Author: Angelika Albaladejo
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Berta Cáceres, the beloved and renowned Honduran environmental and indigenous rights activist, was murdered in her home last week. We have all mourned the profound loss of a defender with a beautiful and powerful spirit who dedicated her life to protecting her community. At the same time, we have refused to give up the fight that Berta believed in so strongly.
LAWG immediately set to work with groups around the world to organize a letter laying out the actions the U.S. and Honduran governments must take to properly investigate Berta’s murder, provide protection to Berta’s family and colleagues, address extreme human rights violations that remain in impunity in Honduras, stop the Agua Zarca dam project, and so much more.
Yesterday, we sent U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry our letter signed by more than 220 organizations expressing our “shock and deep sorrow ” over the murder of Berta and urging “a response from the State Department that is not business as usual but a profound change of direction towards improving the abysmal situation of human rights in Honduras.”
Yesterday, Representatives Henry C. “Hank” Johnson and Keith Ellison also began circulating a dear colleague letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew asking the U.S. government to urge the Honduran government to immediately address human rights violations in light of the murder of Berta Cáceres. Many of the asks in this dear colleague letter match our own, so we’re asking you to help us gain support from your representative and really make our message heard at the State Department.
This letter is “time urgent” due to the immediate need for an independent investigation and protection concerns for Berta Cáceres’ family, members of COPINH, and Gustavo Castro.
Your representatives only have until Monday, March 14th, to sign on.
In order to combat human rights violations in Honduras, the letter emphasizes the importance of:
- an independent international investigation of Cáceres’ murder as has been requested by her family;
- protection measures for Berta Caceres’ family, members of COPINH, and Gustavo Castro, the Mexican activist who witnessed her murder;
- a review of U.S. assistance to Honduran security forces;
- an immediate end to the Agua Zarca dam project Caceres fought against;
- and support for a protection system for Honduran activists and human rights defenders.
Will you help us flood your representative’s inbox with requests to sign this important letter? Click here to call or email now.
