T

he tribunal in the Berta Cáceres case held a session of the trial on Monday November 12 without informing the public beforehand. The only members of the public present were the families of the suspects and local media that cover court events daily. During that session, an analyst presented Whatsapp messages, allegedly those that involved suspects Sergio Rodríguez and Douglas Bustillo that were extracted from the cell phones of the suspects and DESA employees.

On Tuesday, November 13, the court heard the testimonies of two COPINH leaders who stated that Berta received a number of threats from Sergio Rodriguez, Douglas Bustillo, David Castillo, and security guards, police and military units that patrolled the Agua Zarca premises. According to Liliam López, Berta received one or two threatening phone calls a week from DESA employees in the years leading up to her death. She also stated that David Castillo, on multiple occasions, sent Berta messages with details about her location and activities.