ASJ Condemns Assassination Attempt Against ASJ-Honduras Board Member Jorge Machado That Resulted In Death Of Bodyguard

December 16, 2016

The Association for a More Just Society (ASJ, formerly known as AJS) condemns the attack on Thursday evening against Pastor Jorge Machado, member of the board of directors of ASJ-Honduras, executive director of the Evangelical Fellowship of churches in Honduras, and member of the Special Commission for Police Purging.


Unknown individuals opened fire on Machado and his wife as they arrived at their home in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, severely wounding two of the military police officers who had been assigned to protect them. Officer Geovany Rolando Calderón died of his wounds as he was transported to the hospital. Ricardo Chavarría Mendoza, who was shot four times, remains in critical condition.


This attack comes after many threats against the Special Commission. In the seven months since they were named by President Juan Orlando Hernández, the Special Commission has fired 2,070 members of the National Police as part of a complete transformation and restructuring of the institution. The majority of these were high-ranking officers, including six of the nine police generals.


“We do not doubt that this attempt is the result of the work we have been carrying out,” said Pastor Alberto Solórzano, member of the Police Purging Commission.


Nonetheless, the Commission confirms that this attempt will only increase their dedication to the process of reforming the police. “To those who intended to frighten us: you will not intimidate us,” said Commission member and ASJ director of advocacy Omar Rivera, “Honduras deserves an honest and capable National Police. This process will not be stopped – there is no point of return.”


In response to this despicable attack, ASJ declares the following:


  1. We condemn this cowardly act directed against Jorge Machado, which resulted in the death of Officer Geovany Rolando Calderón, and the severe injury of Ricardo Mendoza Chavarría
  2. We mourn the death of agent Calderón who gave his life in the line of duty, and the irreplaceable loss which his family suffered; we also hope for a prompt and full recovery for agent Chavarría
  3. We continue our commitment to work for a more just Honduras in which systems such as the National Police function in defense of the most vulnerable. Rather than being intimidated by these cowardly acts, we redouble our efforts to promote a transformed and trustworthy Honduran police force
  4. We call on Honduran authorities to investigate this case, to arrest both the intellectual and material authors of this crime, and to obtain convictions
  5. We call on the Special Commission, now more than ever, to continue their brave and difficult task
  6. We call on our colleagues and partners, both national and international, to demand justice in this case, protection for human rights defenders, and support for the essential and ongoing work of police reform in Honduras


Association for a More Just Society (ASJ-US)


Hondurans cast their ballots during the November 30, 2025, general election, which saw historic vote
By Brian ASJ December 10, 2025
Hondurans cast their ballots during the November 30, 2025, general election, which saw historic voter turnout and a peaceful process supported by more than 12,000 national and international election observers working to safeguard transparency.
December 2, 2025
ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US Congratulate the Honduran People,  Call for Full and Transparent Results As sister organizations committed to justice, peace and hope in Honduras, ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US extend our deepest congratulations to the people of Honduras on the peaceful conduct of their national elections on November 30, 2025. With the initial tally showing an extraordinarily close vote, we call on election authorities to do what is necessary to ensure a transparent count of the remaining ballots in order to guarantee public trust in the final outcome. We commend the Honduran voters for their dedication to democratic participation and their commitment to shaping the future of their country through civic engagement. We also recognize the efforts of electoral authorities, civil society organizations, the international community and the thousands of volunteer observers who worked to ensure a transparent, orderly, and secure process. We are especially proud of our sister organization, ASJ-Honduras, for their unwavering commitment to democracy demonstrated through their electoral observation efforts, their analysis activities, and their consistent call for a fair and orderly process. Now that such a process has been achieved, the work turns to counting the votes with accuracy and transparency. The results remain close, increasing the possibility of a contested result. We support the work of the election officials at the National Electoral Council to give Hondurans confidence in the final results by conducting their count with rigor and transparency. We remain hopeful that the spirit of peaceful participation in the democratic process embraced by the electorate will carry forward into the post-election period to come. We look forward to continued collaboration with ASJ-Honduras as we all work together toward a just and hopeful future for all Hondurans. Matthew Van Geest President, Board of Directors ASJ-Canada Russ Jacobs President, Board of Directors ASJ-US
November 28, 2025
A call to action for Honduras
By Elizabeth Hickel November 25, 2025
The Association for a More Justice Society-US Supports the Network to Defend Democracy; Calls for Free and Fair Elections in Honduras November 25, 2025
November 13, 2025
Honduras’s Institutional Crisis Deepens Ahead of the 2025 Elections
By Elizabeth Hickel November 12, 2025
Dear friend,  I couldn’t stop looking at the picture. Of course, there had been plenty of inspiring photos from this summer’s Prayer Walk for Peace and Democracy. The sea of blue and white rising and falling as hundreds of thousands walked the Honduran hills through Tegucigalpa, flowing like a never-ending stream. Catholic nuns praying their rosaries alongside Pentecostals dancing in the streets. But the picture that still knocks me flat is the closeup. The one of the two men standing side by side (picture enclosed). They are exhausted, and the shorter collapses into the taller. The tears mostly hold joy and relief, but they are mingled with something darker. After all, there had been threats—promises of harm done to themselves and their loved ones if they led their followers through the streets of Honduras in prayer. Despite the fear and intimidation, Pastor Gerardo Irías and Monsignor José Vicente Nácher forged ahead. They knew Honduras needed unity and, above all, prayer before the looming November 2025 presidential elections. As an ASJ supporter, you know that these kinds of threats aren’t out of the ordinary, and your support has helped slow and reverse violence in Honduras. Today, I am writing to share a way you can continue standing with brave Hondurans like Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José in hope. The Evangelical pastor and the Catholic archbishop put the word out as widely as they could to their churches, hoping to mobilize 20,000 to walk and pray. Instead, an estimated 230,000 walked in the capital of Tegucigalpa alone. It was a historic moment. And without your past support for ASJ, it may have never happened. After all, two years prior, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José didn’t even know each other’s names. They first met in 2023 at ASJ’s offices. They were two of many civil society leaders convened by ASJ to discuss safeguarding democracy– especially before the election in 2025. It was at that meeting that they shook each other’s hand and learned each other’s name. It was at that meeting–and many subsequent meetings–where old religious prejudices began to be replaced by trust and mutual affection. So, when the moment came this summer to act, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José knew what they had to do. And they knew that they had to do it together.
November 11, 2025
Calvin alums turn faith into action through nonprofit
October 13, 2025
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
September 10, 2025
Thank You for Moving Forward With Us this Summer!
September 8, 2025
When Policies Shift, Families Pay the Price * by Jo Ann Van Engen
Show More