Berta Cceres murder trial to be monitored by international lawyers

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian

Trial into Honduran activist’s death will be observed for possible standards violations

Nina Lakhani in Tegucigalpa
Mon 17 Sep 2018 00.00 EDT

The trial of those charged with the murder of the indigenous leader Berta Cáceres Flores, which opens on Monday in Honduras, will be monitored by an international group of lawyers for possible violations of national and international standards.

Cáceres, the former Goldman prize winner for environmental defenders, was shot dead in her bedroom just before midnight on 2 March 2016 in La Esperanza, western Honduras, after a long battle to stop construction of an internationally financed hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque River, which the Lenca people consider sacred.

Cáceres, the coordinator of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras, was best known for her defence of indigenous territory and natural resources, but was also a respected political analyst, women’s rights defender and anti-capitalist campaigner.

. . .

The trial against the eight men accused of murdering Cáceres will be observed by lawyers from the US, Spain, Guatemala, France and Canada. The defendants are also charged with Castro’s attempted murder. They all deny the charges.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/17/berta-caceres-murder-trial-monitored-international-lawyers

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Berta Cáceres





Rest in Peace, Berta Cáceres.

[Frequency Kenneth]

1. I visited Honduras over two decades ago

Beautiful geography, friendly, decent people, but a succession of so-called "governments" has screwed it into the ground!

[sandensea]

2. Absolutely -and with help from miscreants like John Negroponte

Negroponte, though best known for his role in the Iraq War and the "cost-plus" megacorruption that followed the invasion, cut his teeth as ambassador to honduras during the Reagan years.

As ambassador, Negroponte, forced the DEA out despite overwhelming evidence that Honduras was a growing transshipment point for U.S.-bound cocaine - as well as forging links with many of the Honduran generals known to be involved.

Suffice it to say that the problem grew to the point that Honduras became Central America's cocaine lilypad - a distinction it has to this day.

[Raine]

3. I wish the cable "news" networks would

at least mention this.