and sharing valuable information.
The IACHR will continue working to establish the Follow-Up Mechanism for Recommendations in Honduras and closely monitoring precautionary measures to safeguard the lives and personal integrity of human rights defenders to ensure they can continue their work in defense of the land, territory, and environment without fear of threats and violence.
The IACHR is a principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate stems from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as an advisory body to the OAS on the matter. The IACHR is made up of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity, and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.
No. 285/24
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