Gunmen kill Honduran indigenous, environmentalist leader

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Gunmen kill Honduran indigenous, environmentalist leader

Freddy Cuevas, Associated Press

Updated 2:54 pm, Thursday, March 3, 2016

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Honduran indigenous leader Berta Caceres, who won the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her role in fighting a dam project, was murdered Thursday.

Caceres, a Lenca Indian activist, had previously complained of receiving death threats from police, soldiers and local landowners because of her work.

Tomas Membreno, a member of her group, the Indian Council of People's Organizations of Honduras, group said at least two assailants broke into a home and shot Caceres to death early Thursday in the town of La Esperanza. "Honduras has lost a brave and committed social activist," Membreno said in a statement.

The killing appeared to be targeted: A Mexican rights activist at the house was only slightly wounded in the attack, but Caceres's body had four gunshot wounds. Police said they had detained a suspect, but did not identify the person.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Gunmen-kill-Honduran-Indian-environmentalist-6867750.php

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Berta Cáceres





Berta Cáceres [/center]

[DesertRat]

1. Honduras has lost a brave and committed social activist

RIP

[Judi Lynn]

2. Honduras activists need protection after land rights leader's killing: campaigners

Honduras activists need protection after land rights leader's killing: campaigners

Reuters
By Chris Arsenault
2 hours ago

TORONTO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Honduras must do more to protect land rights activists, campaign groups said, after the killing of an award-winning indigenous environmentalist on Thursday. Berta Caceres, winner of the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize, was shot dead by two men at her home, Honduran security minister Julian Pacheco said,condemning the attack.

One person, a security guard at the house, was detained in connection with the killing in La Esperanza,112 miles (180 kilometers) west of the capital Tegucigalpa, Pacheco told local media.

Threats against Caceres and other activists had increased after protests against the construction of the $50 million Agua Zarca dam that threatened to displace hundreds of Indians.

Caceres, a 43-year-old teacher, had been granted emergency protection measures by the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, but she had said the Honduran government was not implementing the procedures.

More:
https://news.yahoo.com/honduras-activists-protection-land-rights-leaders-killing-campaigners-194206051.html

[forest444]

3. Also at risk: Milagro Sala in Argentina, who's been imprisoned without charges since January 16.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110847553

Thank you posting these news, Judi. Latin America's right-wing thugs have returned to their old ways thanks in no small part to what they see as Washington's tacit (and not-so-tacit) approval over the last decade.

God speed, Berta Cáceres.

[Judi Lynn]

5. The dictatorship Macri approves got outside support, too, from Henry Kissinger,

as they "disappeared" 30,000 dissidents forever.

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Milagro Sala with former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner



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Milagro Sala was honored, respected by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, but became President Macri's first political President. Horrendous.

Thank you for reminding us of this unselfish, hard-working humanitarian.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Honduras: Indigenous Leader Murdered Despite Police Protection

Honduras: Indigenous Leader Murdered Despite Police Protection
Published 3 March 2016 (7 hours 24 minutes ago)

Several unknown assailants broke into Caceres' home early Thursday and killed her. She was a prominent Indigenous and social movement leader. Berta Caceres, the coordinator and co-founder of the Council of Indigenous Peoples of Honduras, or COPIHN, was killed by unknown assailants early Thursday morning at 1:00 a.m. local time inside her home in La Esperanza in the western province of Intibuca.

Caceres was leader of the Lenca Indigenous community and was a staunch human rights defender. She won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015. Her assassination has rapidly sent shock waves across the country and sparked outrage over her death.
Several unknown assailants broke into Caceres' home early Thursday and killed her. She was a prominent Indigenous and social movement leader.

Berta Caceres, the coordinator and co-founder of the Council of Indigenous Peoples of Honduras, or COPIHN, was killed by unknown assailants early Thursday morning at 1:00 a.m. local time inside her home in La Esperanza in the western province of Intibuca.

Caceres was leader of the Lenca Indigenous community and was a staunch human rights defender. She won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015. Her assassination has rapidly sent shock waves across the country and sparked outrage over her death.

More:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Honduras-Indigenous-Leader-Murdered-Despite-Police-Protection-20160303-0010.html

[clg311]

6. More blood on Hillary's and Obama's hands.

They supported the 2009 coup and still support the repressive government.

