Convictions in the murder of Berta Cáceres

Two and one-half years after her murder, a Honduran court convicted seven men of the murder of indigenous environmentalist Berta Isabel Cáceres. The court ruled that the murder was orchestrated by executives of Desa, an Agua Zarca dam company. The Cáceres family welcomed the ruling. From the Guardian.

“Today there’s no satisfaction, or happiness, but we are glad to see jailed the killers who murdered my mother simply for defending natural resources at a moment when she was defenceless. We don’t want revenge because we are not killers like them, but we demand that the masterminds behind the murder be brought to justice,” said Olivia Zuniga, Cáceres’ eldest daughter.

As Boz notes, in a country where justice is rarely served, the convictions are important step forward - "The limited justice that has occurred in the Caceres case remains the exception, not the rule."

Those individuals who ordered Berta's murder remain at large and the entire legal process was marred by irregularities. It was only through enormous international pressure that the trial reached a verdict. That pressure is not always there, especially as the United States remains a unrelenting supporter of the Hernandez government.

In spite of the convictions, "Institutional weakness, corruption, violence, and impunity undermine the overall stability of Honduras. Journalists, political activists, and women are often the victims of violence, and perpetrators are rarely brought to justice." (Freedom House)