The International Mission "Justice for Berta Cáceres" that maintains its activities these days in Honduras, expresses its deep concern for the misuse of the name of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights by the Honduran Government in relation to the investigation of the Public Prosecutor of the murder of Berta Cáceres.
Several days ago, the Attorney General of Honduras, Óscar Fernando Chinchilla, announced the request to the Honduran Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to certify the investigation of the Prosecutor's Office in the case of the indigenous leader Berta Cáceres. According to the information gathered by the International Mission, the office of the High Commissioner has no technical or operational capabilities to follow the investigations by the Public Prosecutor.
Furthermore, the High Commissioner does not have a mandate to certify an investigation carried out by the Public Prosecutor of a political crime committed against the Coordinator of the Consejo Cívi-co de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH), Berta Cáceres. The office of the High Commissioner announced the opening of the office to accompany Honduras in relation to human rights issues. This is as a result of a request from 2014. However, the media stated that the United Nations is verifying the actions of the Prosecutor's Office in this stage of gathering evidence and other proceedings.
The Mission expected to meet with the office of the High Commissioner in Tegucicalpa on the 18th of March at 12:00 in relation to the case of Berta Cáceres and the statements made by the Honduran Government about the High Commissioner‘s role in this case. Unfortunately the appointment was cancelled 20 minutes before due to unknown reasons. The International Mission had a key interest in this meeting after studying the crucial analysis of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, "Una cuestión de respeto - evitar la complicidad en viola-ciones de derechos humanos en proyectos de desarrollo" ("A matter of respect – to avoid complicity in violations of human rights in development projects") released on the 17th of March.
The International Mission 'Justice for Berta Cáceres' will stay in the country until the 20th of March, holding meetings with various authorities and social movements.
The delegation includes the following people:
Miguel Urbán Crespo - Europe, Member of the European Parliament by PODEMOS - European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL)
Nora Cortiñas - Argentina, Madre de Plaza de Mayo - Founding Line
Pedro Arrojo – Spain, Member of the Spanish Parliament (PODEMOS)
José Olvera - México, UNT-CSA México, National Union of Workers / Trade Union Confederation of the Americas
Beverly Keene - Argentina, Coordinator Dialogue 2000-Jubileo Sur Argentina, member of the Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity
Mirna Perla Jiménez - El Salvador, former magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice in El Salvador
Brian Finnegan – United States, AFL/CIO – CSA. American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organizations
Zulma Larin - El Salvador, Coordinator of Red de Ambientalistas Comunitarios y Coordinación de la Alianza por la Gobernabilidad y la Justici
Natalia Atz Sunuc - Guatemala, Friends of the Earth Latin American and the Caribbean (ATALC)
Gustavo Lozano - México, scholar and lawyer of the social movement coalition for the water and the land (MAPDER and REMA) in cooperation with the Central American movement.
Tom Kucharz - Spain, Political advisor to the PODEMOS delegation in the European Parliament, member of the Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity.
Miguel Ángel de los Santos - México, Lawyer of the Iberoamerican networks of magistrates.
To contact the mission:
misioninternacionaljbc@gmail.com
Latin America:
• Local number: 0050489748879
• J. Elosegui (Radio Mundo Real / Friends of the Earth International): 00598-98846967
• A. Sandoval (Jubileo Sur Américas): 0050587136579
Europe:
• P. Pof (Podemos): 0034-618 154 002
• M. Vargas (Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity): 0034-662026497
• À. Guillamón (Entrepueblos/Entrepobles/Entrepobos/Herriarte): 0034-932683366 / 0034 – 691501789