To: The United States Senate
Urge the Honduran Government to Condemn the Killing of Indigenous Human Rights Activists
Investigate the unjustifiable killing of human rights activist Berta Caceres in Honduras.
Why is this important?
Defending human rights in Honduras has become a life-threatening activity for Indigenous leaders. In an effort to stop them from defending their ancestral land they are harassed, kidnapped, seriously injured or killed. We need the Honduran government to hold the criminals accountable and to protect the Human Rights Activists that are in immanent danger.
The Garifuna Nation is an international Garifuna organization with Representatives from the countries of: Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize and the United States of America. The main purpose of this organization is to preserve and promote our culture, monitor human rights violations, look after the social, political, economic and cultural interest of Garifuna people in the countries previously mentioned and to take appropriate actions to resolve any problems that our people are facing.
Ms. Berta Caceres was an environmental activist and indigenous leader of the Lenca people, She was co-founder and coordinator of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). In 2006, a group of indigenous Lenca people from Río Blanco were informed of a joint venture project between a Chinese company Sinohydro, the World Bank's International Finance Corporation, and Honduran company Desarrollos Energéticos (also known as DESA). They planned to construct a series of four dams on the Gualcarque River. This was a breach of international law which required that any and all projects concerning the land of the Lenca people were to be consulted and approved by them. Cáceres worked together with the community to mount a protest campaign. She organized legal actions and community meetings against the project, and took the case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Cáceres led COPINH and the local community in a year-long protest at the construction site to prevent the companies from accessing the land. In doing so she, the members of her organization and the community regularly received death threats and harassment.
In May 2014, two separate attacks were carried out against the members of COPINH resulting in the deaths of two of the members. As a result, dozens of regional and international organizations called upon the Honduran government to stop criminalizing the defense of human rights, to protect the trailblazers of the Indigenous Human Rights Activists and to investigate threats against them.
On February 20, 2016, over 100 protesters were detained by security while protesting, and threats against the organization began to increase. Despite the fact that the Honduran government was responsible for ensuring her safety, on Thursday March 3rd, 2016 Ms. Berta Caceres was assassinated in her home by unknown assailants during what the Honduran government deemed to be a “home invasion” and “robbery”. Due to the lack of evidence that would support a “home invasion” or a robbery”, said explanation is rejected by the members of her family, the people in her community and several other reputable human rights organizations in Honduras and abroad.
As a result we ask that you join us in demanding the following from Honduran government:
A full investigation on the assassination Human Rights Activist Ms. Berta Caceres.
That the result of the investigation be released directly to the United Nations, OAS, US Secretary of State, Amnesty International providing access to the public;
The immediate security and protection of other Honduran Indigenous Leaders and members of their organizations including our own Garifuna Leader Miriam Miranda, the President of OFRANEH;
Your signing this petition will give a powerful voice to the indigenous organizations and human rights activists. It will show that you stand with us in the fight against the continued abuse and corruption of the Honduran Government. The President of Honduras swore to execute and uphold the Laws of the country on behalf of all of its citizens and we hope, pray and demand that he live by this oath.
Attention: President of Honduras, Orlando Hernandez, United Nations Human Rights Commission, OAS Commission on Human Rights, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Amnesty International other International Human Rights Agencies, OFRANEH, AAGANIC, NGC, ONEGUA and all Garinagu Organizations.
The Garifuna Nation is an international Garifuna organization with Representatives from the countries of: Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize and the United States of America. The main purpose of this organization is to preserve and promote our culture, monitor human rights violations, look after the social, political, economic and cultural interest of Garifuna people in the countries previously mentioned and to take appropriate actions to resolve any problems that our people are facing.
Ms. Berta Caceres was an environmental activist and indigenous leader of the Lenca people, She was co-founder and coordinator of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). In 2006, a group of indigenous Lenca people from Río Blanco were informed of a joint venture project between a Chinese company Sinohydro, the World Bank's International Finance Corporation, and Honduran company Desarrollos Energéticos (also known as DESA). They planned to construct a series of four dams on the Gualcarque River. This was a breach of international law which required that any and all projects concerning the land of the Lenca people were to be consulted and approved by them. Cáceres worked together with the community to mount a protest campaign. She organized legal actions and community meetings against the project, and took the case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Cáceres led COPINH and the local community in a year-long protest at the construction site to prevent the companies from accessing the land. In doing so she, the members of her organization and the community regularly received death threats and harassment.
In May 2014, two separate attacks were carried out against the members of COPINH resulting in the deaths of two of the members. As a result, dozens of regional and international organizations called upon the Honduran government to stop criminalizing the defense of human rights, to protect the trailblazers of the Indigenous Human Rights Activists and to investigate threats against them.
On February 20, 2016, over 100 protesters were detained by security while protesting, and threats against the organization began to increase. Despite the fact that the Honduran government was responsible for ensuring her safety, on Thursday March 3rd, 2016 Ms. Berta Caceres was assassinated in her home by unknown assailants during what the Honduran government deemed to be a “home invasion” and “robbery”. Due to the lack of evidence that would support a “home invasion” or a robbery”, said explanation is rejected by the members of her family, the people in her community and several other reputable human rights organizations in Honduras and abroad.
As a result we ask that you join us in demanding the following from Honduran government:
A full investigation on the assassination Human Rights Activist Ms. Berta Caceres.
That the result of the investigation be released directly to the United Nations, OAS, US Secretary of State, Amnesty International providing access to the public;
The immediate security and protection of other Honduran Indigenous Leaders and members of their organizations including our own Garifuna Leader Miriam Miranda, the President of OFRANEH;
Your signing this petition will give a powerful voice to the indigenous organizations and human rights activists. It will show that you stand with us in the fight against the continued abuse and corruption of the Honduran Government. The President of Honduras swore to execute and uphold the Laws of the country on behalf of all of its citizens and we hope, pray and demand that he live by this oath.
Attention: President of Honduras, Orlando Hernandez, United Nations Human Rights Commission, OAS Commission on Human Rights, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Amnesty International other International Human Rights Agencies, OFRANEH, AAGANIC, NGC, ONEGUA and all Garinagu Organizations.