“We, the Fonseca Gulf Association of Artisanal Fisher people known as APAGOLF together with our associates, hereby condemn the murder of Berta Cáceres and we demand that President JOH ensures that her murder does not go unpunished and that those responsible for this crime are prosecuted. This is the right moment for him to enact the words he lives by, through upholding the rights and ensuring the safety of the men and women who are defenders of human rights.” – Moises Osorto Caceres, President of APAGOLF and on the Coordinating Committee of WFFP.
“In our world views we are beings of earth and water and corn, we Lenca people are the ancestral custodians of the rivers, which are also kept safe by the spirits of the young girls, who teach us that giving our lives in different ways to defending the rivers, is to give our lives for the good of humanity and this planet.” – Berta Cáceres, speech upon receiving the Goldman prize in 2015.
Berta Cáceres spent her life defending the territorial and cultural rights of indigenous peoples, Garífuna peoples and peasants. She was recognised nationally and internationally as a human rights defender, particularly of the rights of women and indigenous peoples. In 2015 her work was internationally recognised when she received the Environmental Goldman Prize, the highest distinction for activists who work on the defence of territory, natural resources and Mother Earth. Berta, with her comprehensive vision of humanity that characterises indigenous cosmovisions, always stood in solidarity with the causes of other peoples.