CIVICUS discusses the dangers of environmental activism in Honduras with Carlos Leonel George, communications officer for the Municipal Committee in Defence of the Commons and Public Goods of Tocoa, a Honduran organisation fighting against mining and for the protection of the Guapinol and San Pedro rivers.

Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for environmental defenders. Juan López, an activist member of the committee, was murdered on 14 September. He was the fourth member of the organisation to be killed since 2023.

What are the conditions for civil society in Honduras?

The situation is very complicated. Although there’s been some progress in recent years, the changes we need and demand have not yet come about. The context is one of violence, largely facilitated by companies that operate with impunity. These conditions affect those of us who work to defend human rights and the environment, and people as a whole.

The state fails to protect us from the constant attacks we face, ranging from smear campaigns to threats, physical and psychological harassment and forced displacement. We are criminalised and subjected to frequent baseless prosecutions designed to silence us. Most alarming of all is the increasing number of killings of human rights defenders, which has created a palpable climate of fear.

Despite all this, we carry on because our work is essential. Threats and violence only underscore the importance of our work, and it’s vital for society and the world to recognise and support it.

Why is environmental activism being targeted?

Violence often comes from construction and mining companies that use armed groups to intimidate and threaten local communities and environmental defenders and organisations so they can advance their projects. Unfortunately, this is an increasingly common practice.

Companies such as Ecotek and Inversiones los Pinares, both part of the EMCO group, also try to co-opt some sections of municipalities and communities by offering them economic incentives to gain their support. These groups become part of the problem, as they end up reinforcing the violent environment so their interests are not affected.

But companies don’t act alone; they are protected by key powers. The mayor of Tocoa, for example, has been accused of maintaining links with armed groups that protect him in exchange for facilitating illegal mining in protected areas. Violence is used to ensure extractive activities can continue unchallenged.

What does the Tocoa Municipal Committee do?

The Committee brings together different sectors working to defend the environment and human rights in Honduras. We have the formal support of the Coordinadora de Organizaciones Populares del Aguán and its 26 grassroots organisations. We started out defending water against attempts to privatise it, and have evolved into environmental protection in general. We seek to protect resources for the benefit of the public.

We support the return of families displaced by violence, the rebuilding of the social fabric and the restoration of trust between communities. Although we cannot solve all the problems immediately, we have joined community efforts and helped establish a high-level inter-institutional roundtable, with technical support from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to manage national and international solidarity brigades.

One of our greatest achievements was the recent decree 18-2024 that cancelled mining concessions and mandated the recovery of areas damaged by mining.

Why, contrary to expectations, has the situation not improved under the government of Xiomara Castro?

The government has made some serious mistakes. One of the most critical has been the closure of the Presidential House to citizens and community organisations, limiting our access to spaces for dialogue. We have requested a meeting through the secretariat of the presidency, but we have never received a response. The president has prioritised her relationship with business, abandoning our communities.

We also expected President Castro to implement social programmes in the communities that defend their territory, but to not to damage its relations with mining companies, the government has only provided assistance to communities that don’t oppose mining projects. There has also been no progress in the necessary demilitarisation of society.

Castro should speed up the establishment of the International Commission Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras and take urgent measures to protect human rights defenders and their communities. A simple gesture, such as convening a working meeting at the Presidential Palace, could facilitate much-needed dialogue and cooperation.

What support does Honduran civil society need from the international community?

We need real progress in the investigation and attribution of responsibility for displacement and killings. This includes accountability of the companies involved, which requires international support.

The international community must commit to promoting the development of projects that benefit communities, not just companies and governments. It must also recognise the right of communities to decide on their future and development. The failure of international bodies to act makes them complicit in serious human rights violations, including forced displacement and the killing of human rights defenders.

Honduran civil society has received expressions of solidarity from grassroots organisations around the world, which has been crucial to our advocacy and ensuring our voices are heard at the global level. This support allows us to make visible the serious human rights violations we face on a daily basis.

But the response from governments and international organisations has been inadequate. Many embassies and organisations have chosen to remain silent in the face of the violence we face, prioritising the protection of their companies’ economic interests, despite knowing full well what’s happening.

Get in touch with the Tocoa Municipal Committee through its Facebook page.