What happened to Homero Gómez from Netflix's The Guardian of the Monarchs? Butterfly activist's fate explored

Netflix has added another documentary to its roster with The Guardian of the Monarchs. Released on May 9, 2024, the documentary film follows the life of Mexican environmentalist Homero Gómez and his mysterious disappearance in 2020.

As per Netflix, the film's synopsis reads as follows:

"The forests of Michoacán are home to millions of monarch butterflies. Activist Homero Gómez was highly vocal about its preservation – and then he vanished."

Homero Gómez González worked as the manager of El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve in Michoacán, Mexico. He endeavored to protect the forest of Michoacán which served as a hotbed of criminal activities such as illegal logging.

Gómez had been a logger himself in the past, but he stopped in the early 2000s after becoming aware of the impact of deforestation. He worked with the government to preserve trees and his social media videos about the monarch butterflies increased tourism to El Rosario.

However, things took a dark turn for Gómez after he vanished for over two weeks.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Netflix documentary, The Guardian of the Monarchs.

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The Guardian of the Monarchs subject Homero Gómez was found dead

Homero Gómez González in 'The Guardian of the Monarchs' (Image via Netflix)

Homero Gómez hailed from a logging family who was initially skeptical of conservation efforts. After studying at Chapingo Autonomous University, he became an agricultural engineer and collaborated with conservationists to create a sanctuary.

He not only became an environmental and anti-logging activist but also served as the municipal president and commissioner of El Rosario at one point in time. As the spokesperson of the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve, he worked tirelessly to keep loggers out of the forest and organized marches, demonstrations, and anti-logging patrols.

As depicted in The Guardian of the Monarchs, the forest provides cover for cartel activity. Besides logging, it is also a hideout for smuggling drugs and firearms. Many safehouses are built by criminals where kidnapped people are hidden with minimal scrutiny. In addition, the area is rich in natural resources.

The cartel steals trees at night and also burns large areas to clear them for avocado plantations. These fruits are then exported to the U.S. as they are more profitable than marijuana.

A still from 'The Guardian of the Monarchs' (Image via Netflix)

Gómez opposed such illegal activities and became a vocal advocate against it. He used the press to expose the crimes and called for federal and international action. He was reportedly abducted and threatened by cartel members to curb his activism at one point as a warning.

On January 13, 2020, Homero Gómez attended a local horse racing track where he was last seen mingling with other municipal officials. When he did not return home, his family filed a missing person report the next day. His wife has admitted to receiving phone calls from strangers who claimed to have kidnapped him and asked for ransom, which the family paid.

Despite this, Gómez never returned home and over 200 volunteers joined the search for him. After over two weeks, the body of the butterfly activist was found in an agricultural reservoir in Ocampo. He was 50 years old at the time of his death.

A still from 'The Guardian of the Monarchs' (Image via Netflix)

An official from the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas suggested that Gómez's death may not be linked to his activism. While the Michoacán state prosecutors initially found no signs of violence, a subsequent autopsy disclosed a head injury prior to drowning.

Around US $500, or over 10,000 pesos, was found on Gómez's body which indicated that robbery was not a motive. With no culprit arrested to date, Gómez's death has been speculated to be the handwork of organized criminals due to his activism.

Another activist who worked as a tour guide at the Butterfly Sanctuary, Raúl Hernández Romero, was also found dead a few days later. The killers of both men have not yet been identified nor caught.

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The Guardian of the Monarchs is currently available to stream on Netflix.