Former Honduran Mayor Arrested in Killing of Environmental Activist

Authorities in Honduras have arrested three men, including former Tocoa mayor Adan Funez, in connection with the 2024 murder of environmental activist Juan Lopez.

Funez was detained at his home on Tuesday and is accused of orchestrating Lopez’s killing, according to Honduran prosecutors. Two other men, businessman Hector Eduardo Méndez and Juan Angel Ramos Gallegos, were also arrested and charged with criminal association linked to the crime.

Lopez, a well-known anti-corruption and environmental advocate, had led opposition to an iron oxide mining project in the Colón region of northern Honduras. Activists argued that the project threatened forests, rivers, and protected reserve areas. He had publicly criticized Funez, who supported the mining operation, and in September 2024 called for the mayor’s resignation over a corruption scandal.

Just days after that public demand, Lopez was ambushed and fatally shot by a masked gunman. He was reportedly shot multiple times, including in the chest and head, sparking international condemnation and renewed concerns about violence against environmental defenders in Honduras.

The case drew comparisons to the 2016 murder of Berta Caceres, whose killing drew worldwide attention to the dangers faced by activists in Latin America.

A spokesperson for Honduras’s Public Prosecutor’s Office said investigators believe the three suspects were the intellectual authors behind Lopez’s murder. Their trial is expected to begin in June.

Honduras remains one of the most dangerous countries for environmental defenders. According to the organization Global Witness, Latin America accounted for the vast majority of killings of land and environmental defenders in 2024, with activists in resource-rich areas often targeted for opposing mining, logging, and land development projects.