Day 12: Berta Cáceres – Defender of Rivers and Peoples.
Berta Cáceres (1971–2016), a Lenca woman from Honduras, was a fearless defender of land, water, and Indigenous sovereignty. As co-founder of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), she organized her people against destructive mining, logging, and hydroelectric projects that threatened both sacred lands and community survival.
The Fight for the Gualcarque River
Berta’s campaign against the Agua Zarca dam became one of her most recognized and celebrated efforts. The project would have diverted the Gualcarque River, a river sacred to the Lenca people. Through grassroots organizing, she successfully pressured the world’s largest dam builder and several major financiers to withdraw. Despite ongoing threats, harassment, and violence, Berta’s courage drew international attention to the intersection of Indigenous rights and environmental protection, a connection that continues to shape movements for justice around the world.
A Global Voice That Cannot Be Silenced
In 2015, she received the Goldman Environmental Prize sometimes called the “Green Nobel.” Less than a year later, she was assassinated in her home, a murder tied to corporate and political interests that sought to silence her voice.
“I cannot freely walk on my territory or swim in the sacred river and I am separated from my children because of the threats. I cannot live in peace, I am always thinking about being killed or kidnapped. But I refuse to go into exile. I am a human rights fighter and I will not give up this fight.” – Berta Cáceres
Her death was a devastating loss for Honduras and for the global movement for Indigenous and environmental justice. Yet even in grief, her courage became a rallying cry. Across the world, people rose to honor her life’s work and to continue her struggle for sacred lands, clean water, and human dignity.
A Legacy FLowing Like the River
Berta’s legacy is carried on by COPINH and countless Indigenous activists who defend rivers, forests, and communities across the globe. She reminds us that protecting the Earth is inseparable from protecting the people who call it home.
“We must shake our conscience free from the rapacious capitalism, racism, and patriarchy that will only assure our own self-destruction.” – Berta Cáceres
Learn More
- COPINH – The official website for information about COPINH’s ongoing work, campaigns, and Indigenous community organizing in Honduras.
- Berta Caceras Goldman Environmental Prize Profile – Official profile describing Berta’s activism, achievements, and recognition
- Who Killed Berta Cáceres? – A detailed account of Berta’s life, activism, and the circumstances of her assassination written by Journalist and Senior Reporter of The Guardian, Nina Lakhani.
- Berta Cáceres Archive & Cause – A resource documenting Berta’s campaigns, speeches, and legacy, maintained by COPINH
- International Rivers: Berta Cáceres – A profile and tribute highlighting her work linking Indigenous rights with environmental justice
- Global Witness: Berta Cáceres – Information about Berta’s life, activism, and the ongoing campaign for justice and protection of environmental defenders
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