Aguán News Alert | February 2025
Image Description: Social organizations convene a press conference demanding justice and governmental action to solve the crisis in the Aguán. | Photo Credits: Plataforma Agraria.
Three years after agreements between cooperatives and the government, violence continues in the Bajo Aguán
Tocoa, Colón, Honduras. – This February 22nd marked three years since the agreements between members of campesino cooperatives, organized with the Agrarian Platform and the Coordinator of Popular Organizations of the Aguán (COPA), and Xiomara Castro’s government. This agreement was a historic step for the campesino movement: the government agreed to enter a normalization process with the cooperatives that had recuperated their lands from the agrarian reform, to investigate land titling, and to implement protection measures for land defenders. The administration also promised to establish a Tripartite Commission to investigate human rights violations in the Bajo Aguán and promote reparations for victims. The cooperatives that signed the Agreements were supposed to be protected from dispossession and displacement; however, in recent months, they have been displaced through armed conflict by criminal groups operating with total impunity.
Despite this historic agreement, violence against organized campesino groups has only increased in the Aguán region over the past three years. Since February 2022, at least 15 campesino individuals have been murdered or disappeared, while hundreds have been attacked and displaced. During the month of January 2025 alone, multiple cooperatives that signed the agreements were displaced from their land and attacked by criminal groups. Three members of the campesino movement—Arnulfo Díaz, José Luis Hernández Lobo, and Suyapa Guillén—were murdered. All were members of cooperatives that signed the agreements. The government has failed to protect the campesino families of signatory cooperatives. These persistent acts of violence and forced displacement have been carried out by criminal groups working with the agrobusiness giant, the Dinant Corporation. The administration and police have failed to prevent violence against land and natural resource defenders, and have not investigated human rights violations, despite demands that President Xiomara Castro establish a Truth Commission to investigate these violations.
We demand that Dinant’s private security companies be dismantled and investigated, including their ties to the criminal group “Los Cachos”, which operate outside the law and contribute to the criminalization and violence against human rights defenders.
We condemn the high level of violence against campesino human rights defenders in the Aguán and the lack of action by the authorities. We denounce the agribusiness companies that promote violence against the campesino movement, such as the Dinant Corporation and ASISA (a subsidiary of Dole Foods). We demand that the Honduran government comply with the agreements of February 22, 2022.
Justice for Campesino Families in the Aguán
Declaration of National Emergency: On the first day of the month, more than 70 Honduran social organizations declared a State of Emergency in the Aguán due to attacks against campesino cooperatives by criminal groups in January.
Attacks against Police: On February 2nd, an armed confrontation occurred between police and criminal groups in the community of Quebrada de Arena, leaving the first police officers injured. The armed group, Los Cachos, had violently seized control of the highway, blocking free passage and attacking farmers. Two members of the El Chile cooperative were robbed of their motorcycle—the criminals beat them with machetes and sticks and set the motorcycle on fire. When police attempted to clear a roadblock, they were shot. At least 10 police officers were injured, and one police officer's weapon was stolen. This attack on authorities demonstrates the impunity under which criminal groups operate in the area.
Diario Colón threatened: On February 2nd, the digital newspaper Diario Colón reported receiving phone calls and messages from two unknown numbers proposing a deal. They offered 15,000 lempiras for the media outlet to align with the criminal group's interests, publishing information against the campesino movement and portraying the Quebrada de Arena community as a victim. When they rejected the offer, explaining that the outlet "does not negotiate with alleged criminals," they received another threatening call demanding they accept the proposal. This act is evidence that Los Cachos have threatened media outlets to manipulate the narrative against the campesino movement.
Parish Priest demands government action: During his sermon on February 2nd, Parish Priest Carlos Orellana S.J. of Tocoa demanded that the government act immediately to address and resolve the crisis in the Aguán, stating, “We do not want deaths due to the State’s ineffectiveness and negligence.”
Sec. of HR denounces violence: On February 4th, Secretary of Human Rights Angélica Álvarez published a message condemning the ongoing violence in Bajo Aguán. She recognized the Agrarian Platform and COPA as "defenders of common and public goods" and urged the Public Prosecutor’s Office to conduct a “proper investigation” and determine the responsibility of armed groups that threaten the safety of campesinos.”
US Congresswoman condemns attacks: On February 5th, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Chicago posted a message on Twitter/X denouncing that three cooperatives in the Bajo Aguán were attacked by armed criminal groups, resulting in two deaths and 28 injuries. She said her office would continue monitoring the situation.
Left to Right: Angélica Álvarez; Carlos Orellana; Jan Schakowsky.
