Samuel Edgardo Martίnez López

On Monday morning, peasant leader of the National Central of Field Workers (CNTC), Samuel Martínez, of the municipality of Tutule, department of La Paz, was found dead. Samuel Martínez, was president of the Peasant Association Company July 9 in that sector of the central area of ​​the country.

Martinez was found dead early in the morning of the 19 February, near the municipality of Tutule and initially it appeared to be a motor cycle accident.  “However It is worth mentioning that our colleague had been released from prison a couple of months ago as he had been accused of the crime of usurpation. So we rule out the possibility that it was a simple accident,” said the Secretary General of the CNTC.

He was released on November 11 of last year, after remaining four months behind bars. Bertha Oliva, coordinator of the Committee of Relatives of Disappeared Detainees in Honduras (COFADEH), has demanded that the relevant authorities urgently and independently investigate the death of the peasant leader, who is supposed to have died due to a traffic accident.

“There is no confidence in the official investigation which is why COFADEH is calling for a full and independent investigation” said Oliva.

 

 


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Region:Americas

Country:Honduras

Department/Province/State:La Paz

Sex1:Male

Age:33

Date of Killing:19/02/2018

Previous Threats:No information

Type of Work:Community leader

Organisation:Central Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo (CNTC)

Sector or Type of Rights the HRD Worked On:ESC Rights

Sector Detail:Land Rights

More information:Front Line Defenders

1This database records an individual's chosen gender identity. If they do not self-identify as male or female they can use the option of recording other/neither or use the term NBGI (non binary gender identity).