[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 717 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 717
Honoring Juan Lopez, a Honduran Catholic leader and human rights
advocate murdered in the Tocoa municipality of the Bajo Aguan region of
Honduras and commemorating one year since his assassination.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 15, 2025
Mrs. Ramirez (for herself, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Garcia of
Illinois, Mr. Casar, and Ms. Omar) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Honoring Juan Lopez, a Honduran Catholic leader and human rights
advocate murdered in the Tocoa municipality of the Bajo Aguan region of
Honduras and commemorating one year since his assassination.
Whereas Juan Lopez was a courageous defender of human rights, a community leader
in the department of Colon and Honduras, and an environmental activist;
Whereas Lopez was a spiritual leader to many, a well respected individual within
the Catholic Church, and an aide to the bishop of the local Catholic
diocese;
Whereas, in 2019, Lopez won the Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award;
Whereas Lopez was recognized as ``a well-known and respected environmental
defender'' in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2024
published by the State Department;
Whereas, as a leader of the Comite Municipal de Defensa de los Bienes Comunes y
Publicos, Lopez opposed corruption and impunity and defended the land,
and the land rights, of the people of the Bajo Aguan region;
Whereas Lopez was a victim of wrongful imprisonment and false prosecution,
having spoken out against corrupt government officials of the Tocoa
municipality of such region;
Whereas, on September 14, 2024, Lopez was brutally assassinated by two men on a
motorcycle, who shot Lopez multiple times as he was leaving a chapel
immediately after leading a prayer service;
Whereas Juan Lopez was assassinated days after publicly calling for the
resignation of Adan Funez, the mayor of Tocoa, following the publication
of a video in which Funez and the brother-in-law of the President of
Honduras discussed bribes with Honduran drug traffickers, some of whom
have since been extradited and tried in the United States;
Whereas, although three individuals have been charged in connection with the
killing of Lopez, no charges have been levied against the masterminds
behind the crime;
Whereas preliminary hearings relating to the assassination of Juan Lopez have
been postponed multiple times, and the investigation of additional
conspirators continues;
Whereas land defenders and environmental activists within the communities of the
Guapinol, Tocoa, and other municipalities in the Bajo Aguan region of
Honduras, the majority of whom are women, endure recurring threats,
attacks, arbitrary arrests, and assassinations;
Whereas, among such defenders and activists, the defenders of the Botaderos
Mountain, Carlos Escaleras Mejia National Park in Honduras have been
subjected to persistent harassment, criminalization, and assassination;
Whereas 6 other members of the Guapinol water defenders have been assassinated;
Whereas such assassinations and other crimes are intended to intimidate and
silence those who oppose the operation of an open-pit iron oxide mine in
the Botaderos Mountain and the project commonly referred to as the
``Ecotek Thermoelectric Project'', which threaten the livelihoods of
local communities and the environment of such region;
Whereas, despite Honduran prosecutors formally accusing company leaders and
local government officials connected to such open-pit iron oxide mine of
illegally exploiting resources, abusing authority, and committing
``environmental crimes'' by mining in the national reserve, individuals
residing in the area allege the mining has continued;
Whereas, in October 2023, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued
precautionary measures for Juan Lopez and others, to insist that the
Government of Honduras protect individuals who are at severe and urgent
risk of irreparable harm to their rights to life and safety;
Whereas the Government of Honduras made insufficient progress in implementing
effective protective measures to save the life of Juan Lopez and to
protect communities and advocates in the Bajo Aguan region of Honduras;
and
Whereas the people of such region should not have to live in fear of powerful
companies and corrupt government officials stealing their land,
polluting their rivers, and murdering courageous leaders, such as Juan
Lopez and Berta Caceres, for peacefully defending the natural resources
that are rightfully theirs: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors the life and legacy of Juan Lopez;
(2) grieves with his family and all those who loved him;
(3) affirms its support for the establishment of--
(A) a new commission against corruption and
impunity within the Government of Honduras; and
(B) an international commission to provide
technical assistance (including scientific assistance)
for the investigation into the criminal masterminds
behind the murder of Juan Lopez and related judicial
proceedings;
(4) commends the efforts of the Guapinol water defenders
and all those who struggle to protect the land, environment,
and communities in the Bajo Aguan region threatened by corrupt
interests;
(5) affirms its commitment to remembering the enduring
legacy of Juan Lopez and ensuring the Honduran people can live
without fear of powerful companies and corrupt government
officials stealing their land, polluting their rivers, and
murdering courageous leaders for peacefully defending natural
resources; and
(6) calls on the United States Government to--
(A) work in solidarity with the people of Honduras
to build a more secure, democratic, and prosperous
country and expand opportunities for all Hondurans to
live safe and fulfilling lives; and
(B) increase engagement with, and support for,
communities in Honduras on the front lines of defending
human rights and democracy for all, to ensure their
voices and recommendations inform any United States
decision or action related to Honduras.
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