4 Arrested in Murder of Indigenous Honduran Activist Berta Cáceres; Family Raises Concerns | Sojourners

4 Arrested in Murder of Indigenous Honduran Activist Berta Cáceres; Family Raises Concerns

Daniel Cima / Flickr
Image via Daniel Cima / Flickr

After leading the struggle for more than 10 years to block the building of a dam on land sacred to her Lenca people, renowned activist Berta Cáceres was murdered in her home on March 3.

Now Honduran authorities have arrested four men in her murder, and Cáceres' family continues to be frustrated with their lack of involvement in the investigation. Two of the suspects are linked to the Honduran company, DESA, that wants to build the dam, and two to the Honduran military.

The New York Times reports:

One of the suspects arrested on Monday, Sergio Rodríguez Orellana, is a manager for social and environmental issues for DESA, the company said in a statement, noting that it was “surprised” by his arrest. ...

A second suspect, Douglas Geovanny Bustillo, had worked in the past for a security company hired by the dam project, DESA wrote in response to an email.

A military spokesman told the local news media that the two other suspects are an army major and a retired captain.

Given the business and military connections of the suspects, Cáceres' family and other activists fear the Honduran government is not fit to properly investigate the murder.

Cáceres' family has called for an independent investigation into the intellectual authors of the murder. They say the attorney general has denied their right to participate in the investigation process.

"The news of the alleged participation of active and retired members of the military linked to DESA in the assassination should be investigated further and indicates involvement by state agents," said Caceres' family in a statement released after the arrests.

Read more at The New York Times.

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