Tegucigalpa, March 4 (RHC)-- Four years after the shooting death of Honduran environmentalist Berta Caceres on March 2, 2016, the intellectual authors of the crime remain unpunished, according to popular and indigenous organizations in the Central American country. 

Although to date, the material authors of Caceres' murder -- five hitmen and two employees of the company of Energy Developments  S.A. (DESA) -​​​​-- have being convicted; this is only the first step in the effort to bring justice for the crime, the family and followers of the Honduran indigenous leader have acknowledged.

According to the Qualified Observation Mission for the Berta Caceres case, none of the suspects of the intellectual authorship of the Caceres crime have been sentenced despite evidence of their participation, such as the case of David Castillo.

This is the main debt that the Honduran government owes to the family and followers of the activist, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (Copinh) said on Monday on its website.

"Four years ago, Honduran activist Berta Cáceres was murdered. Even today it is moving to hear this woman, who was serious and never gave up. May the young generation honor her legacy. And may her executioners no longer sleep peacefully."
 
"The worldwide cry for justice has allowed that four years after this atrocious crime, we can say that seven people linked to the material authorship of the crime have been sentenced to between 30 and 50 years in prison, while a trial against David Castillo, the intellectual author of the crime, has begun," Copinh recognized.
 
According to the organization, the activities to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Berta Caceres' planting began this Monday, in honor of the struggles of the Honduran people in defense of water and life.
 
For her struggle in defense of these resources, Berta Caceres received the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015, the highest global recognition for environmental activists.