The product that grew wings

Damas del Sol Bubble Bar supports human rights activists and land defenders in Mexico: a homage to Homero Gómez González, guardian of the Monarca butterflies

In January 2020, Environmental Activist Homero Gómez González was found dead, two weeks after he went missing in his home state of Michoacán, México. Known and respected as a protector of the Mariposa Monarca (Monarch butterflies), Mr González managed El Rosario butterfly reserve. Millions of Monarca butterflies arrive here after their annual 2,000-mile (3,220km) journey from Canada to enjoy the warmer weather in central Mexico during winter.

His colleague, Raúl Hernández Romero, who was also connected to the butterfly sanctuary, was also found dead shortly after. Suspicion rose immediately that these deaths were related to disputes surrounding illegal logging in the region. Federal and state authorities have consistently denied that these deaths were connected to their activism. 

For decades, Mexico has been known to be an extremely unsafe country for human rights defenders. Human Rights organisation Global Witness tracks murders and disappearances of human rights activists across the globe. Its 2024 report titled, Missing Voices: The erasure of land and environmental defenders, notes that Latin America made up 85% of all killings in 2023. Mexico ranked fourth in the top four countries where more than 70% of the murders occurred. Furthermore, in the period between 1 December 2006 and 1 August 2023, 93 land and environmental defenders disappeared and 40% of them have still not been found.

Damas del Sol: The bubble wand that took off

Lush welcomes staff input into products and for the 2024 Día de Muertos Co-Create Collection, Ana Oviedo, from the Leeds store, was invited to create a product to mark the holiday in Mexico. 

Inspired by Homero Gomez’s passion to protect the Monarca and their habitats, Ana wanted to tell this story through the product, and called it Damas del Sol, or ‘ladies of the sun’, as he called the butterflies. It was a product that quickly grew wings and metamorphosed into a Lush Giving Product: a product that raises money for a particular and pertinent cause. 

“The arrival of the Monarca butterfly to Michoacán happens in late October, early November, coinciding with Día de Muertos,” Ana explains. “Since pre-colonial times, it was believed that the arrival of these creatures meant the arrival of our ancestors’ souls. In the last few years, this sanctuary has been endangered due to the illegal cutting of trees by organised crime in the region. Homero Gomez was a very loved activist who spent most of his time studying, understanding and protecting the Monarca butterflies. This product was a homage to Homero for all his love, work and passion to preserve the Monarca butterflies and the beautiful forests in Michoacán, México.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Monarch butterflies are known for their epic migration, travelling thousands of miles from Southern Canada to Mexico each Autumn, and returning in the spring. This journey has been increasingly threatened. A 59% decline in their overwintering population was recorded in 2024, driven by factors like deforestation in Mexico and climate shifts affecting nectar sources along their route. Like the trek faced by the Monaca butterflies, Ana sees the battle for protection of land and land defenders as a long and challenging road but worth every step.

“Seeing Damas del Sol become a giving product fills me with hope,” she says. “In Mexico, we witness daily injustice and corruption, and the frustration of not being able to do more is overwhelming. We protest, contact authorities, and push for change, yet progress remains slow. Organised crime continues to consume the country's natural richness, taking with it those who fight to preserve it. That's why something as simple as a butterfly-shaped bubble bar can make a difference, "un granito de arena," as my grandma would say. Small acts like this bring positive change, and the fact that this issue is now visible to the Lush community speaks volumes and gives hope. I hope Homero, wherever he is, sees how his fight continues and how we will carry his voice for generations, protecting the habitats he died defending. His legacy lives on in every effort, big or small, to preserve the natural beauty he dedicated his life to.”

Making a difference with your purchase

All profits from the sale of the Damas del Sol Bubble Bar will benefit Mexican-based lawyers and advocates who provide legal support to human rights activists, land defenders and water protectors facing unjust criminalization and threat.

Shortly after the death of Homero Gomez, Mexican poet Homero Aridjis stated, "if they can kidnap and kill the people who work for the reserves, who is going to defend the environment in Mexico?"

Make an impact with your purchase by picking up Damas Del Sol today.

This article was last updated in October 2024