Ten years after the murder of Lenca Indigenous leader and human rights defender Berta Cáceres, Amnesty International condemns the ongoing violence against those who defend land and the environment in Honduras, and calls on the authorities to carry out a thorough investigation that takes into account new findings revealed by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), established under the auspices of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
“Ten years after the brutal killing of Berta Cáceres, her family and COPINH have only seen partial justice. Those who ordered the crime remain unpunished, and the structural conditions that led to this tragedy have not changed: each year we continue to witness violence and killings of people defending water and forests in Honduras. How much longer?” said Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
Ten years after the brutal killing of Berta Cáceres, her family and COPINH have only seen partial justice.”
Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Americas.
An outstanding debt of truth and justice
The GIEI was established in February 2025 with the mandate to analyse and strengthen the investigation into the murder and related crimes, as well as to propose measures of reparation and guarantees of non-repetition.
Its final report not only concludes that the murder of Berta Cáceres was foreseeable and preventable, but also identifies serious omissions in the investigation that have hindered the pursuit of justice to this day. The GIEI outlines concrete lines of inquiry to advance the identification of those who planned and financed the crime, as well as the structural failures that allowed it to occur. It also proposes a comprehensive reparations plan for Berta Cáceres’ family and for the organization she coordinated, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH).
“The devastating findings of this report must serve as a turning point to expedite criminal investigations and to effectively protect all human rights defenders in the country,” added Ana Piquer.
The devastating findings of this report must serve as a turning point to expedite criminal investigations and to effectively protect all human rights defenders in the country.”
Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Americas.
Amnesty International urges the Honduran authorities to carefully review the report’s recommendations and remove the obstacles that have limited full accountability for the murder. Based on the proposed lines of investigation into the intellectual authors of the crime, the authorities must continue the investigations until criminal responsibility is established for all those involved.
Responsibility does not end with the State
According to Global Witness, Honduras remains one of the deadliest countries in the world for environmental defenders. At the time of her murder, Berta Cáceres was coordinating COPINH, which had denounced irregularities and human rights violations linked to the implementation of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project and was leading a peaceful protest against the dam on Lenca territory.
Amnesty International also calls on the states whose financial institutions participated in the Agua Zarca project to conduct a thorough review of the GIEI’s findings and, where appropriate, adopt corresponding measures.
Amnesty International recalls that states have an obligation to protect human rights, including in relation to actions by private actors such as corporations. This includes effectively investigating allegations of corporate-related abuses and, where appropriate, bringing those responsible to justice. States must also ensure effective remedies and full reparation for victims and their families. There is also a clear international consensus that companies have a responsibility to respect human rights and, where they have caused or contributed to abuses, to cooperate in remediation.
“It is essential that all Honduran authorities, including those recently elected, commit to implementing the roadmap set out by the GIEI and to guaranteeing full justice, truth and reparation. Honouring Berta Cáceres’ memory means ensuring that a tragedy like this never happens again,” concluded Ana Piquer.
It is essential that all Honduran authorities, including those recently elected, commit to implementing the roadmap set out by the GIEI and to guaranteeing full justice, truth and reparation.”
Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Americas.
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