Edwin Fernández Saravia, was a leader and human rights defender in the Garífuna community of Rio Tinto, near Tela, in Atlántida province in the extreme north of Honduras.
It is an isolated and environmentally sensitive area.
Fernández Saravia was a member of the Organización Fraternal Negra de Honduras, (Black Fraternal Organisation of Honduras), Ofraneh, and was well respected because of his dedication to serving the community.
According to reports, Fernández Saravia was in charge of the security gate into the community which was set up as part of the community’s anti-COVID strategy, and was shot because he refused to hand over the key to the security gate.
On 21 May, 2020, three hooded men arrived at his house, forced open the door and opened fire shooting him dead.
He had seen the three gunmen approaching his house and had run inside and locked the door. He then realised that his 9-year-old son was still outside and ran out to get him. As he was running back into the house the gunmen shot him in the back. He was not able to close the door because of his injuries. The gunmen then forced their way in to finish him off.
In its 2020 report, “Honduras, Destrucción, Muerte y Corrupción” (Honduras: Destruction, Death and Corruption) human rights organisation Aci-Participa highlighted the disappearance or murder of 15 human rights defenders in 2020 as evidence of the deteriorating human rights situation in the country.
