Statement and call for urgent action:
Berta Cáceres, coordinator of the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), was murdered on Thursday, March 3.
We know that there are no words that can lessen the grief, powerlessness and indignation they feel, but we wish to express our support and solidarity to Berta’s family, those who worked with her at COPINH, and all the Lenca people.
Organizations around the world have risen up in protest in Berta’s name. She is yet another victim of the abuses carried out with impunity in Honduras against those who defend the land, the water, and the right of communities to remain on their lands. We hope that the widespread outrage and international mobilization to demand justice for this cowardly act will contribute to ending the impunity of the Honduran authorities, the large landowners and the large companies that prey upon them all: land, water, communities.
Today it is urgent to support the international campaign to ensure the safety of Gustavo Castro – a member of the Mexican organization Otros Mundos, who was wounded at the time of Berta’s murder and is currently being detained by the Honduran authorities – and of Aureliano Molina and others from COPINH who are being incriminated by the authorities for her murder.
We are calling for as many signatures as possible for these two petitions:
Urgent Action: We urge immediate protection for Gustavo Castro, injured during the assassination of Berta Cáceres - http://movimientom4.org/2016/03/urgent-action-we-urge-immediate-protection-for-gustavo-castro-injured-during-the-assassination-of-berta-caceres/
International condemn of the murder of indigenous leader Bertha Cáceres in Honduras - http://wrm.org.uy/other-relevant-information/international-condemn-of-the-murder-of-indigenous-leader-bertha-caceres-in-honduras/
We also urge you to call or write to the Honduran embassies in the countries where you live to demand
Gustavo’s release and an end to the incrimination of COPINH.
Berta lives on in all of the Lenca people!
We send an embrace of solidarity from the World Rainforest Movement – WRM.
We will be closely monitoring developments in the coming hours and days.