A former energy company chief has been sentenced to 22 years and six months in prison for his role in the 2016 murder of Honduran environmental activist Berta Caceres.
The country’s judiciary announced the verdict Monday after a court found businessman David Castillo guilty in July last year for his role in the murder.
Castillo, the ex-chairman of energy company Desa, was considered an accomplice. With the promotion he wanted to remove obstacles for his company. Caceres campaigned against the construction of a hydroelectric power station.
The 44-year-old activist was shot dead in March 2016 outside her home in La Esperanza, western Honduras. She campaigned for the rights of the indigenous people of Lenca.
In December 2019, seven people were given sentences of between 30 and 50 years for their involvement in the crime. Castillo can still appeal the verdict.
Caceres received the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for her work. In 2020 she was a posthumous finalist for the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize.
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