Today, June 15, 2016 is a global day of action calling for “Justice for Berta” in which at least nine cities across the US and ten countries around the world are protesting the death of Berta Cáceres. Activists are calling upon the US to stop funding to Honduras due to the unjust and corrupt murder of Berta Cáceres along with countless other activists. The new general coordinator of COPINH, Tomas Gomez Membreno, explains that these violations have to do with, “the capitalist neoliberal policies that are implemented by multinational corporations as well as national corporations. These are capitalist policies to the detriment of our territory.”
Tomas Gomes Membreno hopes to see a bill passed in the United States that would pressure the Honduran government to call upon the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights as demanded by Cáceres' family. This would ensure a thorough and objective investigation into Berta’s killers, something that is not necessarily guaranteed if the Honduran government is entrusted with this investigation.
Luckily, there have been motions made by US judiciaries such as democratic Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia who recently introduced a bill in Congress demanding the US to halt all funds to Honduras until it addresses its gross human rights violations. The US provides hundreds of millions in aid to Honduras for police, military operations, which includes funds for equipment and training. The legislation is called the Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras Act. Johnson explains that, “[The Act] would suspend U.S. financial assistance to Honduras for those purposes until such time as the republic of Honduras can demonstrate that it has adequately and transparently investigated and taken action on the many killings, unlawful and extrajudicial killings, of human rights activists, environmental activists, LGBT activists, human rights defenders in Honduras.”
Hank Johnson had the opportunity to meet Berta Cáceres in Washington DC eleven months before she was assassinated. He was truly impressed with her staunch advocacy for the Lenca people in defending the river that her people have historically depended on for welfare. Johnson explains that the assassination plot goes higher up than the dam company, DESA, as it seems that members of the military were complicit in the act.
In terms of the military coup of Mel Zelaya, which Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, did not act upon while in office, Johnson believes that, “when the will of the people is not addressed, then we have problems.” Johnson expressed his concern with the Honduran government involvement in the assassination of human rights activists and people who speak out against government policies and went on to say, “that’s something that the United States should not be supporting.” The demand for US involvement in the process following the Berta case grows strong and bills continue to be proposed in order to demand justice for Cáceres and her family, as well as future environmental and human rights activists that may experience the same fate as Berta if they stand up for their rights.
Photo: An outpouring of support for Berta Cáceres took place around the world. Photo courtesy of Daniel Cima, Inter-American Commission for Human Rights.
