Donate to support COPINH and Berta’s Family

Honduras
Solidarity
Network USA-Canada
http://www.hondurassolidarity.org/
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The Honduras Solidarity Network of Canada and the United States, and its member organizations, have been organizing to demand justice for the murder of Berta Caceres, leader of the indigenous land and environmental group, COPINH.

We are turning to you to do something that we cannot do – provide funding for security for Berta’s family and COPINH leadership in this dark hour when their lives and liberty are also at risk. Funds are also needed by COPINH to feed and shelter the thousands of Lenca and other poor Hondurans who have gathered in La Esperansa and Tegucigalpa to demand that the defacto government allow an independent international investigation to unmask the murderers and the intellectual authors of this heinous crime.

Of the hundreds of resistance members who continued to demand a return to democracy since the 2009 coup and who paid for that opposition with their lives, not one murderer has been brought to justice by the successive coup-spawned governments. Berta is the highest profile national leader to be assassinated. If the powers that be – the government of Juan Orlando Hernandez, the oligarchy, the foreign companies, and the US-trained and funded military and police – are allowed to get away with her murder, it will be open season on the other leaders of COPINH and the nonviolent National Front for Popular Resistance.

Won’t you make a tax-deductible gift right now to help protect Berta’s mother and three young daughters who are themselves now threatened for speaking out? Won’t you make a contribution to protect the life of Gustavo Castro, the Mexican human rights accompanier who was the only witness to the murder and who the judge, after suspending Gustavo’s lawyer, will not allow to leave the community where the murderers still run free? Won’t you contribute the price of a pizza or a night at the movies so that COPINH and other popular movements can feed and shelter the thousands of Hondurans who are demanding their government end impunity, stop the violence, and allow international investigators to solve the murder of our friend and compañera Berta Caceres?

Rights Actions is a member group of the Honduras Solidarity Network and has agreed to channel all donations we raise to COPINH. You can donate securely online by clicking here. If you are Canadian, you can donate here.

Thank you for your support for justice and dignity for the Lenca people and all the people of Honduras who hunger for a life of peace in a democratic company.

Donate Now. Support Hondurans seeking justice.

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On the Assassination of Berta Cáceres

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The Honduras Solidarity Network of North America

On the Assassination of Berta Cáceres12794522_464428840392709_4776651423002942093_n

With indignation and sadness, the organizations that form the Honduras Solidarity Network of North America denounce the assassination of Berta Caceres, leader of the indigenous Lenca organization COPINH and a tireless fighter for  social justice and for the defense of the environment and indigenous territories.  Recognized around the globe for her leadership and spirit in 2015 she received the world’s leading environmental award the Goldman Environmental Prize. Many of our members knew Berta and have witnessed first hand her courage and integrity. We join the multitude of voices in Honduras and the world raised against this outrage

Berta became an activist when she was still a teenager and continued even in the face of violence from the government and oligarchy, arrests and threats. After the 2009 coup, Berta and COPINH took up an important role in the resistance movement despite the unleashing  of a ferocious repression  against that resistance and the peoples’ movement in Honduras and against leaders like Berta. 

After the coup, attacks on the indigenous and campesino communities in Honduras escalated as land grabbing by the government, the oligarchy and international mining and hydroelectric companies increased.  Berta and COPINH are in the forefront of the struggle of the indigenous people for their land and a number of COPINH members have been assassinated and others arrested and threatened during this struggle.

Over the past few weeks, repression and threats escalated. On February 20th, Berta and other members of COPINH and the community of Rio Blanco were physically threatened by police and military trying to stop a peaceful activity in defense of the Gualcarque River which is threatened by a hydroelectric project of the Honduran company DESA  with international financing. On February 25th another Lenca community supported by COPINH  was violently evicted from their land.

We strongly support  human rights defenders in Honduras and internationally in demanding that there be a serious and complete, independent international investigation of Berta’s murder so that all those involved are identified and brought to justice rapidly. We reject any attempt to criminalize the leaders and members of COPINH. Berta was a recipient of an order for protective measures by the Inter-American Human Rights Court due to the constant threats and harassment against her and we are concerned and angered to hear pronouncements by Julian Pacheco, Minister of Security at a press conference this morning that can only be seen as an attempt to sidestep responsibility for her security and to blame the victim of this political crime.

We have read the communique of condolences issued by the US Embassy in Honduras earlier today and can only say that, “actions speak louder than words”. The US government has been and is the main economic and political support for the governments in power since the 2009 coup, including the current government of Juan Orlando Hernandez. The US government bears its own responsibility for the militarization and downward spiral in all spheres of life in Honduras, and for the grave human rights situation.  We reiterate the demand that US aid and training to the Honduran security and military apparatus be stopped immediately because it, in action, supports human rights violations such as the murder of Berta Caceres. 

