Berta Cassarus was one of the most influential advocates for indigenous and women's rights in Honduras lardis Criminacion con and when she began leading a protest campaign against a proposed hydro electric dam, she became one of the most celebrated environmental activists anywhere. Honduras was known as the most dangerous place in the world for environmental activists. More than one hundred had been reported killed in just the previous five years.
She told friends about threatening phone calls she'd get. She said, strange cars followed her on the road. She knew that she was very much still being targeted and still at risk of being killed. Berta was the most powerful activist in her country, but none of the accolades could protect her. In the end, a prominent environmental rights activists was shot dead into Juras on Thursday, prompting protests in the capital. My name is monte Real, an investigative reporter for Bloomberg Green.
On the upcoming podcast Blood River, we tell the story of a murder murder in a place where murderers thrive, where about of all homicides are left unsolved and unpunished. Hounder and police claimed that she was killed and a robbery gone wrong, but her family, friends and supporters are convinced that her death was a political assassination. It's a story full of deception, false leads, and cruel twists. It's about money, power, political influence, and the violence that goes
along with them. That violence didn't begin or end with Berta. I threw myself towards the side of the bed in my room to protect myself, and the gunmen shot me in the head. I said, don't call the police, you know, because calling the police on honderous it's like calling the mafia to crime scene, and you can't trust them. We'll hear from victims, investigators, and eyewitnesses, the communities that fought alongside Berta, and the executives on the receiving end of
that activism. We'll go into their homes, their offices, and in some cases, their prison cell All of them now face the same question, who, in the end, is really responsible for the death of Berta Cassidys and what does justice actually look like in a place where killers almost always walk away untouched. We think it's quite possible that there's more to this crime then has been exposed. So far. Blood River launches on July. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
or wherever you get your podcasts. H