Berta CáceresCausa Berta CáceresEnglish

DAY OF GLOBAL ACTION FOR JUSTICE FOR BERTA

URGENT ACTION:

Honduras must immediately investigate and prosecute the executives who knew of and consented to the murder of Berta Cáceres

AQUI EN ESPAÑOL

In the last month of the oral and public trial for the murder of Lenca leader Berta Cáceres, Honduras and the world have witnessed that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has had in its hands for four years evidence of illegal actions committed by the criminal structure called “DESA” found in investigative proceedings conducted by the State itself, but has refused to act.

The evidence presented in the trial against David Castillo, a military intelligence officer trained in the United States, has shown that the accused planned the assassination of Berta Cáceres while he was the general manager of the illicit association called “DESA” under the command of the Atala Zablah family and in coordination with other already convicted employees of the company. 

The hundreds of records, chats, and audios presented by the expert witness of the Public Prosecutor’s Office are compelling and have demonstrated the clear role of Castillo and his bosses in years of harassment, monitoring, and criminalization of Berta Cáceres and members of COPINH.

What is being revealed in the national courts of Honduras about the role of economic groups, the extractive industry sector, and the highest echelons of the State in the murder of the indigenous rights defender sets a precedent not only for Honduras but for the entire region; it is a historic moment and an opportunity to tear down the walls of impunity. 

June 2, Global Day of Action for #JusticeForBerta.

Take action:

1. Send a letter to Honduran authorities demanding that all those responsible for the murder of Berta Cáceres be investigated and prosecuted, including DESA board members and company executives, which highlights: 

–The oral and public trial against David Castillo has publicly and clearly evidenced the criminal structure behind the murder of Berta Cáceres. The accused, David Castillo, acted in subordination to members of the Atala Zablah family, who were the majority shareholders and were part of the board of directors of the company DESA.
–The trial has revealed how the structure behind the harassment, surveillance and femicide of Berta Cáceres included the highest levels of the Honduran state and the State of Honduras has had this evidence in its hands for the past four years; it is time for it to act.
–To close the circle of impunity and ensure reparations and non-repetition, the role played by these actors must be investigated. 

Call and write: 
·  Juan Orlando Hernández, President of the Republic diseloalpresidente@presidencia.gob.hn info@presidencia.gob.hn

·  Mauricio Oliva, President of the Congress of the Republic secretariacnhn@gmail.com

·  Rolando Argueta, President of the Supreme Court of Justice arguetarolando1@yahoo.com 
presidencia@poderjudicial.gob.hn

·  Lidia Estela Cardona, Attorney General of the Republic +504 2235-6100

·  Oscar Chinchilla, Attorney General of the Republic suazog@mp.hn 

·  Rosa Seaman, Secretary of Human Rights rosaseamanhn@yahoo.com 

·  Danilo Morales, General Director of the System for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Social Communicators and Justice Operators. analisisderiesgodgsp@gmail.com, proteccion.ddhh.hn@gmail.com 

·  Héctor Leonel Ayala, Secretary of State for the Offices of Justice, Human Rights, Governance and Decentralization. observatorio@sdhjgd.gob.hn 

· Blanca Izaguirre National Commissioner of Human Rights CONADEH blanca.izaguirre@gmail.com

Other contacts: 
· Giampaolo Carmelo Rizzo Alvarado, Permanent Mission of Honduras to the United Nations in Geneva. E-mail: mission@hondurasginebra.ch 

· Roberto Ochoa Madrid, Embassy of Honduras in Brussels. ambassade.honduras@chello.be

· Luis Cordero Montoya, Embassy of Honduras to the OAS. honduras@oas.org

· Luis Suazo Barahona, Ambassador of Honduras to the U.S. +1 (202) 699-7702

· Sofia Lastenia Cerrato Rodriguez, Ambassador of Honduras to Canada ambassador@embassyhonduras.hn

2. Demand justice for Berta on social media. Twitterstorsm for #JusticeForBerta

Take a picture of yourself and demand the capture of the intellectual authors of the crime and #JusticeForBerta.

Examples of tweets: 
 

1- The evidence that has been revealed in the trial against David Castillo is compelling to prosecute the other perpetrators responsible for the murder of #BertaCáceres: the Atala Zablah family.  The @MP_Honduras must prosecute them. #JusticeForBerta #FaltanLosAtala.

2- #BertaCáceres was murdered for claiming indigenous and territorial rights in Honduras in the face of the imposition of extractive projects. The @MP_Honduras must prosecute and judge the hydroelectric executives who planned and paid for her murder.#FaltanLosAtala

3- The @MP_Honduras already has the evidence necessary to prosecute all those responsible for the murder of #BertaCáceres. It is their duty to investigate and prosecute the Atala Zablah family.
Half justice is not justice. #JusticeForBerta #FaltanLosAtala.

4- The evidence is clear: David Castillo is just one piece in the criminal structure behind the murder of #BertaCaceres. 

@MP_Honduras must now prosecute the intellectual authors of the Atala Zablah family who ran the hydroelectric project Berta was fighting against.