"President Obama initially criticized Zelaya’s ouster and forced exile as a threat to democracy throughout the region. But the Obama administration, led by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, refused to formally recognize that a military coup had taken place and never cut U.S. military aid to Honduras. Clinton’s State Department even lobbied the Organization of American States, which strongly condemned the coup, to readmit Honduras after its suspension from the OAS. In November 2009, the Administration recognized the election of Porfirio Lobo, even though most opposition parties and major international observers boycotted the election. Since the coup, the U.S. has built two new military bases in Honduras and increased its support and funding for the Honduran military and police."

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/03/02/hillary-lost-my-vote-in-honduras/

[Zorro]

7. Well that didn't take long

before Clinton is smeared for events in Honduras.

Yes, it's too bad Hugo's toady Mel Zelaya wasn't allowed to go forward with his farce of an election with ballot boxes imported from Venezuela, in defiance of the Honduran courts and legislature. Too, too bad.

[Judi Lynn]

8. It was a non-binding referendum, as you know, and the results would NOT have affected Zelaya,

one way or the other.

Nice try.

We ALL know even the US ambassador at the time indicated in his cables that it was a military coup.

No, the whole world shunned these filthy fascists for what they did. We all know the truth. You're not going to befuddle anyone here.

[Zorro]

9. Zelaya defied the Honduran courts and legislature

and imported ballot boxes from Venezuela. Nothing suspicious about that, eh?

For someone who constantly howls about the US staying out of internal Latin American affairs, you sure changed your tune when Zelaya was hustled out of the country. Weren't you demanding the US interfere and reinstate Hugo's toady then? Talk about beFUDdled.

[killbotfactory]

11. I'm glad Honduras is so much better off now

thank god for imperialist powers doing whatever

[Judi Lynn]

10. Time: The Prominent Environmental Activist Berta Cáceres Has Been Assassinated in Honduras

The Prominent Environmental Activist Berta Cáceres Has Been Assassinated in Honduras

Rishi Iyengar @Iyengarish
March 3, 2016

The 44-year-old activist had been under threat for her campaign against a hydroelectric project



Honduran environment and human-rights activist Berta Cáceres, winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for her advocacy efforts, was assassinated in her hometown on Thursday.

Cáceres was shot by at least two gunmen who broke down the door of the house where she was staying in La Esperanza, Honduras, the New York Times reported.

The 44-year-old mother of four is best known for her grassroots mobilization of opposition to the Agua Zarca Dam, a hydroelectric project on a river sacred to the indigenous Lenca people that would have cut off their water supply. Through a nonprofit she had co-founded in 1993, called the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), Cáceres succeeded in forcing the withdrawal of Chinese company Sinohydro — the world’s largest dam builder — from the project.

. . .

Violence against human-rights and environmental campaigners in Honduras has markedly increased since a 2009 coup, and investigations into their murders and assassinations often fall by the wayside.

More:
http://time.com/4247379/berta-caceres-assassinated-honduras-activist-environment/

[Eugene]

12. Murder of activist Berta Cáceres sparks violent clashes in Honduras

Source: The Guardian

Murder of activist Berta Cáceres sparks violent clashes in Honduras

Students clashed with riot police Thursday night amid anger over
failure to protect a high-profile campaigner who had repeatedly received
threats on her life

Jonathan Watts Latin America correspondent
Friday 4 March 2016 16.02 GMT

The murder of environmental and indigenous rights activist Berta Cáceres has sparked violent clashes in Honduras despite promises by President Juan Orlando Hernández to swiftly find and punish the killers.

Rock-throwing students clashed with riot police firing tear gas in the University of Honduras on Thursday night amid anger over the authorities’ failure to protect a high-profile campaigner who had repeatedly received threats on her life.

International NGOs called for foreign investors and engineering companies to withdraw from the Agua Zarca hydropower project that Cáceres had been opposing at the time of her death.

The US government also came under fire for supporting a government that came to power in a coup and has since pushed forward with the controversial cascade of dams and failed to prevent Honduras from becoming the most murderous country in the world for environmental campaigners.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/04/berta-caceres-murder-protests-honduras-environmental-indigenous-activism

[Judi Lynn]

13. Great seeing the Guardian's treatment. Thank you. n/t