Berta Cáceres

Honduran, Berta Cáceres was an environmental activist and Lenca tribe representative who co-founded the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). For over a decade, she led a campaign against the Agua Zarca Dam, a joint venture between a Chinese dam developer and a Honduran company. Cáceres filed complaints with the government and international funders, arguing that the dam would destroy the Lenca tribe’s way of life. She also organized a Lenca blockade of roads leading to the construction site for over a year. The Chinese withdrew from the project due to Indigenous opposition. For her work, Cáceres received the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015, which she dedicated to the martyrs who had given their lives to protect Honduras’ natural resources. Unfortunately, on March 3, 2016, two gunmen entered her home and shot her four times, shocking the global community.

Despite Cáceres’ murder being a “crime against Honduras,” environmental activist killings have continued in Honduras and globally. Cáceres’ activism inspired many, and she received numerous awards, including the Óscar Romero Human Rights Award. Her work brought attention to the plight of Indigenous peoples in Honduras, the impact of dam projects on the environment and the danger of speaking out against powerful interests. Cáceres’ legacy lives on in the continued fight for justice for environmental and Indigenous rights.