COPINH celebrates “popular victory” as DESA manager sentenced as “instigator” in the murder of Berta Caceres
Photo: The text says: “Alert! Popular Victory! Judges of the Supreme Court of Justice confirm the sentence of Sergio Rodriguez as author of the assassination of Berta Caceres and sentence him to 30 years in prison.”
The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) has posted:
“Popular victory!
Supreme Court judges confirm the conviction of Sergio Rodriguez as the perpetrator of the murder of Berta Caceres. 30 years in prison!
COPINH reaffirms its commitment to justice in Honduras and to the vindication of the rights of Indigenous peoples for which Berta Cáceres fought. We will not lower our guard until all those responsible for her murder, including the Atala family, face the consequences of their crimes.”
HCH Televisión Digital reports: “The Plenary of Magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice CSJ ratifies, in a decision by majority vote, the sentence of 30 years imprisonment to DESA company manager, Sergio Rodriguez, for considering him ‘inducer’ in the murder of environmentalist Berta Caceres.”
Criterio.hn further notes: “Although the conviction against Rodríguez was ratified, his role from ‘co-author’ to ‘instigator’ of the murder was changed.”
COPINH states: “After more than 6 years of waiting, the plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice of Honduras has confirmed the conviction of Sergio Ramón Rodríguez Orellana, ratifying that he is guilty of aggravated murder of the crime against our sister Berta Cáceres and the sentence of 30 years in prison. The plenary session has reclassified his responsibility as an author by inducement.”
The Criterio.hn article also reports that at the time of the crime, the majority shareholder of DESA was the company ‘Inversiones Las Jacarandas’ owned by the Atala Zablah family (“one of the most powerful family-owned business conglomerates” in Honduras, “a key shareholder in the DESA project” and “one of the most powerful families in Honduras, with numerous investments in finance, construction, and sports”.)
Contra Corriente also explains: “The Atala clan owns financial institutions, soccer teams, real estate, and other companies; a business empire that has made them one of the wealthiest families in the country. Daniel Atala Midence, Jacobo Atala Zablah, Pedro Atala Zablah, and José Atala Zablah are all prominent family members, and all served on DESA’s board of directors.”
For additional background, see Corte de Honduras ratifica sentencia de autor del asesinato de Berta Cáceres (Avispa Midia, February 10, 2025).
COPINH’s coordinators have been accompanied by PBI-Honduras since May 2016.
Photo: On November 23, 2021, PBI-Honduras accompanied COPINH in their offices after DESA executive David Castillo was found guilty – but not yet sentenced – of “being co-collaborator in ordering the murder” of Berta Caceres.
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