We express our most profound condolences to Berta Caceres’ family, her organization, her community, and the Honduran people and their organizations in struggle as well as our own determination to redouble our solidarity.

March 3, 2016

The Honduras Solidarity Network of North AmericaThe HSN is made up of more than 30 organizations in Canada and the United States.

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Comunicado sobre el asesinato de Berta Caceres

Con indignación y tristeza, las organizaciones que integramos la Red de Solidaridad con Honduras de América del Norte, denunciamos el asesinato de Berta Cáceres, la dirigente de la organización indígena lenca COPINH y una luchadora incansable por la justicia social y por la defensa del medio ambiente y los territorios indígenas. Ella es reconocida en todo el mundo por su liderazgo y su espíritu. En el 2015 ella recibió el premio ambiental más importante del mundo, el Premio Ambiental Goldman. Muchos de nuestros miembros conocían a Berta y han sido testigos de primera mano de su valor e integridad. Nos sumamos a la multitud de voces en Honduras y en el mundo que están alzadas en contra de este acto ultrajante.

Berta se convirtió en una activista cuando todavía era un adolescente y continuó, incluso en la cara de la violencia por parte del gobierno y la oligarquía, y las detenciones y amenazas. Después del golpe de estado del 2009, Berta y el COPINH jugaron un papel importante en el movimiento de resistencia a pesar del desencadenamiento de una represión feroz contra esa resistencia y el movimiento popular en Honduras y en contra de líderes como Berta.

Después del golpe, los ataques a las comunidades indígenas y campesinas de Honduras se intensificaron con cada vez más acaparamiento de tierras por parte del gobierno, la oligarquía y las compañías mineras e hidroeléctricas internacionales. Berta y el COPINH han estado en la vanguardia de la lucha de los pueblos indígenas por sus territorios y varios miembros del COPINH han sido asesinados, detenidos y amenazados durante esta lucha.

Durante las últimas semanas, la represión y las amenazas se intensificaron. El 20 de febrero, Berta y otr@s miembros y miembras del COPINH y de la comunidad de Río Blanco fueron amenazad@s físicamente por la policía y por los militares quienes pretendían detener una actividad pacífica en defensa del Río Gualcarque, lo cual se ve amenazado por un proyecto hidroeléctrico de la empresa Hondureña DESA con financiamiento internacional. El 25 de febrero otra comunidad lenca apoyado por el COPINH fue desalojada violentamente de sus tierras.

Apoyamos firmemente a las defensoras y los defensores de derechos humanos en Honduras e internacionalmente en la exigencia de que el asesinato de Berta sea seriamente, completamente, independientemente e internacionalmente investigado de manera que todos los participantes sean identificados y llevados ante la justicia rápidamente. Rechazamos contundentemente cualquier intento de criminalizar a los y las líderes y miembr@s del COPINH. Berta había recibido medidas cautelares por parte de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos debido a las constantes amenazas y hostigamiento en contra de ella. Estamos sumamente preocupados y enfurecidos al escuchar las declaraciones de Julián Pacheco, Ministro de Seguridad, en una conferencia de prensa esta mañana que sólo puede ser visto como un intento de eludir la responsabilidad del estado por la seguridad de Berta y de culpar a la víctima misma de este crimen político.

Hemos leído el comunicado de pésame emitido por la Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Honduras el día de hoy y sólo podemos decir que, “las acciones hablan más que las palabras.” El gobierno de Estados Unidos ha sido y sigue siendo la fuente principal de apoyo económico y político al gobierno hondureño desde el golpe de estado del 2009, incluyendo al gobierno actual de Juan Orlando Hernández. El gobierno de Estados Unidos tiene su propia responsabilidad por la militarización y el deterioro en todos los ámbitos de la vida en Honduras, y por la grave situación de los derechos humanos. Reiteramos la exigencia de que se detenga de inmediato toda la ayuda de los Estados Unidos al aparato de seguridad y militar y el entrenamiento a los mismos en Honduras, ya que representa apoyo directo a las violaciones de los derechos humanos, tales como el asesinato de Berta Cáceres.

Expresamos nuestras más profundas condolencias a la familia de Berta Cáceres, a su organización, a su comunidad y al pueblo hondureño y sus organizaciones en lucha, así también expresamos nuestra propia determinación de redoblar nuestra solidaridad.

El día 3 de Marzo 2016

La Red de Solidaridad con Honduras – Honduras Solidarity Network

en Norteamérica

La HSN esta compuesta de más de 30 organizaciones en Canada y EEUU

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