PROTESTS ERUPT AT MEMORIAL FOR SLAIN HONDURAN ACTIVIST
TEGUCIGALPA: Mourners broke into protest on Friday at a memorial service for slain Honduran indigenous activist Berta Caceres, a renowned environmentalist whose family has labelled her killing an assassination.
More than 1,000 people gathered as Caceres’ coffin was turned over to her family at a labour union headquarters, erupting into shouts of “Justice!”
The latest protest came less than a day after demonstrators clashed with riot police in the capital Tegucigalpa following news that Caceres had been shot dead in the early hours of Thursday at her home in the western town of La Esperanza.
A mother of four who would have turned 45 on Friday, Caceres rose to prominence for leading the indigenous Lenca people in a struggle against a hydroelectric dam project that would have flooded large areas of native lands and cut off water supplies to hundreds.
She persevered in her activism despite receiving numerous death threats, winning the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize, considered the world’s top award for grassroots environmental activism.
Her killing has drawn international condemnation, including from the United Nations, the United States and many environmental activists.
Washington late on Friday demanded a thorough probe into Caceres’ death.
“The United States condemns the murder of civil society activist Berta Caceres and calls upon the Honduran government to conduct a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation and to ensure those responsible are brought to justice,” a State Department release said.
“We offer our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and the people of Honduras, who have lost a dedicated defender of the environment and of human rights. We offer again the full support of the United States to help bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio, an ardent environmentalist, wrote on Twitter: “Incredibly sad news out of Honduras. We should all honour the brave contributions of Caceres.”
A coalition of more than 40 human rights groups from across the Americas called for an “independent, impartial” investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The activist’s family has accused the authorities of trying to mask her death as a random murder, insisting that she was assassinated because of her activism against environmental destruction by large mining and hydroelectric companies.
The organisation founded by Caceres, the Civic Council of Indigenous and People’s Organisations, meanwhile said other members had received death threats from self-described hitmen allegedly hired by energy company Desa, whose hydroelectric project the group is fighting.