A vigil for Berta Caceres. (Photo: Daniel Cima/CIDH/flickr/cc)
Feb 28, 2017
Leaked court documents obtained by the Guardian and reported on Tuesday appear to corroborate a whistleblower's claim that U.S.-trained special forces within the Honduran military were responsible for the death of prominent Indigenous land defender Berta Caceres last year.
The whistleblower, a former soldier, alleged that the Honduran army was murdering activists on a secret "kill list," as Common Dreams reported.
"Eight men have been arrested in connection with the murder, including one serving and two retired military officers," the Guardian writes. "Officials have denied state involvement in the activist's murder, and downplayed the arrest of the serving officer Maj Mariano Diaz, who was hurriedly discharged from the army."
Yet the documents reveal that several of the military suspects received U.S. training and visited Caceres' town multiple times in the weeks leading up to her death, according to the Guardian.
"Five civilians with no known military record have also been arrested," the newspaper adds. "They include Sergio Rodriguez, a manager for the internationally funded Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam which Caceres had opposed."
Moreover, a "legal source close to the investigation" told the Guardian: "The murder of Berta Caceres has all the characteristics of a well-planned operation designed by military intelligence, where it is absolutely normal to contract civilians as assassins. It's inconceivable that someone with her high profile, whose campaign had made her a problem for the state, could be murdered without at least implicit authorization of military high command."
Under President Barack Obama, the State Department had promised to investigate the alleged "kill list," but under President Donald Trump, such an investigation appears unlikely. And in fact, documents uncovered last year by rights activists revealed that U.S. special operations training in Latin America tripled under Obama.
Honduras has been overwhelmed with violence and state-sanctioned human rights abuses since a U.S.-backed coup overthrew the democratically-elected government in 2009. Latin American human rights activists in general are facing what Oxfam International described as an "unthinkable spiral of violence" as governments are co-opted by economic elites, as Common Dreams reported.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Leaked court documents obtained by the Guardian and reported on Tuesday appear to corroborate a whistleblower's claim that U.S.-trained special forces within the Honduran military were responsible for the death of prominent Indigenous land defender Berta Caceres last year.
The whistleblower, a former soldier, alleged that the Honduran army was murdering activists on a secret "kill list," as Common Dreams reported.
"Eight men have been arrested in connection with the murder, including one serving and two retired military officers," the Guardian writes. "Officials have denied state involvement in the activist's murder, and downplayed the arrest of the serving officer Maj Mariano Diaz, who was hurriedly discharged from the army."
Yet the documents reveal that several of the military suspects received U.S. training and visited Caceres' town multiple times in the weeks leading up to her death, according to the Guardian.
"Five civilians with no known military record have also been arrested," the newspaper adds. "They include Sergio Rodriguez, a manager for the internationally funded Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam which Caceres had opposed."
Moreover, a "legal source close to the investigation" told the Guardian: "The murder of Berta Caceres has all the characteristics of a well-planned operation designed by military intelligence, where it is absolutely normal to contract civilians as assassins. It's inconceivable that someone with her high profile, whose campaign had made her a problem for the state, could be murdered without at least implicit authorization of military high command."
Under President Barack Obama, the State Department had promised to investigate the alleged "kill list," but under President Donald Trump, such an investigation appears unlikely. And in fact, documents uncovered last year by rights activists revealed that U.S. special operations training in Latin America tripled under Obama.
Honduras has been overwhelmed with violence and state-sanctioned human rights abuses since a U.S.-backed coup overthrew the democratically-elected government in 2009. Latin American human rights activists in general are facing what Oxfam International described as an "unthinkable spiral of violence" as governments are co-opted by economic elites, as Common Dreams reported.
Leaked court documents obtained by the Guardian and reported on Tuesday appear to corroborate a whistleblower's claim that U.S.-trained special forces within the Honduran military were responsible for the death of prominent Indigenous land defender Berta Caceres last year.
The whistleblower, a former soldier, alleged that the Honduran army was murdering activists on a secret "kill list," as Common Dreams reported.
"Eight men have been arrested in connection with the murder, including one serving and two retired military officers," the Guardian writes. "Officials have denied state involvement in the activist's murder, and downplayed the arrest of the serving officer Maj Mariano Diaz, who was hurriedly discharged from the army."
Yet the documents reveal that several of the military suspects received U.S. training and visited Caceres' town multiple times in the weeks leading up to her death, according to the Guardian.
"Five civilians with no known military record have also been arrested," the newspaper adds. "They include Sergio Rodriguez, a manager for the internationally funded Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam which Caceres had opposed."
Moreover, a "legal source close to the investigation" told the Guardian: "The murder of Berta Caceres has all the characteristics of a well-planned operation designed by military intelligence, where it is absolutely normal to contract civilians as assassins. It's inconceivable that someone with her high profile, whose campaign had made her a problem for the state, could be murdered without at least implicit authorization of military high command."
Under President Barack Obama, the State Department had promised to investigate the alleged "kill list," but under President Donald Trump, such an investigation appears unlikely. And in fact, documents uncovered last year by rights activists revealed that U.S. special operations training in Latin America tripled under Obama.
Honduras has been overwhelmed with violence and state-sanctioned human rights abuses since a U.S.-backed coup overthrew the democratically-elected government in 2009. Latin American human rights activists in general are facing what Oxfam International described as an "unthinkable spiral of violence" as governments are co-opted by economic elites, as Common Dreams reported.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.