On June 15, 2023, yet another Guapinol human rights defender has been killed, deadly repression that is linked to the mining interests in Honduras of Nucor Corporation (largest U.S. steel producer).
Picture: Diario Colon
With many indications it was a planned assassination, the attack and killing occurred at 10:30am at the family’s house, carried out by two armed subjects riding a motorcycle. Honduras Now (@HondurasNow) tweeted that Catalina Ramos, Orquelí Domínguez’s mother, was also injured in the attack. The hitman opened fired on their house. Ramos is currently receiving medical attention for her injuries. Orquelí was 42 years old.
The Municipal Committee in Defense of Commons and Public Goods of Tocoa decries the murder of Oquelí Domínguez, older brother of Alí Domínguez (murdered on January 7), younger brother of Reynaldo Domínguez, a land defender recognized internationally in the Guapinol struggle for territory, water, and environment.
Los Pinares mining project, operating inside a protected area National Park. Photo: Lenin Pérez
Nucor Steel, North Carolina, U.S. Photo: Nucor
Now, two brothers from the same Guapinol family have been murdered. The third brother –Reynaldo– was one of close to 30 Guapinol land defenders jailed –some for over 900 days– under trumped up criminal charges.
When will mining-linked crimes and repression against the residents of Guapinol and the municipality end?
Background
The Struggle to Defend Water in Guapinol
Honduras Now Podcast, Jan. 15, 2021, https://www.hondurasnow.org/episode-14-the-struggle-to-defend-water-in-guapinol/
Hidden connection between a US steel company and Los Pinares mine in Honduras
By Jennifer Ávila and Danielle Mackey, Univision, November 9, 2020, https://www.univision.com/univision-news/latin-america/the-hidden-connection-between-a-us-steel-company-and-the-controversial-los-pinares-mine-in-honduras
The Guapinol community, on the country’s north coast, has become militarized in an effort to defend the river that supplies it
By Nina Lakhani, The Guardina, 6 Oct 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/06/how-honduras-became-one-of-the-most-dangerous-countries-to-defend-natural-resources
More information
Karen Spring, Honduras Now
https://www.hondurasnow.org/; https://twitter.com/HondurasNow
