Ten Years On, Justice Remains Elusive in the Murder of Honduran Environmental Defender Berta Cáceres
Tegucigalpa, Honduras – Ten years after the brutal murder of Berta Cáceres, a Lenca Indigenous leader and renowned human rights defender, her family and the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) continue to await full justice. Amnesty International issued a stark condemnation Tuesday, highlighting the ongoing violence against land and environmental defenders in Honduras and calling for a renewed, thorough investigation.
Cáceres was assassinated in March 2016, following years of activism opposing the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project on Lenca territory. She and COPINH had documented human rights violations and irregularities linked to the dam’s construction, leading peaceful protests against it. Honduras remains one of the world’s most dangerous countries for environmental defenders, according to Global Witness.
“Ten years after the brutal killing of Berta Cáceres, her family and COPINH have only seen partial justice,” said Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International. “Those who ordered the crime remain unpunished, and the structural conditions that led to this tragedy have not changed: each year we continue to witness violence and killings of people defending water and forests in Honduras. How much longer?”
A key development in the pursuit of accountability has been the work of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), established under the auspices of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in February 2025. The GIEI’s final report, released recently, concludes that Cáceres’ murder was both foreseeable and preventable.
The report identifies significant shortcomings in the original investigation, hindering progress towards justice. It outlines specific investigative avenues to identify those who planned and financed the crime, as well as addressing the systemic failures that allowed it to occur. The GIEI also proposes a comprehensive reparations plan for Cáceres’ family and COPINH.
“The devastating findings of this report must serve as a turning point to expedite criminal investigations and to effectively protect all human rights defenders in the country,” Piquer added.
Amnesty International is urging Honduran authorities to carefully consider the GIEI’s recommendations and remove obstacles preventing full accountability. The organization stresses the need to continue investigations into the intellectual authors of the crime until all those involved are held criminally responsible.
The call for justice extends beyond Honduras’ borders. Amnesty International is also calling on states whose financial institutions were involved in the Agua Zarca project to review the GIEI’s findings and take appropriate action. The organization emphasizes the international obligation of states to protect human rights, even in relation to the actions of private actors like corporations, and to ensure effective remedies for victims.
“It is essential that all Honduran authorities, including those recently elected, commit to implementing the roadmap set out by the GIEI and to guaranteeing full justice, truth and reparation,” Piquer concluded. “Honouring Berta Cáceres’ memory means ensuring that a tragedy like this never happens again.”
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