He fought to save jungles in Honduras. Now his killing haunts environmental defenders

Associated Press

TOCOA, Honduras (AP) — Seven bullets pounded into Juan López outside a small white church on a sunny September afternoon. Another environmental champion in Honduras was dead after leading the fight to protect dense jungle and crystalline waters in a region rife with corruption and drug trafficking. López’s killing in the most deadly region in the world for environmentalists led to calls for justice from the Biden administration, the United Nations and Pope Francis. As environmental groups struggle to carry on, his death has become emblematic of the failures of a government that once offered hope for change.