Benitez had been working as a journalist for over 15 years. According to police officers involved in the case, he was attacked by two people who robbed and then killed him.

The Police believes the motif of the crime was theft. Nevertheless, the Committee for Free Speech of Honduras (C-Libre), a coalition of journalists and members of the civil society created to promote and defend freedom of speech and the right to information in the country, has information that links the murder of the journalist with his work.

C-Libre issued a statement where according to sources in La Ceiba, Benitez had denounced last week on Channel 45 a group of criminals that stole cars, and he even affirmed that he knew some of them.

Benitez is the fourth journalist murdered in Atlantida and the 13th at national level since 2010. In addition, many communication media workers have been threatened to death, kidnapped or arrested, among other attacks.

“Up to the moment, the government has been incapable of preventing these attacks and murders, and has failed to investigate and punish those responsible, and therefore most of the deaths are still unpunished”, denounced C-Libre. In May, the Committee had warned that the National Security Department was failing to comply with its duty to protect the physical integrity of the journalists who are threatened.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation of Honduras arrested Professor and social journalist Carlos Danilo Amador, secretary of the Valle de Siria Environmentalist Committee, department of Francisco Morazán. The leader has been publicly opposing the activity of Entremares mining company, subsidiary of Canadian transnational GoldCorp.

Amador is the presenter of a show on Porvenir Stereo radio. He was arrested in Talanga municipality. He and community leader Marlon Robelo Hernandez were accused by a Talanga Court after a denunciation submitted by the Raudales Urrutia family of hindering the implementation of a forest management plan authorized by the Forest Conservation Institute in 600 hectares in El Porvenir municipality, Francisco Morazán. The Valle de Siria Environmental Committee links Amador’s arrest with his rejection to the activities of Entremares (Goldcorp).

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