Discussion with CESPAD: On February 6, COPA and the Center for the Study of Democracy (CESPAD) convened a discussion on the “Emergency in the Aguán.”
Press Conference: On February 12th, dozens of social movement organizations in Honduras gathered at the Governmental Civic Center to hold a press conference. In their statement, they condemned the attacks against campesino cooperatives in Aguán and demanded that the government comply with the agreements signed on February 22, 2022, establish the Tripartite Commission, dismantle criminal groups in the area, and guarantee the return of the Camarones cooperative farm. During the press conference, they demanded justice for Hipólito Rivas, commemorating the second anniversary of the murder of the campesino leader and his son, Javier Rivas on January 12th, 2023.
60+ organizations stand in solidarity with Aguán: In a February 18th letter, more than 60 regional and international organizations stood in solidarity with the campesino communities of Aguán, denouncing the violence perpetrated by criminal groups and the Dinant Corporation and demanding justice.
Justice for Guapinol and Juan López
Norma Agripina García Case: On February 4th, Norma Agripina García appeared as a defendant at her deposition hearing. Agripina García, the municipal secretary of Tocoa, is accused of falsifying public documents to benefit the company Inversiones Los Pinares/ECOTEK in order to obtain mining licenses from SERNA. Her initial hearing was scheduled for February 27th.
Image Description: Members of the CMDBCPT mobilize during the deposition hearing of Norma Agripina. | Photo Credits: Radio Progreso.
Document Seizure: On February 5th, prosecutors from the Public Prosecutor’s Office began seizing documents from the Tocoa City Hall. Municipal employees attempted to prevent their entry, but they managed to gain access. The mayor's legal representative reported that they were collaborating with prosecutors to deliver the requested documents, related to corruption cases involving the mayor's office. Many documents were burned during the fire on July 4th, 2024.
Natural and Common Goods Defender Day: On February 11th, the National Congress passed the Special Law for the Protection of Environmental Defenders, declaring January 24th the Day of the Defender of Natural and Common Goods of Honduras, in honor of environmentalist Juan López.
Image Description: February 15th marked 5 months since the assassination of Juan López. | Photo Credits: Radio Progreso.
Adán Fúnez, alleged intellectual author of Juan López's murder: On February 16th, the media outlet Infobae published a report denouncing Adán Fúnez as the alleged mastermind behind Juan López's murder. In an interview with Hoy Mismo, Fúnez maintained his innocence, denying ties to one of Juan López's three alleged hitmen.
Public Prosecutor requests international assistance: On February 19th, the Public Prosecutor’s Office announced in a statement that it had requested assistance from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Costa Rican National Police to examine confiscated phones related to the perpetrators of Juan López's murder.
Demonstration in front of the Public Prosecutor's Office: On February 26th, the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods of Tocoa (CMDBCPT) demonstrated in front of the Public Prosecutor's Office, demanding that it investigate and prosecute the "criminal structure responsible for the murder of Juan López and all environmental crimes related to the EMCO Group in Tocoa." On the 26th, a hearing was held against former employees of the Environmental Unit (UMA in Spanish) of the Tocoa Municipal Office for accusations of environmental damage and abuse of authority. On the 27th, a hearing was held against the municipal secretary of the Tocoa, Norma Agripina, regarding the falsification of public documents to obtain fraudulent licenses for the Pinares-ECOTEK mining project. The CMDBCPT denounced that corrupt municipal officials have been key to ensuring the progress of Grupo EMCO’s extractive megaproject, as evidenced by these cases.
Member of Remolino Cooperative Still Missing
January 30th marked one year since Abel López Perdomo was disappeared––a year without answers, without a thorough investigation to establish his whereabouts, and without the prosecution of the people responsible for this horrific crime.
We stand in solidarity with the friends, family, and associates of Abel López and condemn his continued disappearance.
Historical Context
In the 1990’s, World Bank-led structural adjustment measures transformed the Bajo Aguán region of north-east Honduras from one of the nation’s primary sources of fruits, vegetables and basic grains into an African palm oil monoculture destined for export to insatiable Global North markets. Over the course of this process, thousands of campesinos were dispossessed of their farms to make way for massive palm plantations, owned by a handful of Honduran elite.
Since then, campesino cooperatives have engaged in a multi-decade struggle to recover their land, suffering violent repression by corporate and state entities as a result. The immediate post-coup period was especially brutal, taking the lives of approximately 150 small farmers by 2014. In recent years, many more have been murdered, disappeared, and criminalized. The vast majority of these crimes remain in impunity.