WITNESS Endorses The Berta Cáceres Act

WITNESS joins the call to suspend US military and police aid to Honduras until human rights violations committed by Honduran security forces cease and their perpetrators are brought to justice.

Since 2010, there have been more than 120 documented cases of activists murdered for standing up to the government and companies who steal land and destroy the environment. Berta Cáceres –  world-renowned Honduran Indigenous leader, environmental activist, and recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize – was assassinated March 2, 2016. Despite these atrocious violations of human rights, the US continues to provide security assistance to the Honduran government.

WITNESS is committed to building the capacity of activists and organizers defending their rights and demanding accountability from those who oppress them. We stand with indigenous communities and individuals who continue in those efforts despite continued threats.

We urge you to join us and others in endorsing The Berta Cáceres Act today! Individuals can also call and ask their representatives to co-sponsor this legislation. If you don’t know your representative’s number, you can call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224- 3121 and ask to be connected to your representative’s office. Once connected, ask to speak with or leave a message with your representative’s Latin America policy aide. You can also find a script example at the bottom of the page.

Without international pressure from us, this situation is unlikely to change.