The lack of institutional commitment would be slowing the progress in the investigation of Juan López’s murder, according to sources consulted by criteria.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras. – A few days after eight months of the murder of environmentalist Juan López, the investigations of the Public Ministry still do not reveal the identity of the intellectual authors of the crime, despite the fact that the institution has recently communicated advances in the case.
The levels of impunity and the low institutional commitment in the investigation of murders and in the protection of defenders reflect the urgent need to create independent and effective mechanisms that guarantee security and prevent new crimes.
Also read: CRIME WITHOUT justice: Honduras still no murder of environmentalist Juan López
Few results
On Friday, May 2, through a statement, the Public Ministry announced to Honduran citizens, the advances obtained in the investigation of the murder of the environmental Defender, Juan López, who is being carried out in conjunction with the Police Investigation Directorate (DPI).
The data set out by the research entity, detail the development of expert opinions that have been based on the extraction of information from 10 phones, however, in almost eight months, this process has not been completed and at the end of, the data obtained would become an integrally analyzed to, according to the Public Ministry to nourish the lines of investigation that are kept ongoing.
The information presented by the Public Ministry, although it makes the state of the investigation process known, does not provide significant advances that help clarify the crime recorded in September 2024, which generates concern in the sectors that demand justice.
Advances of the Public Ministry are not enough
At the discretion of the activist and expert in environmental law Pedro Landathe statement issued by the Public Ministry where they will send a phone to the FBI after almost eight months of the crime, represents a concern and a call for attention for the unjustified delay in the expertise.
Landa said that another of the main concerns is that although from the beginning it was mentioned to possible involved in the political and business sphere, these people have not been called to declare or are being investigated, a fact that he warned, alarms alarms, since the only line that has shown advances is the administrative, while the others remain stagnant.
The environmental law specialist warned that, instead of clarifying the case, research actions seem to aim to divert attention to who ordered and who benefited from Juan López’s murder.
In his opinion, this situation can be interpreted in two ways: or the government of Honduras has no interest in knowing the truth, since it could be a political crime; Or there is a convenience to stop the progress of the case for the current pre -election context, since it could affect the Government Party for the accusations that link the mayor of the Free Party, Adam Fúnez.
Of interest: Juan López murder generates accusations against the Free Party
The above by Pedro Landa was reinforced by the defender and member of the Municipal Committee in defense of the common and public assets of Tocoa, Juana Esquivel, who informed this digital medium that the investigation does not advance for partisan political interests.
Esquivel emphasized that the mayor of Tocoa, who has been indicated on several occasions as one of the suspicious alleged suspicions, continues without being investigated, or required by the authorities and instead is seen next to the figures of the Free Party, specifically of the M28 in campaign activities, so that there is an intention of postponing the investigative process.
On the statement, the defender warned that, far from generating trust, the data presented by the Public Ministry could put the investigative process at risk, revealing sensitive details such as the airport from which the expert team will be transferred. This place, he said, is under the control of Lenir Pérez, an entrepreneur linked to one of the mining companies most denounced by Juan López.
“It seems to me that the Public Ministry has been quite negligent in providing and making public knowledge,” said the defender and member of the Municipal Committee in defense of the common and public assets of Tocoa, Juana Esquivel.
There is no institutional commitment
Through an interview with Criterio.hnthe Jesuit priest, Ismael MorenoHe said that institutionality is not committed to conducting serious, credible and continuity investigation in the case.
Moreno said that at this point, they are waiting for them to be given a date of the hearing of the accused, because the alleged material authors of the crime are detained, but that if they are even given that data, it attracts a lot of attention.
Another of the points remarked by the Jesuit priest, is the issue of the secretivity in which the Public Ministry manages the investigations, however, he stressed his interest in knowing if they have called to declare the mayor of Tocoa, Adam Fúnez, whom he pointed out as one of the suspects of the murder of the environmentalist.
In addition to this, one more factor that demonstrates the lack of commitment, according to Moreno, is the role of the government and what it is doing for the implementation of Decree 18-2024, which seeks the protection of the Carlos Escaleras National Park, which is intimately linked to the reasons why they murdered Juan López.
The priest said that no matter how much the Public Ministry is informing about the case, the crime investigation process of Juan López is paralyzed and silenced, which means that institutionality is not compromised, and that there is information that they do not want to reveal to protect third parties.
It might interest you: Adam Fúnez denies ties, but report would link it with suspect from the crime of Juan López
No independent commission
Although various voices have demanded the formation of an independent technical-scientific commission due to the lack of advances in the case of Juan López, the Honduran authorities continue without responding to the call, despite publicly declare their commitment to the clarification of the crime.
Regarding the creation of the Independent Commission, the expert in Environmental Law, Pedro Landa, explained that the need to create said delegation reflects the deficiencies of obtaining justice in Honduras, so that it is chosen to international instances that allow clarifying the facts.
Landa exemplified what happened in the case of Berta Cáceres, and in that sense he recommended that after that experience the State should not wait for nine years to advance and identify the intellectual authors of a crime, so I point out the urgency of the call to form said commission.
Lea: One month after the murder of Juan López they demand independent research and justice in Honduras
Almost eight months after the murder of the Earth defender and the common and public goods of Tocoa, Colón, Juan López, the advances in the investigation of the Honduran authorities still do not allow identifying the intellectual authors, while sources consulted by criteria.
