The National Network of Human Rights Defenders of the Committee of Relatives of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (RENADH-COFADEH), in the face of the vile murder against fellow human rights defender Pablo Isabel Hernández, calls on the national and international community to that this crime does not remain in impunity.

We, members of RENADH-COFADEH, express our outrage at the fact where Pablo Hernández’s life was taken from him, with whom we have shared in recent years in the different training processes that COFADEH facilitated us.

Pablo always showed interest and respect for the issue that brings us together in social struggles and for human rights from the indigenous, peasant, women, social communicators and environmentalists.

“The State has the duty to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of every person, creating the conditions for empowerment and enforceability to exercise fundamental rights and freedoms.” Protection Law for Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Social Communicators and Justice Operators (Decree No. 34-2015)

We energetically repudiate the violent death of our colleague Pablo Hernández from the Lempira network, with this vile crime, the need for protection systems for human rights defenders is again evidenced, which are real and effective, not like the one we have and that supposedly protected the life of Pablo.

Pablo Isabel Hernandez

• Lenca indigenous leader in San Marcos Caiquín in Lempira
• Member of the Network of Human Rights Defenders of Lempira / RENADH-COFADEH
• Leader who promoted the Indigenous and Peoples’ University
• Mayor of La Auxiliaría de La Vara Alta de Caiquín
• Director of Radio Tenán “La Voz” Indígena Lenca “
• Coordinator of the Base Ecclesial Communities- Catholic Church
• President of the Network of Agroecologists of the Biosphere Cacique Lempira Señor de Las Montañas
• Leader of the Political Opposition against the dictatorship

In addition, the vulnerability of the indigenous leaders in Honduras is shown. Pablo accompanied the defense of the Lenca territory in Lempira with a direct threat, being recognized with decision-making positions, which cost him his life today.

The defender of the environment, identified with the common causes, was opposed to mining extractivism, exploitation of the forest and the soil; and it defended the watersheds that supply the indigenous region of San Marcos de Caiquín.

To keep silent in these circumstances would be to be participants in his murder, so we spread his voice through the microphones of Radio Tenán “La Voz Lenca” and multiply it in a demand for justice so that material and intellectual authors pay for it. This fact in which they attacked him from behind on the morning of this Sunday, January 9, 2022, when he was walking towards the church of his community, where he was a Celebrator of the Word of God.

We held the State of Honduras responsible because it did not pay attention to the complaints made by Pablo, regarding the persecution and threats from local authorities who were uncomfortable with our partner expressing the truth.

• We await a prompt investigation and real actions to find the whereabouts of the murderers.
• We demand no to the criminalization of the social struggle and the defense of our rights.

Human rights defenders cannot be killed for defending human rights and it is the duty of the States to give us protection, but in the case of our colleague Pablo Hernanz, 34, we demand justice.

The networks that make up the RENADH-COFADEH are:

• Network of Human Rights Defenders of the South of the country (REDEHSUR)
• Network of Human Rights Defenders and Social Communicators of El Paraíso (Red-Oriente)
• Ocotepecan Human Rights Defenders (DEOCODERH)
• Network of Human Rights Defenders of Lempira (Red-Lempira)
• Network of Lenca Indigenous Human Rights Defenders of La Paz (REDHIL-Paz)
• National Network of Defenders of the Land and Territory (RENADETT)
• Olancho Defenders Network (Olanchred)