The Employment and Economic Development Zones (ZEDE) is a free trade zone project promoted by the Honduran government and the political and economic elite that involves the expropriation and exploitation of territory and natural resources, and the establishment of an institutional vacuum to monitor human rights. Defenders of human rights, workers, territory and the environment have repeatedly spoken out against the installation of the ZEDEs and demand the repeal of the Organic Law on Employment and Economic Development Zones (ZEDE), which they claim was passed unconstitutionally.

Various demonstrations against the ZEDEs claim that their implementation violates the country's sovereignty. Likewise, there have been threats to the population that resists their installation, including threats to the inhabitants of communities such as Crawfish Rock that their land would be expropriated if they did not support the project.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has initiated an investigation into this state project due to the persecution and assassination of indigenous and Afro-Honduran leaders who oppose the ZEDE. The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights has also spoken out on the issue.