Honduras
An renowned environmental activist who had precautionary measures activated by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was shot to death in the municipality of Tocoa, department of Colón. The Honduran president denounced the event in X: “We repudiate the vile murder of our comrade and environmental leader Juan López in Tocoa, Colón. I have ordered that all the capacity of the forces of law and order be used to clarify this tragedy and identify those responsible”. According to López's wife in dialogue with AFP, the social leader—who opposed open-pit mining and was a councilman in Tocoa—was attacked outside an evangelical church. About three years ago he had referred to the risks of his activism, which included a violent death that finally befell him: “When you go into this country to defend the commons [...] you come into conflict with the big interests.... If you leave your home, you always have in mind that you don't know what will happen to you, if you can come back”. Two days before his death, López had called for the resignation of the mayor of Tocoa—like him, a militant of the ruling party—for his alleged links to drug trafficking.
SourceMéxico
Seven homicides were reported last Friday in the municipalities of Culiacán and Concordia, amid fierce fighting between factions of the Sinaloa cartel. On Saturday, four more were reported, while this Sunday the bodies of five men were found abandoned at the southern exit of Culiacán, all with a hat on their heads and another small hat—like ornament—on their chests. The balance now stands at 28 violent deaths since last Monday. The prosecutor's office in the state of Sinaloa also reports eight men kidnapped on Friday in the capital, confirming a tough context for the people there. “My cousins have been locked in their house, my aunt doesn't want them to go out because they said the [criminals] are recruiting people”, a local resident tells AFP. The clashes are being linked to the arrest in the United States of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a historic druglord who was allegedly kidnapped by a son of “El Chapo” Guzmán to hand him over to US authorities, undermining the increasingly weak alliance between “La Mayiza” and “Los Chapitos”.
SourceVenezuela
The Miraflores palace has once again denounced a plot to destabilize the country, which allegedly included an attempt on Nicolás Maduro's life. Chavismo has been recurrent in presenting plots against the Venezuelan president or in general to commit violent acts, almost always implicating the governments of Colombia and the United States. There is no definitive public evidence that directly involves any of these governments in any of the projects, such as a drone attack against Maduro—while he was giving a speech—and an attempt of infiltration by sea coordinated by a former Green Beret, both planned in Colombia. This time the Venezuelan government has involved a Spanish intelligence agency along with the classic allusion to U.S. intelligence. Fourteen people have been arrested, including three Americans, two Spaniards, and two Czechs. The Minister of the Interior and veteran Chavista leader Diosdado Cabello presented some of the weapons seized at the time of making public the denunciation.
SourceAnd this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.
