Rigoberto Lima Choc was the first person to document the environmental damage occurring due to the activities of the Empresa Reforestadora de Palma de Petén SA – REPSA in the Río de la Pasión. The local community believe the damage amounts to “ecocide”, meaning that they are now unable to use the river for fishing and drinking as they had before. The human rights defender presented a complaint to the authorities and he appeared as a witness in a case against REPSA. He was killed on 18 September 2015.