Another Honduran Activist Murdered, Amid Questions of a Govt “Hit List”

FEATURING SUYAPA PORTILLO – Yet another prominent Honduran activist has been murdered, adding to the on-going grim tally of slain leaders. The body of 49-year old Lesbia Yaneth Urquia was found in a garbage dump in a town outside the capital Tegucigalpa late last week. Her death comes 4 months after the most high-profile Honduran activist, Berta Caceres, was killed.

Thousands of people marched in Urquia’s funeral, mourning her loss. This latest incident comes on the heels of a Guardian newspaper exposé of the existence of a so-called “hit list” that is said to exist in the government, naming prominent activists for murder.

Over the past five years, more than a 100 people have been killed in Honduras in relation to opposition of dams and mining and logging projects. The US, which has strong military ties to the Honduran government, says it is looking into the on-going human rights violations.

Suyapa Portillo, Assistant Professor of Chicano/a-Latino/a Transnational Studies at Pitzer College; she has a blog on the Huffington Post.