{"id":2617,"date":"2016-05-09T08:43:45","date_gmt":"2016-05-09T16:43:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/?p=2617&#038;lang=en"},"modified":"2016-05-09T09:30:03","modified_gmt":"2016-05-09T17:30:03","slug":"why-did-they-murder-berta-caceres","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/world\/why-did-they-murder-berta-caceres\/?lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Why did they murder Berta C\u00e1ceres?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6 class=\"p1\">A solidarity banner for Berta C\u00e1ceres in Guatemala City&#8217;s Constitution Square, 2016. Photo by Patricia Mac\u00edas.<\/h6>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>\u00a0\u201cThey follow me. They threaten to kill me, to kidnap me. They threaten my family. This is what we face.\u201d <\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/i> Berta<i> C\u00e1ceres<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">By Vicky Gass, Oxfam.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On March 2nd, Berta C\u00e1ceres was brutally murdered in her home by two men who broke down the door to her house and shot and killed her. An absolute tragedy. Oxfam has vehemently condemned her murder.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Berta was a member of the Lenca indigenous group in Honduras, and a tireless human rights and environmental activist.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>In 1993, she co-founded the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) to confront the threats to her people from illegal logging, to fight for their territorial rights and to improve their livelihoods.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In 2006, COPINH&#8217;s struggle turned towards the construction of the hydroelectric dam Agua Zarca, which was being built by the Honduran corporation DESA with international financing, without the free, prior and informed consent of the Lenca communities required by law.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>The project was illegally authorized by the Honduran Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SERNA), which fabricated documents citing community approval.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>The authorization was in violation of government obligations under the ILO Indigenous and Tribal People&#8217;s Convention (Convention 169).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Read about the recent murders of Guatemalan opponents to dams and other megaprojects\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/economy\/food-security\/the-fourth-invasion-guatemalas-water-crisis-in-context\/?lang=en\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Berta and COPINH led the Lenca communities&#8217; campaign of peaceful but forceful opposition to the project to both the company and the Honduran government.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0For<\/span>\u00a0their work, they were intimidated and threatened.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>Berta knew that for\u00a0her work protecting their\u00a0land, she could pay with her life. And she did.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Berta died defending the land of her people and the environment. The senseless killing of Berta and others before her, and the violence and intimidation endured by land rights defenders is unacceptable. Too much blood has been shed.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>In tribute to Berta\u2019s life and work, the international community must unite to fight for\u00a0the ideas Berta fought for.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Primary among them, securing indigenous and community land rights everywhere. This is urgent. For indigenous peoples, for humanity, and for our planet.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>Just hours before Berta\u2019s tragic killing, more than 300 organizations worldwide launched a global campaign to secure indigenous and community land rights, #LandRightsNow, an initiative supporting indigenous people\u2019s right to land around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Her murder is a tragedy for her family and for the world, and the global condemnation and demand for a thorough investigation has been immediate.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>We must not forget, however, that what she fought for \u2013 land, environmental preservation and justice \u2013 is what indigenous and collective land holders worldwide are fighting for.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>At Oxfam we will continue to work with our colleagues in this fight.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>As Berta&#8217;s mother said after her daughter&#8217;s death, \u201cthe struggle continues.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A solidarity banner for Berta C\u00e1ceres in Guatemala City&#8217;s Constitution Square, 2016. Photo by Patricia Mac\u00edas. \u00a0\u201cThey follow me. They threaten to kill me, to kidnap me. They threaten my family. This is what we face.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Berta C\u00e1ceres By Vicky Gass, Oxfam. On March 2nd, Berta C\u00e1ceres was brutally murdered [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[425,415,453,422,414],"tags":[524,65,525,533,467],"class_list":["post-2617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-action-en-2","category-environment","category-frontpage-en","category-women","category-world","tag-berta-caceres","tag-guatemala","tag-honduras","tag-land","tag-land-distribution"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/img_7493.jpg?fit=3479%2C2152&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7ljt7-Gd","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2647,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/world\/2641\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":2617,"position":0},"title":"COPINH: Defending Lenca Lands","author":"EntreMundos","date":"13 mayo, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Cover Photo: Berta C\u00e1ceres. 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The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (Consejo C\u00edvico de Organizaciones Populares e\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abCommunity Action\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"Community Action","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/politics\/community-action-en-2\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/24860048504_063e8716cb_o-1.gif?fit=1174%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/24860048504_063e8716cb_o-1.gif?fit=1174%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/24860048504_063e8716cb_o-1.gif?fit=1174%2C658&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/24860048504_063e8716cb_o-1.gif?fit=1174%2C658&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/24860048504_063e8716cb_o-1.gif?fit=1174%2C658&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7241,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/world\/vivas-nos-queremos-resistance-at-the-intersection-of-feminism-coronavirus-and-the-police-state\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":2617,"position":1},"title":"Vivas Nos Queremos. 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Now, as you may know, I\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abEnvironment\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"Environment","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/environment\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/a326f3d2-6c90-4f62-8fc5-e35af1859397-800x619-1.jpg?fit=800%2C619&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/a326f3d2-6c90-4f62-8fc5-e35af1859397-800x619-1.jpg?fit=800%2C619&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/a326f3d2-6c90-4f62-8fc5-e35af1859397-800x619-1.jpg?fit=800%2C619&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/a326f3d2-6c90-4f62-8fc5-e35af1859397-800x619-1.jpg?fit=800%2C619&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4540,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/politics\/the-migrant-caravan-and-the-murder-of-a-saudi-journalist\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":2617,"position":2},"title":"The migrant caravan and the murder of a Saudi journalist","author":"EntreMundos","date":"19 octubre, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Jamal Khashoggi\u2019s murder by a US ally has sparked outrage in the US, but dozens of journalists murdered under US-backed regimes in Honduras go unnoticed. The murder of Saudi opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi was especially blatant. He entered a Saudi consulate in Turkey to pick up legal documents that would\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abFrontPage\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"FrontPage","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/frontpage-en\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/empadre-ismael-moreno-junto-a-copinh.jpg?fit=537%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/empadre-ismael-moreno-junto-a-copinh.jpg?fit=537%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/empadre-ismael-moreno-junto-a-copinh.jpg?fit=537%2C360&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7372,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/culture\/buried-voices\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":2617,"position":3},"title":"BURIED VOICES: The Fight of the Leaders and Defenders of Honduras","author":"EntreMundos","date":"16 septiembre, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By: Karen Recarte The struggles of Indigenous leaders of the Honduran peoples within a multiethnic, multicultural and multilingual country that is made up of four ethnic groups: mestizo or white, Indigenous (Lencas Misquitos, Tolupanes, Chortis, Pech or Payas, Tawahkas), The Gar\u00edfunas and Creole-Anglo-speakers, have turned into streams of blood through\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abCorruption\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"Corruption","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/politics\/corruption\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/portada-5.jpg?fit=1162%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/portada-5.jpg?fit=1162%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/portada-5.jpg?fit=1162%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/portada-5.jpg?fit=1162%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/portada-5.jpg?fit=1162%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3346,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/economy\/impunity-tax-privileges-and-weak-institutions-threaten-fiscal-policy-in-central-americas-northern-triangle\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":2617,"position":4},"title":"Impunity, tax privileges, and weak institutions threaten fiscal policy in Central America\u2019s Northern Triangle","author":"EntreMundos","date":"25 agosto, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Commentary by Icefi - August, 2017 The Central American Institute of Fiscal Studies (Icefi) is concerned about recent actions taken by the governments and federal courts of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. 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