Rights Action
March 1, 2019
*******
3rd anniversary, assassination of Berta Caceres, killed March 2, 2016
3rd anniversary, attempted killing of Gustavo Castro, shot and left for dead
 
*******
¡Berta Vive! ¡La Lucha Sigue!
HSN - Honduras Solidarity Network statement
“We dedicate our gathering to deepening our understanding of Berta’s ideals and struggle, moving us closer to her essence. And, because the crime remains in impunity and those responsible for planning and paying for her murder still haven’t been touched, it will also be a time to share the strategy for the search for justice. It will be a time to bring forth our sister’s light and spiritual strength.”
(COPINH)
COPINH activities, March 1-3, 2019, La Esperanza: https://copinh.org/2019/02/el-camino-de-berta-bertas-path-invitacion/
March 2, 2019: Three years have passed since the assassination of Lenca indigenous leader and visionary Berta Caceres. The fight against the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Juan Orlando Hernandez and its lethal mega-projects in mining, agriculture, hydroelectric, solar power and tourism continues.
While justice for Berta Cáceres remains incomplete, thousands of people all over the world have come together to demand justice for her, to demand an end to U.S. and Canadian interventionist policies in Honduras, and to demand respect for the land, water and people of Honduras.
Today, more than ever, Berta’s struggle and ideas have passed on to humanity.
As some of the people involved in Berta’s murder have been tried and convicted, but the intellectual authors of the crime remain unpunished, the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras COPINH, is calling for a gathering in their home territory in La Esperanza, Intibuca, Honduras, from March 1-3 with the goal of following the Path of Berta: “We will dedicate our gathering to deepening our understanding of Berta’s ideals and struggle, moving us closer to her essence. And, because the crime remains in impunity and those responsible for planning and paying for her murder still haven’t been touched, it will also be a time to share the strategy for the search for justice. It will be a time to bring forth our sister’s light and spiritual strength.”
The impunity that characterizes Berta’s case, is reflected in the ongoing violence and criminalization against human rights, social justice and environmental activists.
On February 25th, 2019, two Tulapan indigenous land defenders and members of the Broad Movement for Dignity and Justice (MADJ in Spanish) were murdered for their organizing against illegal logging and in protection of their territories.
On February 23rd, 2019, 12 grassroots anti-mining activists were arrested and placed in pre-trial imprisonment; they face up to 20 years of prison for non-violently blocking mining-related activity in the rural areas of Colon.
Faced with this climate of violence, COPINH asks for international solidarity, with actions at Honduran Embassies and Consulates, and social media campaigns. COPINH asks us to support its demands to prosecute all the intellectual authors of the assassination of Berta - these include the owners of the DESA Company (the Honduran company building the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam), and the Atala family (owners of Inversiones La Jacaranda, one of two major shareholders of DESA, and whose members serve on the board of DESA).
COPINH also asks us to support its demand for the absolute cancellation of the Agua Zarca project.
The Honduras Solidarity Network in North America, responding to the COPINH’s solidarity call, encourages organizations and collectives in the United States and Canada to show support for COPINH through a week of action from March 1-8, 2019.
WEBINAR - Fighting for Berta’s Path in 2019
On March 4, HSN will be hosting the webinar: Fighting for Berta’s Path in 2019 with Berta Zúniga Cáceres, General Coordinator of COPINH and daughter of Berta Cáceres. Please follow our Facebook page (@HondurasSolidarityNetwork) and Twitter (@HondurasSol) for information about the Webinar, and further actions.
If you are in a city with a Honduran consulate or embassy, organize an action. If you can, join in the commemoration of Berta’s Path by holding a video showing and panel discussion on March 8th, International Women’s Day.
Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act
Finally, the Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act, which would suspend U.S. military and police aid to Honduras until these security forces are prosecuted for crimes they have committed, is expected to be reintroduced soon. Call your Congressional Representatives and ask them to support this legislation to cut off the funding that supports the Hernandez regime.
In solidarity,
The Honduras Solidarity Network
http://www.hondurassolidarity.org/
*******
No light at end of tunnel in Honduras and Guatemala
By Grahame Russell, Rights Action, grahame@rightsaction.org
Even the small amounts of pressure that U.S. and Canadian governments were bringing to bear on the Honduran and Guatemala regimes to do something about endemic corruption and impunity, exploitation and environmental harm, repression and violence (including the assassination of Berta Caceres and killings of many more Honduras; the illegal jailing of Edwin Espinal and many more political prisoners) have stopped.
As many, if not more forced migrants have fled Honduras and Guatemala in 2019 than in 2018 -- but their plight, and the reasons they flee, are not “newsworthy”, so as not to expose the lie of the U.S. & Canadian-led efforts -along with “democratic allies” such as Guatemala and Honduras!!- to economically strangle, politically and propagandistically weaken Venezuela and oust its democratically elected government.
Rights Action (U.S. & Canada)
Rights Action funds human rights, environmental and territorial defense organizations in Guatemala and Honduras. We provide relief funds to victims of political repression (including the family of Berta Caceres), health harms and natural disasters. We expose and work to hold accountable the U.S. and Canadian governments, companies and investors, international actors (World Bank, etc.) that cause and profit from the repression, environmental harms and human rights violations.
Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)
Make check to "Rights Action" and mail to:
- U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
- Canada: (Box 552) 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
|
|
