The IFOR movement joins the many people around the world who continue to respond to the murder of human rights activist Berta Cáceres. IFOR in Latin America (known as SERPAJ) released the following statement shortly after news broke of the Caceres assassination.
For the original statement in spanish click here.
El Servicio Paz y Justicia en América Latina, SERPAJ-AL, expresses their protest for the recent vile assassination of the Honduran indigenous leader Berta Cáceres Flores, who was general coordinator of the Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH).
Berta Cáceres was a strong promotor of various campaigns against the construction of a hydroelectric dam meant to be built in the Rio Gualcarque, which is considered a sacred site for the Lenca ethnicity. Accomplishing with her constant campaigns that the powerful company Sinohydro, considered one of the biggest dam builders in the world, would withdraw their involvement in said project.
The project for the construction of the dam in the Gualcarque river, had the support of the International Financial Corporation, a member of the World Bank, who had strong economic investments in this ambitious project, which threatens the most of sacred places of the Lenca ethnicity.
Berta Cáceres received the Goldman environmental award, for her activities in defense of human rigths, especially those concerning the right to a healthy environment, highest acknowledgement for those that promote the protection of both nature and the global environment, both such beloved by humankind.