Homero Gómez González born of a logging family in El Rosario in western Michoacán Mexico spent his former years chopping down Pine. The timber that not only supported him but as well as his whole community. Throughout those years he was actively critical of the conservation efforts to save the trees, not unsurprisingly, as it would have lead to grave poverty in that area. He went on to study agricultural engineering at Chapingo Autonomous University. After his degree was the moment he went full 180.

The Monarch Butterfly which flies in from Canada (4500km trip) in their thousands and makes a home of the pine trees, presented González with an opportunity. Gómez convinced others of the impacts of deforestation and had logging outlawed successfully. Soon after, he became the official spokesperson of the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve. All was building up to plan. The plan was to start a sanctuary; he knew thousands of tourists would show.

Tourists did show, in fact, 140,000 for just the brief time when the butterflies come. Everything was going well. He even planted a further 150 acres, sum 1 million more trees. He and most of is community thrived, but not all got a piece of the pie.

Illegal loggers started to show of which most had connections with the drug trade; they were dangerous. Gómez outraged by them would search with groups of men around the forest eager to catch any potential illegal activity.

Gómez’s disappearance and death.

• Last seen on 13 January at a meeting in the village of El Soldado
• Reported missing 14 January 2020
• 200 volunteers search for Gómez 15 January 2020
• The police force of Ocampo and Angangueo detained for questioning
• Body Found 30 January 2020

Two weeks after the disappearance his body was found in an agricultural reservoir in Ocampo. Officials comment on accidental death by drowning. The coroner later revealed he had a blunt force trauma to the head. Shortly after Gómez’s body was recovered, the body of Raúl Hernández Romero was found. Hernández was a tour guide at the same reserve as Gómez.

Who knows who killed Gómez, but speculation that the criminal organizations involved in illegal logging were involved.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homero_G%C3%B3mez_Gonz%C3%A1lez