March 2 marks the 2nd year anniversary of the brutal assassination of Berta Cáceres, co-founder and leader of the Council of Popular Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). In coming weeks, people around the world will respond to COPINH's call for people to join protests, write letters to policymakers and to engage in meaningful actions to make certain Berta's struggle continues through all of us. Together, we will honor the life and legacy of Berta and call for an end to US support of the Honduran regime. We encourage you to join the Global Day of Action on March 2nd and throughout the month of March by organizing or participating in an event in your town or city!
Despite demands from COPINH, Honduran social movements and allies across the globe for a thorough and transparent investigation into the business and state structures that ordered Berta's murder, Juan Orlando Hernández's regime seeks to limit the investigation and arrests to the immediate perpetrators of Berta's assassination. It is important to note that two of the accused are former Honduran soldiers trained by the United States in Ft. Benning, Georgia, home of the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC). The same structured that bear responsability for Berta's murder are responsible for the post-electoral violence in Honduras, which has left at least 38 people dead, numerous political prisoners, and hundreds injured, criminalized and displaced for fear of reprisal. The Honduran army and police, trained by the United States, is behind the repression of those who reject the fraudulent election leveraged by Juan Orlando Hernández to maintain his regime.
Below is a list of possible dates and ideas for actions that you can coordinate in your town. We look forward to hearing your ideas and events you may be planning - email us for help or to tell us about your event. A number of organizations around the country are planning actions and we will be posting updated information on our website and social media.
March 2 - Global Day of Action and Anniversary of Berta's assassination: Organize an action or a vigil for Berta, to honor the memory of many others who have lost their lives speaking out for justice, and for Edwin Espinal and all the political prisoners. If your Representative or Senator supports US funding of Honduras' security forces, hold the event outside his/her office.
March 4 - Berta Cáceres' Birthday: Honor Berta's legacy as an environmentalist, anti-racist, and feminist social movement leader.
March 8 - International Women's Day: Organize an action to honor Berta and her legacy.
March 27 - Anniversary of COPINH: Organize a protest against US military aid to Honduras
All March - Urge your representative to sponsor the Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras Act, HR 1299 which would suspend US support to Honduran security forces. If your representative has already co-sponsored, ask him/her to speak out against the Honduran armed forces' recent onslaught of murders and persecution of demonstrators.
*On march 2 or anytime in march host a screening of Berta Didn't Die, She Multiplied for your community -- a 10 minute version and a 30 minute version are available. For help organizing a screening event, you can write to Melissa for the following materials:
-Short video message from COPINH regarding their work and the current political crisis in Honduras
-Conversation guide for Berta Didn't Die, She Multiplied
-Education and action materials for Honduras
-Film stickers and bandanas
We must continue to fight for justice for Berta and the people of Honduras in our own communities and streets. Together we can end the violent US political, economic and military intervention in Honduras that threatens those who defend life, land and the autonomy of their communities.
For Berta and for the thousands of community leaders and organizers assassinated in Honduras and around the world, we demand justice.
¡Berta vive! ¡COPINH sigue!
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