PRESS RELEASE No. 5/2025

Nine Years Without Berta! May There Not Be Ten Without Justice.

Today, March 2, 2025, marks the ninth anniversary of the murder of our sister Berta Cáceres, a tireless advocate for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, nature and life in Honduras. Almost a decade after her murder, the road to justice has been arduous and marked by obstacles created by those working to guarantee impunity for the masterminds of the crime.

In November 2024, the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice upheld the sentences against seven men convicted of Berta Cáceres’ murder and the attempted murder of Gustavo Castro.

Among them, David Castillo, president of DESA and former military intelligence officer, was named a co-perpetrator. However, the Supreme Court reduced his sentence, exposing the influence of powerful interests over the Honduran judicial system.

This ruling confirmed the existence of the criminal structure that killed Berta, linked to the Atala Zablah family and state security forces. Yet, impunity still protects the masterminds. Members of the Atala Zablah family continue to use their power to obstruct truth and justice.

Additionally, the Supreme Court ratified the 30-year sentence against Sergio Ramón Rodríguez Orellana for the aggravated murder of Berta Cáceres.

Over these nine years, the Atala family has responded to each of our actions with smear campaigns, media attacks, pressure on the Supreme Court, and aggression against our protests.

The persecution and criminalization of social movements and land defenders have not stopped. The same strategies used to silence Berta have been repeated against other activists.

The murder of environmental defender Juan López on September 14, 2024, is proof of this. Like Berta, he was threatened and had precautionary measures from the IACHR. Yet, he was murdered.

On this ninth anniversary, we demand that investigations move forward without interference and that the masterminds behind Berta’s murder finally face justice.

The recent establishment of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) is a key step in this process. Their work—investigating the intellectual authors, related corruption and financial fraud, and proposing reparations for the victims—must be fully supported.

We call on the Honduran state to guarantee full cooperation, unrestricted access to information, and the international support needed to ensure justice.

Although we have made progress, justice remains incomplete. We demand the identification and prosecution of all those responsible. To those who planned and financed this assassination. Daniel Atala remains a fugitive from justice because evidence has clearly shown his connection to Berta’s murder.

Berta Cáceres lives on in the struggle of the People. Her legacy drives us to continue defending life, justice and the dignity of our territories.

Berta lives on, the struggle continues!

Given in La Esperanza, Intibucá, on March 2nd, 2025.

“With the ancestral strength of Berta, Lempira, Mota, Iselaca and Etempica, our voices rise up, full of life, justice, freedom, dignity and peace.”

Comunicado en español: Aquí