Rally Tally: Demanding justice for Honduran activist Berta Ceres

Berta Cáceres ¡presente! On Friday, March 4, Friends of the Earth joined other supporters in front of the U.S. State Department to remember Honduran civil and environmental rights activist Berta Cáceres. Berta was assassinated in her home Thursday, March 3, targeted for her decade-long fight against the building of the Agua Zarca Dam along the Gualcarque River — territory sacred to the indigenous Lenca people.

Supporters gathered to recount stories of Berta, remember her generous spirit, console each other and reaffirm a commitment to this difficult work, motivated by Berta’s own words: “Like the rivers do, we must all give our lives for the good of humanity and of the planet.”

It is clear why Berta is beloved within the environmental activist community. By all accounts, she was big-hearted, nurturing and unwavering even in the face of repeated death threats. She lived her life by her values and accepted an unfortunate eventuality that she would die for them as well.

Supporters also discussed critical next steps to receiving justice for Berta and her colleagues. Here are two of the urgent actions needed at this time: support Friends of the Earth’s demand that the U.S. State Department cancel military aid to Honduras, and the demand that our colleague Gustavo Castro of Friends of the Earth Mexico, still in custody in Honduras, be returned home safely.

As this article by our friends at International Rivers explains, there can be no doubt about who killed Berta Cáceres. 

Read more about Berta Cáceres life and activism here penned by our Senior International Forest Campaigner Jeff Conant and see our news release on the current state of events here.

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Edited: This post previously stated that Berta Cáceres was murdered on Tuesday, March 3.