FMO is shocked by the news that Nelson Garcia, another COPINH member, has been murdered in Honduras. After the recent violent death of Berta Cáceres, we have called upon the Honduran government to do anything in their power to stop the ongoing violence and killings in their country. The right of speech for those who speak up for their rights and the livelihoods of people are of very high value to FMO. Every individual should be safe when defending their position. FMO rejects and condemns any violence against those individuals or groups.

Given the current situation, with ongoing violence, FMO decided to suspend all activities in Honduras, effective immediately. This means that we will not engage in new projects or commitments and that no disbursements will be made, including the Agua Zarca project. As already announced, a delegation, including our CEO and FMO’s director for the Energy Sector, will travel to Honduras and visit the communities around the Agua Zarca project to get a complete understanding of the current situation. FMO has invited NGOs to support it in those efforts. This mission will be undertaken as soon as the safety situation allows for it. We will also do a thorough investigation on all the other projects in Honduras it is involved in. On the basis of each investigation, further decisions will be made on the continued involvement of FMO.