UN Special Rapporteur Morris Tidball-Binz on Friday condemned the killing of 20 Honduran peasants earlier this year, and called for those responsible to be brought to justice. He also called for authorities to ensure that the victims’ families are provided with reparations, and take measures to ensure that there will be no further outbreaks of violence.
The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Tidball-Binz urged that the investigation adhere to the UN Minnesota Protocol, which governs the investigation of potentially unlawful deaths. Tidball-Binz further stated: “No person, group or institution that participated directly or indirectly in these crimes should remain beyond the reach of justice.”
The killings took place on May 21 in Rigores, in the Bajo Aguán region of Colón department. Heavily armed men, some reportedly dressed in police uniforms, opened fire on oil palm plantation workers praying before starting work. The victims, which included women and children, are said to have belonged to a local collective, the Rigores Peasant Movement. The international peasant advocacy network La Vía Campesina and the Catholic Church in Honduras both condemned the massacre and demanded an impartial investigation. Additionally, the national council of the Jesuit Order in Honduras called for a UN-backed commission of inquiry. They argued that the scale of the crime exceeded the capacity and will of national authorities, necessitating UN involvement.
Honduran President Nasry Asfura condemned the massacre the day after it took place, pledging that security and prosecutorial agencies would investigate. His government then ordered a military deployment to the area. On June 3, authorities announced the arrest of the attack’s alleged mastermind.
The Bajo Aguán is contested by rival criminal groups fighting over drug-trafficking routes, though observers have questioned whether the killings arose from a gang dispute. Rights groups have documented similar killings in the region since 2009, most with no resulting criminal prosecutions. Tidball-Binz warned in 2023 that institutionalized impunity and the lack of serious investigations obstructed justice for such unlawful deaths. Monitoring groups have repeatedly raised concerns over Honduras’ overall human rights record, noting attacks on journalists and environmental defenders. Amnesty International has additionally warned that climate change is eroding the livelihoods and rights of vulnerable Honduran communities.
The attacks in the Bajo Aguán are especially said to constitute a violation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas.
