Cáceres grew up in the 1970s during a time of civil unrest and violence in Central America. [21], The developers had breached international law by failing to consult with the local people on the project. We have to wake up, humankind! Last modified on Wed 16 Mar 2016 05.57 EDT. Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbeɾta isaˈβel ˈkaseɾes ˈfloɾes]; 4 March 1971[1] – 2 March 2016)[2] (Lenca) was a Honduran environmental activist, indigenous leader,[3] and co-founder and coordinator of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). He was three metres away. [65] In September 2018, Honduras' Supreme Court suspended indefinitely the trial of eight men accused of Cáceres murder. Also, Galeano on The Right to Delirium", "Cáceres, Threatened Honduran, Wins Biggest Enviro Award", "Berta Cáceres – Goldman Environmental Foundation", "Who killed Berta Cáceres? Cáceres was born into the Lenca people in La Esperanza, Honduras,[11] the predominant indigenous group in southwestern Honduras. [27], On 20 February 2016, more than 100 protesters were detained by security while protesting, and threats against their organisation began to increase.[10][28]. T. he dam would affect the lives of the Rio Blanco community, which is why Cáceres continued to fight, despite having received death threats for opposing the project less than a week ago. Remembering Berta Cáceres, Assassinated Honduras Indigenous & Environmental Leader. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. Her mother, a midwife and social activist, took in and cared for refugees from El Salvador, teaching her young children the value of standing up for disenfranchised people. Their relatives and the Civic Council of Popular …, “He may be an S.O.B., but he’s our S.O.B.” That quip — of uncertain origin, but often traced to Franklin D. Roosevelt about Nicaragua’s ruthless dictator Anastasio Somoza — became a shorthand excuse for dubious American foreign policies during the …, Leahy Statement On The Election In Honduras Those of us who care about Central America have watched the election for Honduras’ next president with increasing alarm. [66], CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras, Central American Bank for Economic Integration, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Gunmen murder Honduran indigenous leader Berta Cáceres, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, National Autonomous University of Honduras, "En memoria de Berta Cáceres: una mujer e indígena excepcional", "Represa de Violencia: El plan que asesinó a Berta Cáceres", "Matan a Berta Cáceres, líder indígena hondureña", "To Defend the Environment, Support Social Movements Like Berta Cáceres and COPINH", "Berta Cáceres: "Green Nobel." I cannot live in peace, I am always thinking about being killed or kidnapped. Where to send sensitive information about Honduras. Surrounded by pine-covered mountains it felt very peaceful, but twice she stopped mid-sentence as army patrols drove past. 2 quotes from Berta Cáceres: 'They are afraid of us because we are not afraid of them' and 'Wherever the struggle is...there is one thing in common: the voracity of the transnational corporations and the ambition of these non-persons who govern us who give away to business the richnesses that belong to everyone.'

Berta invited him to stay at her place for the night, "as her place had a better internet connection than his accommodation". By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. ", Hija de Berta Cáceres: Ella era una luchadora firme, "Secretario de la OEA condena asesinato de Berta Cáceres", "Berta Cáceres, Human Rights, Environmental Activist Killed In Honduras", "La ONU condena el asesinato de la líder indígena hondureña Berta Cáceres", "Gobierno de Honduras condena el vil asesinato de Berta Cáceres", "Honduran environmentalist Berta Caceres murdered in her home", "Calle 13:"El asesinato de Berta Cáceres multiplicará la lucha, "Alcaldesa de Barcelona: "Asesinos de Berta no callarán su vuz ni su lucha, "Venezuela:Nicolás Maduro reacciona por muerte de hondureña Berta Cáceres", "Murder of activist Berta Cáceres sparks violent clashes in Honduras", "On The Assassination Of Berta Caceres In Honduras", "Remembering Berta Cáceres, Assassinated Honduras Indigenous & Environmental Leader", "Justicia por Berta en Colombia: manifiestan en las afueras de la embajada de Honduras", "Proteste nach Ermordung von Aktivistin Berta Cáceres in Honduras". “I cannot freely walk on my territory or swim in the sacred river and I am separated from my children because of the threats.

Her next challenge was stopping a company from building a hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque River.

Berta Cáceres, (Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores), Honduran activist (born March 4, 1973?, La Esperanza, Hond.—died March 3, 2016, La Esperanza), cofounded (1993) the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) and devoted 10 years to a campaign to stop the construction of the Agua Zarca Dam on the Gualcarque River in the Rio Blanco area of Honduras, work … They violated all my rights. "[41], Cáceres' death was widely condemned, with calls for an investigation coming from the Organization of American States (OAS),[42] the U.S. She was assassinated in her home by armed intruders, after years of threats against her life. [25] In response to the charges, Amnesty International stated that, if the activists were imprisoned, Amnesty International would consider them prisoners of conscience.

Nineteen-year-old taxi driver Diego is not interested in politics. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. But his hometown of El Progreso—a transit hub in central Honduras, where …, Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Chief Deputy Whip and member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, released the following statement on the caravan of Honduran refugees heading towards the United States and President Trump’s support of Honduran President Juan …, The long-awaited trial into one of Central America’s most notorious murders has been thrown into disarray after the judges were formally accused of abuse of authority and a cover-up. Ask Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA), co-chair of the Congressional Central America Committee to support the Berta Cáceres Act H.R.1299, Pedir a la representante Norma Torres de la camarilla Centroamericana del congreso estadounidense apoyar la ley Berta Cáceres H.R. Guardian: Berta Cáceres court papers show murder suspects’ links to US-trained elite troops, Berta’s Assassination Anniversary, The Berta Cáceres Act, and The Global Witness Report, The Guardian: Honduras elites blamed for violence against environmental activists, “Berta lives on, COPINH is strong” – COPINH calls for month of action, Click here to read previously sent newsletters. They thought they would get rid not just of her as a leader recognized throughout Latin America and around the world, but also would end a struggle, a political project, …. “This home, however, had not been reported by her.”. [30], The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights included "Bertha Cáceres" (sic) on its 28 June 2009 list of people under threat during the 2009 Honduran coup d'état. Cáceres was shot dead in her home by armed intruders on the night of 2 March 2016. [14], After attending local schools, Cáceres studied education at a university and graduated with a teaching qualification. The Lenca were concerned that the dams would compromise their access to water, food and materials for medicine, and therefore threaten their traditional way of life. successfully stopped the building of the Agua Zarca Dam that would have cut off her community, the Lenca indigenous group, from water and food. [10][21] Other local business leaders supported the project. Cáceres singled out Hillary Clinton for her involvement in legitimizing the 2009 Honduran coup d'état: "The return of the president, Mel Zelaya, became a secondary issue.