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Berta Cáceres: seven men convicted of murdering Honduran environmentalist Berta Cáceres: seven men convicted of murdering Honduran environmentalist
(35 minutes later)
Seven men have been found guilty of the murder of Honduran indigenous environmentalist Berta Isabel Cáceres. An eighth defendant, Emerson Duarte Meza, was cleared and freed on Thursday. Seven men have been found guilty of the murder of the Honduran indigenous environmentalist Berta Isabel Cáceres. An eighth defendant, Emerson Duarte Meza, was cleared and freed on Thursday.
Cáceres, a winner of the Goldman prize for environmental defenders, was shot dead on 2 March 2016 – two days before her 45th birthday – after a long battle to stop construction of an internationally financed hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque river, which the Lenca people consider sacred. Cáceres, a winner of the Goldman prize for environmental defenders, was shot dead late at night on 2 March 2016 – two days before her 45th birthday – after a long battle to stop construction of an internationally financed hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque river, which the Lenca people consider sacred.
Seven men were convicted of murder by a court in Tegucigalpa on Thursday: Sergio Ramón Rodríguez, the communities and environment manager for Desa, the company building the dam; Douglas Geovanny Bustillo, the former Desa security chief; Mariano Díaz Chávez, a former US-trained special forces major who served in the army with Bustillo; Henry Javier Hernández, a former special forces sergeant who served with Díaz; Edwin Rapalo; Edilson Duarte Meza; and Oscar Torres. The court ruled the murder was ordered by executives of the Agua Zarca dam company DESA because of delays and financial losses linked to protests led by Cáceres. The murder was contracted to a group of hitmen who were paid to kill Cáceres.
Gustavo Castro, a Mexican environmentalist, was shot in the same attack but survived by playing dead. Hernández, Rapalo, Edilson Duarte and Torres were found guilty of the attempted murder of Castro. The other three defendants were found not guilty of that crime. In closing arguments, several defence teams had argued that the attack on Castro amounted only to assault as his injuries were not life-threatening. The seven men convicted of orchestrating her murder by a court in Tegucigalpa: Sergio Ramón Rodríguez, the communities and environment manager for Desa; Douglas Geovanny Bustillo, the former Desa security chief and ex-US trained army liuetenant; Mariano Díaz Chávez, a US-trained special forces major who served in the army with Bustillo under investigation for drug trafficking and kidnap at the time; Henry Javier Hernández, a former special forces sergeant who served with Díaz; Edwin Rapalo; Edilson Duarte Meza; and Oscar Torres.
Cáceres, the coordinator of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (Copinh) was best known for her defence of indigenous territory and natural resources, but was also a respected political analyst, women’s rights defender and anti-capitalist campaigner. Gustavo Castro, a Mexican environmentalist, was shot in the same attack but survived by playing dead. Hernández, Rapalo, Edilson Duarte and Torres were found guilty of the attempted murder of Castro. The other three defendants were found not guilty of that crime.
Her murder became a litmus test for a country where corruption and impunity reign – and for a justice system which has received millions of US and European dollars of international aid. Thursday’s verdict was welcomed by Cáceres’ family and colleagues, but they reiterated their demands that justice be delivered against the masterminds and financiers of the campaign which culminated in her murder.
But the criminal case has been plagued by allegations of negligence, secrecy and bias. “Today there’s no satisfaction, or happiness, but we are glad to see jailed the killers who murdered my mother simply for defending natural resources at a moment when she was defenceless. We don’t want revenge because we are not killers like them, but we demand that the masterminds behind the murder be brought to justice,” said Olivia Zuniga, Cáceres’ eldest daughter.
The crime scene was contaminated before the forensic team arrived, and none of the bloody footprints left behind were identified. Two police officers have been charged with falsifying evidence in the case, which they deny. In October 2016, the original case file was stolen from a judge’s car after an apparent carjacking. Cáceres, the coordinator of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras(Copinh) was best known for her defence of indigenous territory and natural resources, but was also a respected political analyst, women’s rights defender and anti-capitalist campaigner.
Thursday’s verdict is unlikely to satisfy Cáceres’s family, colleagues and international legal observers who have frequently decried the narrow scope and secrecy surrounding the official investigation. Her murder became a litmus test for a country where corruption and impunity reign – and for a justice system which has received millions of US and European dollars in international aid.
In a highly contentious decision, lawyers representing the family and Castro were expelled from proceedings shortly before the trial started after calling for the judges to be recused for bias and abuse of authority. But the case has been plagued by allegations of negligence, secrecy and bias. In a highly contentious decision, lawyers representing the family and Castro were expelled from proceedings shortly before the trial started after calling for the judges to be recused for bias and abuse of authority.
Over the course of the five-week trial, much of the evidence presented to the three judges was documentary, and admitted without being read in court, making it difficult to evaluate the strength of the case against each defendant. During the five-week trial, much of the evidence presented was documentary, and admitted without being read in court, making it difficult to evaluate the case against each defendant.
At one point, the trial was suspended for several days, but the court was reconvened a day early without informing the press, international observers, diplomatic representatives or the victims. Key phone data was presented to a virtually empty public gallery. Video transmission was banned in this case. At one point, the trial was suspended for several days and then reconvened to hear key telephone evidence a day early without informing the press, international observers, diplomatic representatives or the victims.
Rodriguez’s family declined to comment but his lawyers said they would appeal.
Wendy Amador, the wife of Diaz, said: “They’ve condemned innocent men to protect those higher up.”
The mood outside the court was a mix of relief, anger and sadness about the loss of one of the region’s most celebrated defenders, killed for battling against an unwanted energy project.
Victor Fernandez, the family’s lawyer, saidL “The state must immediately revoke the dam licence so that Desa stops being a threat to the Lenca people, the Rio Blanco community and Copinh.”
Zuniga added: “We demand justice for Berta Cáceres in country with so much impunity, not just for our family but for the Lenca people, for Honduras, and all the environmentalists who’ve lost their lives.”
The group will be sentenced on 10 January 2019.
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