Honduran judge orders trial to begin for accused mastermind of activist's murder

[Judi Lynn]

AUGUST 26, 2020 / 10:37 PM / UPDATED 16 HOURS AGO

2 MIN READ

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A Honduran judge on Wednesday ordered the start of the trial of a former executive who has been held in detention for more than two years on charges of ordering the murder of indigenous activist Berta Caceres, her daughter said.

Caceres, a veteran land rights defender who led a battle against a major dam on the ancestral lands of her Lenca tribe, was shot to death at her home in 2016 at age 43.

“We did it!! One step more to try a criminal who was part of the crime against my mom,” Bertha Zuniga wrote on Twitter, posting a photo of the judge’s ruling.

Daniel Castillo, a former executive at Desarrollos Energeticos, or DESA, which pushed for construction of the Agua Zarca dam that Caceres protested against, is accused of organizing the plot and was arrested in March 2018.

Both Castillo and DESA have previously rejected accusations of being responsible for Caceres’ murder.

Seven men have already been convicted and sentenced for playing a role in her killing.

More:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-honduras-crime/honduran-judge-orders-trial-to-begin-for-accused-mastermind-of-activists-murder-idUKKBN25N0BT



Younger Berta Caceres, with her children.

[Judi Lynn]

1. A Profile of Roberto David Castillo Meja

Violence, Corruption & Impunity in
the Honduran Energy Industry:
A Profile of Roberto David Castillo Mejía
August 2019

Introduction
Roberto David Castillo Mejía is a Honduran businessman, former government employee,
and former military intelligence officer. This report gathers information about Castillo’s
business activities and related legal cases, including indictments for murder and corruption.
This information suggests that Castillo has engaged in a pattern of criminal activities,
including significant acts of corruption while he served as a government employee, and
grave human rights violations.

Castillo was arrested on March 2, 2018 and charged with the murder of Honduran
indigenous leader, human rights advocate and environmentalist Berta Cáceres. She was
one of the most internationally renowned advocates in Honduras; this did not protect her.
Her murder is widely viewed in Honduras as paradigmatic, one case that forms part of a
pattern of violence against human rights defenders, indigenous communities and
environmental defenders.

The investigations detailed in this report opened a window into the activities of individuals
allegedly involved in criminal activities that benefit corporations. They have reportedly
received support from international investors and multilateral development banks. The
majority of attacks against human rights defenders in Honduras are not investigated and
defenders do not have access to detailed information about the companies whose interests
they confront. This contributes to impunity for violence and obscures the manner in which
international investors may benefit from corruption and violence in Honduras.

. . .

Section 1
Corporations in which Roberto David Castillo
Mejía has participated

Castillo graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2004.1
Starting in 2006,
he worked for the Honduran Armed Forces, serving as a military intelligence second
lieutenant.2
In June 2007, he became part of the Honduran Armed Forces’ Intervention
Board that took over the National Electrical Energy Company (ENEE) as a means to
address losses in ENEE.3
In January 2008, he was formally contracted by the ENEE.4

Castillo was discharged from the military in December 2011 and found to have abandoned
his position at the ENEE in March 2012.5
During his time as a military intelligence officer
and ENEE employee, Castillo began to operate business ventures that benefited from his
access to influence in government agencies. Since that time, he has owned or had roles in
numerous corporations, including the following:

More:
https://soaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Violence-Corruption-Impunity-A-Profile-of-Roberto-David-Castillo.pdf