Murdered Adalberto Figueroa, environmental leader of Olancho, the ninth environmental leader killed

MAO: statement on the death of Adalberto Figueroa

voselsoberano.com Sunday May 9, 2010 22:07

COMMUNIQUÉ

We denounce to the National and International Community murder of our comrade in struggle, Adalberto Figueroa

With deep sadness we communicate and denounce to the national and international community the murder of our colleague Adalberto Figueroa.

This Saturday morning, May 8, at about 8:30 am, as he was collecting firewood with his 11 year-old son  and a nephew, barely a kilometer from his home, he  was ambushed by people covered with ski masks , who fired several shots at him which killed him immediately.
 
  Adalberto, was an unquestionable leader inside and outside his community, always distinguished by his sense of solidarity and commitment to social causes. Currently he was serving as a board member of our organization, in the charge of the first chairperson. He was a partner committed to the environmental struggle, participated in most activities planned by the Environmental Movement of Olancho (MAO), was the coordinator of the environmental movement of  Municipio Guata and current Councillor for the Corporation of the Municipality, in addition to the environmental struggle and foray into politics, he served spiritually to his community in the charge of Delegate of the Word of God.
 
Today we are saddened and outraged by these facts. There are already nine fellow environmentalists in total who have been killed and the cases remain unpunished, we have reported over and over again these murders and the authorities of our country do not pay them the least importance. We understand that behind public officers from Honduran justice, lies the power of businessmen who are laying down the guidelines to be followed and who must be persecuted.
 
Adalberto leaves a widow and four children, two girls and two boys, the eldest 17 years old and the youngest 8 years-old.
 
Our colleague had no enemies, proof of this is said by the  facts of his life and involvement in various organizations and institutions which coordinate community development projects.
 
We know that behind this murder is a well orchestrated plan by logging businessman interests, with whom he had fought to defend the right of communities before the unsustainable exploitation of forest resources in the area.
 
Days earlier he had raised a complaint which requested  the National Institute of Forest Conservation and Development (ICF) to stop the cuts of wood in this zone. Moreover, there had been an open forum in which it was approved to complete the procedures  to declare the area a protected forest area, due to the importance it has for the municipality, these actions have undoubtedly inconvenienced the exploitators of the resource, who saw their interests threatened and therefore decided to hire hitmen to end the life of Adalberto.
 
It is noteworthy that after the coup,  logging exploitation has increased , the loggers rely on their  friends who are in the ICF and other public institutions, to override the rights of communities, reason  which forced Adalberto and communities to defend their rights against these violations.
 
What to ask before a blind justice who  punishes the weak and bundles up the powerful?
 
  We call on Human Rights organizations at  national and international level and the organizations which constitute  the national front of resistance against the coup, to pronounce on  these events and demand a thorough investigation to punish those responsible.

The blood of the Martyrs

Turns on our struggle

  Board of the  Environmental Movement of Olancho (MAO)

May 8, 2010.