Pablo Hernández, Lenca indigenous leader in Honduras shot dead

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(CNN Spanish) -

The indigenous leader of the Lenca community Pablo Hernández was killed by several shots this Sunday when he went from his home to the Catholic chapel where he was a delegate of the word of God, reported the Network of Human Rights Defenders of the Committee of Relatives of the Detained Disappeared in Honduras (Renadh-Cofadeh).

The incident occurred in the community of Tierra Colorada, San Marcos de Caiquín, in the department of Lempira, west of Tegucigalpa.

The non-governmental organization stated in a statement that Hernández was “attacked from behind” by “armed men,” who have not yet been identified.

The police director of Investigations, Rommel Martínez Torrez, told CNN on Monday that they are already carrying out the initial procedures to find those responsible and find out the causes of the activist's death.

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Berta Oliva, general coordinator of Cofadeh, said in a statement that Hernández had denounced in his office months ago that he was being persecuted for being a defender of human rights, the environment and the interests of the Lenca community.

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Several human rights organizations called for the authorities to clarify the crime and bring those responsible to justice.

Pablo Hernández is the first human rights activist assassinated so far in 2022 in Honduras.

She was a member of the same indigenous ethnic group to which Berta Cáceres, the environmentalist and human rights defender assassinated in March 2016, belonged.

In addition to defending human rights and the environment, Hernández was the director of the community radio Tenán, the Lenca indigenous voice, and promoted the Indigenous and Peoples' University.

He was also president of the Network of Agroecologists of the Biosphere of Cacique Lempira Señor de las Montañas, whose objective is to defend the forest and water in western Honduras.

Honduras Indigenous leader