In a country with growing socioeconomic inequality and human rights violations, Berta Cáceres rallied the indigenous Lenca people of Honduras and waged a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world’s largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam.
By Ryan Mack Berta Cáceres (Honduras, 2015) was one of Latin America’s foremost activists, championing indigenous rights, social justice, and environmental protection for decades. For Berta, these were never separate issues. Environmental, indigenous, and human rights were all interconnected. Her work encapsulated these values more than any other activist I have met. On the night…
The following is a statement from Susan R. Gelman, President of the Goldman Environmental Foundation: “One year ago, our family of Goldman Prize winners lost one of our own. Berta Cáceres, an indigenous Lenca woman and leader of the Honduran NGO Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH), was shot and killed…
Six months ago, the inspirational Lenca leader Berta Cáceres was assassinated by armed intruders in her home in Honduras. Since then, five people have been detained for her murder, with no trial date yet set. Despite this, her family has been advocating for an independent investigation into her death which her daughter, Berta Zúñiga Cáceres, believes was orchestrated by the company that planned to build…
The Goldman Prize winner community has joined together to issue the following statement in solidarity with fellow Prize recipient Berta Cáceres, following her death last week: “Berta Cáceres, a Member of our Family, has been Assassinated” We are the recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize and come from all corners of the world with the same…
Our Program Officer for South and Central America, Ryan Mack (pictured above on the right) shares his memories of meeting 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize winner Berta Cáceres (center) who was murdered by intruders in the early hours of Thursday March 3rd, 2016. Ryan visited Berta in her home of La Esperanza, Honduras in early 2015 to learn more…
Berta Cáceres, an indigenous Lenca woman who won the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her fearless work to defend the Gualcarque River, its surrounding environment and people from the Agua Zarca Dam, was killed by gunmen last night in her home in La Esperanza, Honduras. “On behalf of my siblings Doug Goldman and Susie Gelman,…
Q&A with Berta Cáceres In a country with growing socioeconomic inequality and human rights violations, Berta Cáceres rallied the indigenous Lenca people of Honduras and waged a grassroots campaign and 21 month road block that successfully pressured the world’s largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam. What led you to become…
On Sunday, June 11, 2017 the film BERTA VIVE/BERTA LIVES, a Honduran documentary on the life and death of 2015 Goldman Prize winner Berta Cáceres will screen at the East Bay Community Space (507 55th St, Oakland, CA 94609) at 6pm. Stick around after the film for a Q&A with the film’s director Katia Lara. Tickets for…
Numerous reports over the past year have pointed to Latin America as one of the most dangerous regions for environmental activists, and Honduras was recently singled out as the most deadly country in the world for environmental defenders. This became all too evident when — a year ago — Berta Cáceres was tragically assassinated. These growing threats against those who…