According to the statement, Teresa de Jesus Flores Elvir had disappeared from her house on August 7th. Her body was found days after, on Wednesday 11th, although at first it couldn´t be identified due to the fact that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition.

“Teresita, as we used to call her, was the mother of 14 children, and last year she lost 15 relatives in a car crash when they were returning from a funeral. She coordinated several peasant groups and was director of the Honduran Peasant Organization. She was part of COCOCH, the Coordination of Honduran Peasant Organizations”, reads the statement.

It also states that Teresa´s body had gun shots and signs of having been tortured. Some media also reported that one of her arms was missing.

La Via Campesina doesn’t provide details about the reasons behind the murder, although they say that soon they will explain “the reasons of this crime against a brave woman who gave a large part of her life to the struggles of peasants”.

Since the coup d´etat which took place last June in Honduras, violence against the members of the popular resistance has increased, and has not been reduced by Porfirio Lobo´s administration, who is accused of continuing the coup regime and becoming president through illegitimate elections.

Photo: Teresa de Jesús Flores Elvir, below, right (La Vía Campesina)