DAY TEN: Trial Against David Castillo
/Last update: May 7 at 3:56 pm
Main Points of the Day
After a suspicious suspension of the trial yesterday, COPINH, the Honduras Solidarity Network (HSN) and others, raised concern of a possible attempt to shut down or influence the trial at a critical moment, specifically during the examination of data extracted from a cell phone found in DESA’s office and belonging to Daniel Atala. Although still unclear why the suspension occurred, the proceedings began today at 11:20 am.
More Whatsapp and text messages involving Daniel Atala, David Castillo, Jose Eduardo Atala, Carolina Castillo, and Maria Fernanda Rivera, were read in court. The messages illustrated a few themes: Racism; Daniel Atala’s hatred of Berta Cáceres and COPINH; the Atala Zablah family using their influence with Ministers, judges, mayors, prosecutors, government officials from the Secretary of Natural Resources and the Environment (SERNA), former President Porfirio Lobo, amongst others, to provide security and support for the Agua Zarca project, prosecute Berta and others, as well as take action against the resistance in Rio Blanco. The messages also illustrate how bribes were paid to government officials and food was purchased for police guarding the dam site. COPINH published some of the chat transcripts (see below).
A USB memory containing data extracted from Sergio Rodriguez’s cellphone was found to contain much less data (37 gbs) than what the data extraction expert noted on his written analysis (51.8 gbs) suggesting evidence manipulation or a major administrative error. The defense argues that the evidence be thrown out - claiming that prosecutors key expert witness Brenda Barahona, who still has not testified, is responsible for this “criminal act” - and the private accusers and prosecutors insist that an investigation occur. Apparently the prosecutors knew of the missing data beforehand. After a lengthy debate, the judges rule that the evidence will be examined as it had already been admitted by the court.
The examination of data extracted from Daniel Atala’s phone ended and that of Sergio Rodriguez will begin tomorrow. The court suspended the session at 12:53 am and will convene again tomorrow at 1:30 pm.
COPINH publishes the following chats and writes: “IMPORTANT: Who were Daniel Atala’s allies? - Commissioner Lagos and the Minister of Security in 2013 were people mentioned in Daniel Atala’s communications, to harass and judicially persecute members of COPINH. Elsia Paz would be in charge of monitoring Berta Cáceres and mentions: “He/she have investigated her very well". Martiniano Domínguez, the former mayor of Intibucá, used his influences to request from ex-President Porfirio Lobo in meetings of the Council of Ministers, for more attacks to “resolve” COPINH’s blockade.”
“In a conversation between Douglas Bustillo (convicted for Berta Cáceres’s murder) and Daniel Atala, it was revealed that DESA paid for the food of police officers that operated in Rio Blanco. In this same conversation, it was revealed that DESA had informants inside COPINH that passed information to Atala and David Castillo. Payments for informants were made monthly.”
“Daniel Atala and David Castillo Mejía coordinated actions to follow and monitor Berta Cáceres. In this conversation, it was revealed that Daniel Atala provided personal to Castillo in order to carry out the monitoring.”
PAGE ONE (the parts highlighted in yellow): April 27, 2013 12:04 am, Daniel Atala to Carolina Castillo: “It can’t be”
12:09 from Carolina Castillo: “Yes .. I think its excessive”
10 am from Daniel Atala: “Fuck, is it possible that David spoke with the Minister”
12:10 am from Daniel Atala: “Because they know we are desperate and they want to take advantage”
12:12 am from Carolina Castillo: “It’s an option but the honorariums are really high and if you add them up, it’s 50,000.”
PAGE TWO: June 13, 2013 7:41 pm, Daniel Atala to David Castillo: “Martiniano Dominguez [former mayor of Intibuca] went public talking on HRN [a national radio] about the verdict yesterday.”
7:41 pm from Daniel Atala: “Attacking COPINH”
7:41 pm from Daniel Atala: “He spoke well”
PAGE THREE: August 20, 2013 8:07 pm from Douglas Bustillo to Daniel Atala: “Hi Danny, I need to know if you’re going to deposit 1000 lempiras that are to pay the informant for 2 weeks because they give him 500/week”
August 22, 2013 4:39 pm from Douglas Bustillo: “Dani let me know about the money for the informant.”
PAGE FOUR: Sept 10, 2013 7:51 pm from Daniel Atala to Douglas Bustillo: “And why didn’t they go and get the old woman out of there”
7:51 pm from Daniel Atala: “And the police that are there?”
7:52 pm from Douglas Bustillo: “Berta has been there since yesterday in La Tejera [community in Rio Blanco]
7:57 pm from Douglas Bustillo: “It’s more than that they detained her at the police check point and let her pass. Sub-commissioner Martell ..”
