The investigation reveals that violence has risen since 2009 and that other vulnerable groups such as lawyers and journalists are also suffering significant rates of violence.

Director of the Violence Observatory of the National Autonomous University of Honduras, Migdonia Ayestas, revealed statistics that show that one teacher is violently murdered each month. The majority of the educators are primary school teachers or administrators. 

Between 2009 and 2014 the Observatory registered 83 deaths all over the country. In 2011, 20 teachers were murdered.

“One teacher is violently losing their life each month and we can see this in different departments and municipalities and this is lamentable, one every month, add this to the group of other vulnerable groups like lawyers, journalists and women that are violently murdered,” said Ayestas. Six teachers have died this year.

Among the most memorable cases is Moises Cardoza who was murdered May 24. While giving class to his 33 students in San Alejo, Tela, Caribe de Honduras, four armed men entered his classroom and fatally shot him. A student was also shot in the arm.

More recently, Héctor Augusto López Tábora was found dead this week with his hands and feet tied and with a plastic bag over his head. He was the director of the José Castro López Institute.

Violence in Honduras has escalated since the 2009 coup d´état against democratically elected Manuel Zelaya. Social movements and human rights organizations have denounced the systematic violence against the people.