Photo: PBI-Honduras accompanies COPINH march in Tegucigalpa, March 2, 2026. Photo by PBI-Canada.
On January 12, 2026, the Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project posted on social media: “Today, we observed the presentation of the final report by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) on the murder of human rights defender Berta Cáceres, related crimes, and comprehensive reparations measures.”
The full GIEI report can be read here.
Then on March 4, PBI-Honduras posted: “On Monday, together with @pbicanada, we accompanied @copinh in Tegucigalpa during the mobilization for the anniversary of the assassination of Lenca leader Berta Cáceres.”
That post further highlighted: “A Group of Independent Experts from the IACHR concluded that financing from international development banks was used for the murder of the leader and to monitor her organization, COPINH. We urge the UN to ensure compliance with the expert group’s reparation plan, including prosecuting corporate responsibility for the murder, revoking the hydroelectric project, granting title to the ancestral territory of Río Blanco, and reforming the National Protection Mechanism.”
And on March 12, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held a public hearing in Guatemala City in follow-up to this report.
Now, Criterio.hn reports: “In the context of the public hearing following up on the report of the Independent Interdisciplinary Group of Experts (GIEI), the position of the State of Honduras raised questions, as it took up arguments that coincide with those raised by the defense of an accused person and fugitive from justice in the case of the murder of Lenca leader Berta Cáceres.”
“The position did not go unnoticed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which, through the commissioner and rapporteur for Honduras, Andrea Pochak, responded to the State’s accusations, defended the legitimacy of the agreement that gave rise to the GIEI and highlighted the harassment and attacks faced by its members during the development of their work.”
The article continues: “The rapporteur addressed the origin of the questions against the group of experts and expressed concern because they coincide with those raised by the defense of a person accused in the case, which were not supported by the previous administration or by the petitioning organizations. Although the commissioner did not mention names, the reference is linked to Daniel Atala Midence, pointed out by the Public Ministry in the process and on whom an arrest warrant is pending.”
COPINH responds
The Criterio.hn article also highlights: “The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), one of the organizations requesting the precautionary measure that gave rise to the GIEI, criticized the reproduction of the arguments used by one of the defendants in the case and questioned why the state delegation avoided pronouncing on the findings of the report.”
On social media, COPINH reposted: “The report by the Interdisciplinary Group of Experts on the murder of Berta Cáceres was presented to the IACHR in Guatemala. Honduras avoided responding to the findings and resorted to arguments aimed at discrediting the investigation. Video: COPINH Honduras”
COPINH also reposted this text and video in a social media post from IM-Defensoras: “A CIDH report reveals that the State knew about the plan to murder Berta: in this video, she denounces how the system seeks to ‘legalize the violation of human rights.’ Between 2020 and 2025 alone, 659 attacks on @COPINHHONDURAS were documented. #JusticeForBerta #FeministJustice.”
Accompaniment
COPINH co-founder Berta Cáceres was murdered on March 2, 2016, for her opposition to the construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque River on Indigenous Lenca territory without free, prior and informed consent. COPINH’s coordinators have been accompanied by Peace Brigades International since May 2016.
Further reading: CIDH señala que el Estado de Honduras retoma argumentos de imputado en caso Berta Cáceres (Marcia Perdomo, Criterio.hn, March 17, 2026).
