Honduras, 2016. COPINH (Berta Cáceres)

 

Berta Cáceres, indigenous leader and spokesperson for more than 20 years of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras – Copinh), was murdered on March 3, by “unknown” gunmen. Mexican activist Gustavo Castro, wounded in the attack on Berta, was held for several weeks by the authorities of Honduras in the country despite having already answered to the requirements of justice on numerous occasions. After numerous protests and pressure from Honduran, Mexican and international civil society, Gustavo Castro was able to return safely to Mexico at the end of March.

Berta Cáceres was a firm defender of small farmers and indigenous peoples’ rights and an inspiring social activist, both at regional and continental level, in defense of social and environmental justice, particularly against mining megaprojects and hydropower plants. She had warned many times about Free Trade Agreements as part of the machinery of impunity of transnational corporations. Berta committed her life to health, land, against patriarchism and violence. She opposed the political coup d’etat of June 28, 2009; COPINH denounced the coup as an instrument of violence serving transnational corporations to exploit resources and to repress the dissent of social movements. Berta also opposed US military bases on Lenca territory.

Berta Cáceres was part of the resistance against the “Agua Zarca” project, a dam project developed in cooperation with European and US finance institutions: The German giant Voith Siemens, the FMO (Netherlands Development Finance Company), Finnfund (Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation), and the CABEI (Central American Bank for Economic Integration).

The Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity has demonstrated its indignation in front of Berta Cáceres assassination and has joined the International mobilisation of Solidarty with COPINH and the demand of Justice in the case of Berta.

The Solidarity Actions deployed by the Global Campaign in this case are the following:

• Launch an the International Statement “Justice for Berta Caceres”, signed by hundreds of organizations from all continents and delivered in different