Amnesty International has urged the Honduran government to secure justice for the murder of renowned environmental and indigenous activist, Berta Cáceres. As a leader of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), Cáceres was pivotal to the movement against environmentally disruptive projects.
Cáceres was brutally murdered in her home in Intibucá, Honduras, by armed assailants in 2016. This happened amidst her active resistance against the construction of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam project, planned on the Gualcarque river by Honduran electricity company, Desarrollos Energéticos (DESA).
The project had been vehemently opposed since 2006 by the Lenca people, an indigenous tribe inhabiting the region where the dam was to be constructed. They considered the construction to be a direct threat to their lands, water sources, and traditional livelihoods.
According to Amnesty International, Cáceres’ murder is directly linked to her role in opposing the Agua Zarca dam project. The deaths and protests resulted in the withdrawal of DESA’s partners, Sinohydro and the International Finance Corporation, a subsidiary of the World Bank. Similarly, the project’s financiers, the Dutch development bank FMO and FinnFund, a Finnish financial institution, retracted their support post the incident.
In a significant, albeit belated stride towards justice, DESA’s former manager David Castillo, convicted for Cáceres’ murder in 2021, was sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2022. In addition, seven other individuals convicted for her murder received sentences ranging from 30 to 50 years in prison.
Cáceres was posthumously recognized with the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015 for her grassroots campaign against the Agua Zarca project. The award highlighted her efforts to challenge an unjust system. Following her untimely death, the United Nations implored Honduras to bolster protections for human rights defenders. This call for action came amidst reports by Global Witness in 2017 labelling Honduras as one of the most dangerous countries for environmental activists.
Despite the impacts of her tragic death and the global call for action, justice for Cáceres and other activists remains elusive. As Amnesty International and other international bodies continue to advocate for justice and systemic change, the world waits for Honduras’ response.Read More