Political Quotes

“yesterday I made a statement about the situation in Honduras, where the March 3 assassination of environmental activist Berta Caceres remains under investigation. I also mentioned the brutal killing last week of Lesbia Janeth Urquia. In that statement, I said that Ms. Urquia was a member of the organization COPINH, which stands for the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras. According to information I received today, she was not a member of COPINH. However, it is my understanding that she had been active with other supporters of COPINH in opposing the construction of a hydroelectric project along the Chinacla River. Whether Ms. Urquia's environmental activism was related to her death is a question that remains unresolved. Three suspects in the case were arrested in the past 24 hours, one of whom is reportedly her brother- in-law. According to press reports, the murder of Ms. Urquia may have been the result of a family dispute over inheritance, but the investigation is only in an early stage. This case reminds us, again, of the unacceptable amount of violence in Honduras and the history of impunity in that country. This is a pervasive problem in each of the Northern Triangle countries, as well as Mexico. Homicides rarely result in conviction or punishment, unless there is international attention. Corruption is pervasive within the police and other public and private institutions.…”