Salvadoran Journalist Antonio Hércules Assassinated in Honduras Despite State Protection
The killing of Antonio Hércules, a journalist with state protection, raises concerns over violence against media in Honduras ahead of elections.
Antonio Hércules, a Salvadoran journalist working for A Todo Noticias, was shot and killed in Copán, Honduras, on June 4, 2025. Despite receiving state protection since 2023 following a prior attempted kidnapping, Hércules was attacked while driving his taxi.
The incident occurred approximately 200 kilometers northwest of Tegucigalpa.
The assassination has incited anger and concern within the journalism community, especially in the context of the upcoming elections scheduled for November.
Hércules had been living in Honduras with his wife and children for five years.
Dina Maza, Executive Director of the Association for Democracy and Human Rights, criticized the Copán region's high level of danger, attributing the violence to the intersection of drug trafficking, organized crime, and intolerant politicians who view journalists as threats to their illicit activities.
Maza stated that Hércules's protection was initiated after the previous kidnapping attempt, lamenting that his murder reflects the broader violence facing journalists in Honduras, a situation anticipated to worsen in the run-up to the elections.
Juan Carlos Sierra, President of the College of Journalists of Honduras, called for a transparent and credible investigation into the murder, expressing disappointment over the failure of the Journalist Protection Mechanism to prevent such tragedies.
Honduras is recognized as one of the most violent countries in Latin America and poses significant risks for journalists.
Since 2001, over 100 journalists have been murdered in the country, with approximately 95% of these cases remaining unsolved.
In related news, Costa Rica has also experienced a surge in violence, highlighted by four homicides occurring in less than two hours on June 4, 2025. The incidents took place in Guanacaste, Alajuela, and San José.
This wave of violence has raised alarms as Costa Rica accumulates 378 homicides for the year, reflecting a troubling upward trend.
If the current rate continues, 2025 is projected to mark the third consecutive year with over 900 murders.
Authorities reported the first of these violent events in La Cruz, Guanacaste, around 7:12 PM. Oscar Alonso Obando Rivera, 34, was killed along with a preliminarily identified Nicaraguan, Josué Martínez Zapata.
A suspect reportedly entered Obando’s property and opened fire, leaving both victims dead at the scene.
Following this, a motorcycle believed to have been used by the shooter was found burned nearby.
In a subsequent incident in Ciudad Colón, a 29-year-old man named Jefrey Aurelio Aguilar Barrantes, known as Gazú, was discovered dead in a dimly lit public area with 19 ballistic indicators around his body.
Gazú had previous arrests for aggravated resistance and drug-related activity.
Just prior to his death, concerned relatives sought help to locate him after he failed to return from a nearby shop.
The violence continued in Alajuela, where a 47-year-old man identified as Poza was shot by two assailants wearing white hoods while he rode his bicycle.
Despite the lack of ballistic evidence at the scene, his body was found with multiple gunshot wounds, and law enforcement believes a revolver was likely used.
Authorities are escalating concerns surrounding safety and violence as elections approach, reflecting broader patterns of increasing homicide rates across the region.
The incident occurred approximately 200 kilometers northwest of Tegucigalpa.
The assassination has incited anger and concern within the journalism community, especially in the context of the upcoming elections scheduled for November.
Hércules had been living in Honduras with his wife and children for five years.
Dina Maza, Executive Director of the Association for Democracy and Human Rights, criticized the Copán region's high level of danger, attributing the violence to the intersection of drug trafficking, organized crime, and intolerant politicians who view journalists as threats to their illicit activities.
Maza stated that Hércules's protection was initiated after the previous kidnapping attempt, lamenting that his murder reflects the broader violence facing journalists in Honduras, a situation anticipated to worsen in the run-up to the elections.
Juan Carlos Sierra, President of the College of Journalists of Honduras, called for a transparent and credible investigation into the murder, expressing disappointment over the failure of the Journalist Protection Mechanism to prevent such tragedies.
Honduras is recognized as one of the most violent countries in Latin America and poses significant risks for journalists.
Since 2001, over 100 journalists have been murdered in the country, with approximately 95% of these cases remaining unsolved.
In related news, Costa Rica has also experienced a surge in violence, highlighted by four homicides occurring in less than two hours on June 4, 2025. The incidents took place in Guanacaste, Alajuela, and San José.
This wave of violence has raised alarms as Costa Rica accumulates 378 homicides for the year, reflecting a troubling upward trend.
If the current rate continues, 2025 is projected to mark the third consecutive year with over 900 murders.
Authorities reported the first of these violent events in La Cruz, Guanacaste, around 7:12 PM. Oscar Alonso Obando Rivera, 34, was killed along with a preliminarily identified Nicaraguan, Josué Martínez Zapata.
A suspect reportedly entered Obando’s property and opened fire, leaving both victims dead at the scene.
Following this, a motorcycle believed to have been used by the shooter was found burned nearby.
In a subsequent incident in Ciudad Colón, a 29-year-old man named Jefrey Aurelio Aguilar Barrantes, known as Gazú, was discovered dead in a dimly lit public area with 19 ballistic indicators around his body.
Gazú had previous arrests for aggravated resistance and drug-related activity.
Just prior to his death, concerned relatives sought help to locate him after he failed to return from a nearby shop.
The violence continued in Alajuela, where a 47-year-old man identified as Poza was shot by two assailants wearing white hoods while he rode his bicycle.
Despite the lack of ballistic evidence at the scene, his body was found with multiple gunshot wounds, and law enforcement believes a revolver was likely used.
Authorities are escalating concerns surrounding safety and violence as elections approach, reflecting broader patterns of increasing homicide rates across the region.
