On the occasion of the court hearing held on June 7 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with four of the eight people accused of the murder of our indigenous comrade Berta Cáceres, both ATALC and FoEI join the call of the peoples of the world who demand Justice for Berta.

As an environmental organization committed to achieving environmental justice, and as colleagues of the Lenca indigenous leader murdered in March 2016, we demand the search for truth and the identification of those responsible for this atrocious crime. These are necessary conditions to put an end to the impunity in this and other cases in Honduras and other Mesoamerican and Latin America countries.

In addition to punishing those who participated as perpetrators (actual and intellectual) of the murder that over a year ago brought grief to social movements and the people who struggle for dignity and justice, we consider it necessary to truly identify the interests behind this cruel act.

We believe that if these interests are not identified, it will not be possible to prevent this from happening again to Honduran communities, organizations and movements that have been persecuted, criminalized and murdered for the defense of their territories, both in peasant and indigenous communities.

The presence of several of the people accused of Berta’s murder at the hearing, and the voices of those who demand justice from Honduran courts, brought back memories of the terrible events that led to her murder. Above all, these voices reaffirmed our moral commitment to join forces so that the murder of our indigenous comrade and defender of the territory and the rights of the people, Berta Cáceres, and all other crimes committed against our people do not go unpunished.

ATALC and FoEI call for international solidarity to keep monitoring this situation and supporting the Honduran people who continue defending their territories and lives.
Only through joint work and solidarity will we be able to remain strong against the injustice and brutality of the drivers of displacement and those who promote them as an affront on our dignity.