Canadian Among Two Killed in Homophobic Attack in Honduras

An attack in Honduras reported to have been motivated by homophobia has left a Canadian man and his partner dead. Gerard Argiud, 80, described as a Canadian national, and his partner, a 42-year-old Honduran named Jorge Sarmiento, were attacked by multiple people on Friday, May 12 in the home they shared in Tela, Atlántida, Honduras, according to local media.

Sarmiento has been referred to as a member of the local LGBT community, reportedly being the previous owner of a gay bar that had shut down recently in the area. According to news reports, Sarmiento died on the scene from being shot, while Canadian Argiud was taken to a nearby hospital after suffering multiple injuries. Argiud died within hours following the attack. Honduran media outlet La Tribuna claims that "strangers" attacked the couple, stabbing and shooting at them.

Tela, the area where Argiud and Sarmiento were killed, is a dominantly Catholic beach town located on the Caribbean coast that has a population of just over 99,000.

The murder of Argiud and his partner has led Atlantis Travel Group to issue the following warning:

"Reports indicate the couple were attacked by several people because of their sexual orientation and position as prominent members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community."

VICE reached out to Global Affairs Canada for comment on the attack, which replied saying it had "received no formal reports with regard to the recent death of a Canadian citizen in Honduras."

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