UUSC - Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
12/12/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 12/12/2024 07:37
Who Bears the Weight of U.S. Inaction
The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee advances human rights through grassroots collaborations.
By Shay A. Stewart-Willis on December 12, 2024
Juan López, defender of land and human rights, was murdered on September 14, 2024. The story of his assassination begins long before his inspired leadership in community advocacy.
UUSC knew López as an activist who risked his safety and freedom to defend the Guapinol River, Bajo Aguán, and the Carlos Escaleras National Park from illegal mining. UUSC staff members visited his hometown of Tocoa, Colón in Honduras this November. Staff met with members of the community and joined their call for justice and dignity.
There are immediate actors that the Tocoa community and allies hold accountable for the assassination of Juan López. All levels of public administration of the Municipality of Tocoa must be investigated, including Mayor Adán Funez. The work of López must continue with the formal prosecution of those named by the Special Environmental Prosecutor's Office in its request for indictment for severe damages to the National Park and to the San Pedro and Guapinol Rivers.
The terror of López's assassination and ongoing corruption in the Honduran government share a common actor who must be held accountable: the United States. The United States supported former President Juan Orlando Hernández despite citizens' accusations of fraud, violence, and connections to drug trafficking. The United States provides the vast majority of funding and weaponry for Honduras' military, a force that citizens describe as corrupt. Military forces are known to interfere with protests, voting, and labor strikes.
The United States is Honduras' largest trade partner, accounting for 43% of its exports. US Ambassador Laura F. Dogu was summoned by Honduran foreign minister Enrique Reina in 2022 after being accused of meddling on behalf of business interests. She also tacitly supported the criminalization of campesinos reclaiming their land. Historically, the United States has advocated for capitalist interests at the violent expense of Honduran people.
UUSC staff arrived in Honduras shortly after Tropical Storm Sara. As they met with our partners at Fundación San Alonso Rodríguez, they were struck by the intertwined struggles of storm response and public advocacy. Government powers have stalled the investigation into Juan López's murder, and our partners are working to hold them accountable. Activists drive by the site of the assassination as they deliver supplies to neighbors with flooded homes.
The community comes together for mass where Father Carlos Orellana, a vocal advocate for López and critic of the Tocoa government, calls for ongoing advocacy as they work toward justice. Fr. Orellana continues speaking out despite investigations and threats of violence.
Fr. Orellana, like the Tocoa community, bears the weight of trauma, grief, and terror. Alongside that heavy struggle, López's neighbors create art, laugh, and sing together. This community has lost a member of their family. They remember him with joy and they grieve. They are gripped with fear and they do the work of fighting for justice and dignity.
Ultimately the Tocoa community engages in this struggle due to the impacts of U.S. imperialism. The weight they bear is not of their own making but instead manufactured by an American legacy of extraction.
UUSC staff were grateful for the opportunity to learn from Fundación San Alonso Rodríguez. It is an honor to meet with our partners and recommit to the work of international advocacy.
Juan López lived an exemplary life in which he walked a path of justice and truth. We will continue to follow the lead of Honduran grassroots groups and act in solidarity.