--- description: The key witness in the murder of the award-winning Honduran environmental activist has been prevented from leaving the country. title: Witness in Activist's Murder Barred From Leaving Honduras image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt78d65f515257a846/69888a390a4a22e1a09c8bbb/gettyimages-514340746.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Honduras](/tag/honduras/) ## Honduras Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Main Witness Barred From Leaving Honduras as Suspicions Mount Over Activist's Murder by [Simon Lewis](/author/simon-lewis/) ## Simon Lewis Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 9, 2016 7:06 AM CUT  Slain Honduran environmentalist Berta Caceres posters are carried during a International Women's day demonstration in Tegucigalpa on March 08, 2016 Slain Honduran environmentalist Berta Caceres posters are carried during a International Women's day demonstration in Tegucigalpa on March 08, 2016Orlando Sierra—AFP/Getty Images by [Simon Lewis](/author/simon-lewis/) ## Simon Lewis Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 9, 2016 7:06 AM CUT The key witness in the murder of award-winning environmental activist Berta Cáceres has been [prevented](http://www.otrosmundoschiapas.org/index.php/component/content/article/36-otros-temas/36-derechos/2261-urgent-we-reject-order-that-gustavo-castro-stay-30-days-longer-in-honduras "undefined") from leaving Honduras, with campaigners raising questions over authorities’ investigation of the suspected assassination. Gustavo Castro Soto, a Mexican national, was the [only other person](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/08/berta-caceres-honduras-blocks-sole-witness-from-leaving-country "undefined") in the slain activist’s home at the time of the March 3 attack, and was himself shot twice by gunmen and only surviving by playing dead, the _Guardian_ reports. Soto, a coordinator for the Mexican branch of Friends of the Earth and the head of NGO Otros Mundos, provided testimony to Honduran authorities, but has been prevented from leaving the country after the attorney general issued a migration alert, according to a statement. “Gustavo Castro is not being treated as a victim of an attempted assassination, rather his life is being put at risk and his right to free circulation is being violated,”a joint statement from Otros Mundos and Friends of the Earth Mexico said. Cáceres, 44, was a leader among the Lenca indigenous population and — through her group the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) — campaigned against the construction of a potentially damaging hydropower dam in the southwest of Honduras. Friends and relatives of Cáceres [believe](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/03/honduras-berta-caceres-murder-enivronment-activist-human-rights "undefined") that the military and individuals connected with the dam project were involved in the killing. Soto has alleged in an [open letter](http://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/937438-410/mexicano-dice-que-escenario-del-crimen-de-berta-c%C3%A1ceres-fue-modificado "undefined") to Honduran media that the crime scene was altered and authorities had appeared to overlook genuine suspects in favor of questioning members of COPINH. Amnesty International’s Americas director, Erika Guevara-Rosas, [said Tuesday](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/03/honduras-deep-failures-in-investigation-into-activist-s-killing-put-many-at-risk/ "undefined") that authorities in Honduras had “failed to follow the most basic lines of investigation, including the fact that Berta had been receiving serious death threats related to her human rights work for a very long time.” “None of the people who Berta denounced for their constant harassment and threats, including representatives of companies working in the area, have been called to give testimony,” an Amnesty statement said. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4252033/berta-caceres-gustavo-castro-soto-honduras-witness-murder/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4252033/berta-caceres-gustavo-castro-soto-honduras-witness-murder/"},"headline":"Main Witness Barred From Leaving Honduras as Suspicions Mount Over Activist's Murder","datePublished":"2016-03-09T07:06:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T15:44:01.201Z","description":"Move comes as Amnesty International slams authorities for failing \"to follow the most basic lines of investigation\"","url":"https://time.com/4252033/berta-caceres-gustavo-castro-soto-honduras-witness-murder/","keywords":["Honduras","Environment"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt78d65f515257a846/69888a390a4a22e1a09c8bbb/gettyimages-514340746.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Simon Lewis","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/simon-lewis/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt78d65f515257a846/69888a390a4a22e1a09c8bbb/gettyimages-514340746.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"HONDURAS-WOMEN-INTERNATIONAL DAY","caption":"HONDURAS-WOMEN-INTERNATIONAL DAY","creditText":"Orlando Sierra—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/honduras/","name":"Honduras"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4252033/berta-caceres-gustavo-castro-soto-honduras-witness-murder/","name":"Main Witness Barred From Leaving Honduras as Suspicions Mount Over Activist's Murder"}}]}] ```