PAGE FIVE: September 27, 2013, 5:52 pm from Douglas Bustillo: “Good afternoon Dany, at the moment, there is nothing going on in the camp and the other thing, with respect to the payment for the food for Cristina here in the camp and Ms. Irenia that gives food to the police in El Barreal, are without money and maybe you could get them something.”
PAGE SIX: December 4, 2013 4:04 pm from Douglas Bustillo to Daniel Atala: “Ok and the other thing, we still have to deal with the informant’s 2500 and 500.”
7:02 pm from Douglas Bustillo: “Dany the informant’s money”
PAGE SEVEN: July 24, 2013 2:55 pm from David Castillo to Daniel Atala: “To go and see Berta”
2:56 pm from Daniel Atala: “Ok, now?”
2:56 pm from David Castillo: “When you have it/him/her available”
More Details
More Chats From Daniel Atala’s Cell Phone
The private accusers representing the Cáceres family ask data extraction expert David Alexander Amador to continue reading specific Whatsapp chats that were extracted from Daniel Atala’s cell phone. Occasionally, the judges interrupt the expert when its unclear whether the chats are relevant to the case or not.
September 6, 2013 at 2:50 pm from Daniel Atala to Carla O “I hope the indios [sometimes a derogatory word depending on context for indigenous people] stop bothering us.” “Yes, I’ll tell you [inaudible name] about all the messes”
Carla O: “[inaudible] almost ignorant. Ah ha, good, that’s an improvement;”
April 26, 2013 at 2:01, Daniel Atala: “Uh huh, hell, instead of fighting with those indios”
April 15, 2013 at 4:12 pm from Daniel Atala to Raul Agüero: “44,000, if this project doesn’t happen, don’t even bother asking for me” “haha”
4:13 pm from Raul Agüero: “Why wouldn’t it happen?”
4:13 pm from Daniel Atala: “If LIBRE wins, they will take away the concession and the indios will invade it.” “It’s the most probable scenario”, “Uh, you have no idea, he’s a chill guy, he will resolve the mess in two punches”
4:14 pm from Raul Agüero: “You’re gunning for JOH” “Everything will work out well”
4:15 pm from Daniel Atala: “Him or Mauricio, I don’t give a shit as long as LIBRE doesn’t win.” “I want political stability.”
September 20, 2013 at 9:49 pm from Daniel Atala: “I just had a huge victory in the hearings in La Esperanza, Intibuca today”, “Bitch going to jail without bail”, “There is a shit show going on in the court, the indios invaded the building, I’m shitting my pants that they’ll come look for me.”
December 16, 2014 at 4:20 pm from Daniel Atala: “and Neymar [Brazilian soccer player] is just a little shitty gay guy [negrito culero indio basura is hard to translate into English but classist and racist making reference to his mixed ancestry and economic background] and he falls down, pretends and cries to the referees in all the games.”
September 15, 2013 at 11:29 pm from Daniel Atala: “[displays a picture of a meeting in the Council of Ministers]” “Look where I was yesterday", “Lenca community in support of PHAZ [Agua Zarca hydroelectric project]”, “I’m not going to be able to drive, [inaudible] 80 clients in the evening”, “haha yes” “with like 80 indios that I brought from the project” “so they could go and tell the President that because of a few extortionists, they are missing development opportunities.”
Chocoya Saval writes: “haha” “Who are you with there?”
From Daniel Atala: “For sure” “we are the majority”, “we signed an agreement”
Chocoya Saval writes: “Ah, now I get it” “thats the group” “the group that is on your side”
April 23, 2013 at 7:23 pm, chat with participants David Castillo and Daniel Atala. David Castillo writes: “Dany I need the cash for the meetings in the afternoon”
Daniel Atala: “What time are you leaving?”
7:25 pm from David Castillo: “3 or 4”
David Castillo: “The mayor just asked Pepe [Lobo, the former President of Honduras] to resolve DESA’s problem caused by COPINH”
David Castillo: “They just saw him/her in the Council of Ministers”
David Castillo: “We have a mayor”
Daniel Atala: “The one from Intibuca went?”
David Castillo: “yes”
Daniel Atala: “Excellent”
Daniel Atala: “Fuck and have you heard from Minister Green?”
David Castillo: “He asked him directly”
May 3, 2013 at 2:51 pm. David Castillo: “Dany, I need the cash”. “To take it to Intibuca” “I’m going to head to the office”
Daniel Atala: “Ok” , “Are you there yet?” “I’m in a shit ton of traffic”
3:23 pm Daniel Atala: “Ok I’m in the office”
David Castillo: “Ok, I’ll head over there.”
Daniel Atala: “Remember that there is only 65 because the rest is for the Minister.”
David Castillo: “Yes”
7:21 pm Daniel Atala: “The Chinese fucked it up” “The Chinese, son of bitch, took advantage to come and complain”
May 4, 2013 2:54 am David Castillo: “We are leaving”
INCOMPLETE.