PRESS STATEMENT
For immediate release
May 22, 2026
Contact: press@alianzaamericas.org / (773) 638-4278
Alianza Americas, a network of more than 55 organizations led by immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean with a transnational focus, strongly condemns the massacre that took place on May 21, 2026, at the Paso Aguán Farmers’ Cooperative, in Rigores, in the municipality of Trujillo, department of Colón, Honduras. According to preliminary reports, at least 19 people were killed, including women, men, and children, in a region historically marked by agrarian conflict, impunity, and the presence of organized crime in the Bajo Aguán.
This tragedy is the most brutal manifestation of decades of state neglect and structural violence against rural communities defending their right to land. In this context, we recall the murder of environmental defender Juan López, a municipal councilor from Tocoa, which occurred in September 2024. —a crime that we publicly denounced and which highlights the systematic pattern of violence that continues to claim lives in the region.
We also express concern over the armed attack that took place on the same day in the village of Corinto, on the Atlantic coast, which left five police officers dead, and whose investigation has already crossed borders with the arrest of two Honduran citizens who were wounded in Guatemala. These simultaneous events underscore the urgency of a coordinated, transparent institutional response that eschews the logic of a state of emergency, which has historically violated the rights of the most vulnerable communities.
We demand that the Honduran government:
No one should die defending the land, water, and life. Alianza Americas stands in solidarity with the families of the victims and with the communities of Bajo Aguán that continue to resist amid violence and impunity.
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Alianza Americas is a transnational network of migrant-led organizations in the United States. We advocate for social justice, equity, and human rights in the Americas.
