She is one of the 1000 women proposed for the Nobel Peace Price 2005.
When Bertha was about 20 years old, she fell in love with “the tenderest man in the world.” Both were in love with a world they wanted to change. They fought for bread and smiles. One night in 1981, he was kidnapped. He is one of the 184 missing people in the country. Bertha Oliva de Nativí is today the General Coordinator of the Committee of Relatives of Missing Prisoners in Honduras COFADEH.
She is also named as Political Heroe.
She says: « We have learned to live together, to work, to give, to embrace our pain. I maintain categorically that there is no resentment, but pain and hope, always hope ».
She says also: “Since then, we have ‘planted’ ourselves in La Merced Park, on the first Friday, of every month. They look at us with contempt and call us ‘the lepers’. Slowly, we have demonstrated that those with leprosy in their souls are the ones capable of causing so much hurt”.
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Bertha Oliva Guiffarro de Nativí – Honduras
She works for the Comité de Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos en Honduras COFADEH.
This organization was founded by Bertha, along with other women like her, who are searching for their loved ones.When Bertha was about 20 years old, she fell in love with “the tenderest man in the world”, and this man, Tomás, fell in love with her. Both were in love with a world they wanted to change. They fought for bread and smiles. One night in 1981, he was kidnapped. He is one of the 184 ‘missing’ people in the country.
Bertha de Nativí, is today the General Coordinator of the Committee of Relatives of Missing Prisoners in Honduras. This organization was founded by Bertha, along with other women like her, who are searching for their loved ones. “They entered my home, killed our friend, and beat my husband until he was unconscious. Just before he became unconscious, Tomás said to me: ‘They may leave you alive to ..’ give birth to our son.” On that day, June 11th, 1981, Bertha Oliva Guifarro de Nativí was 25 years old.
She continued to fight for justice.
Without a father and with a mother obliged to hide her real name, the boy was born secretly. He was named after his ‘missing’ father, Tomás.
Professor Tomás Nativí is one of the 184 ‘missing people’ in Honduras. That was the information given, some years ago, by the National Committee for Human Rights. Bertha was the driving force behind the creation of this committee, along with her companions in the COFADEH, the Committee of Relatives of Missing Prisoners in Honduras (created by them, in 1982).
Among other of their achievements, in 1987, Honduras became the first State to be condemned by the Inter-American Court for Human Rights, because of its violation of guarantees to citizens. One year later, a new case, this time concerning disappearances, was presented to the Court by their organization, the COFADEH, achieving a similar sentence. They have managed to cause the dissolution of the Department of National Investigations “the most criminal body in the country”, the repeal of Compulsory Military Service and, in 1992, the liberation of the last political prisoners.
“’They may leave you alive to …’ continue the fight for justice. We have learned to live together, to work, to give, to embrace our pain. I maintain categorically that there is no resentment, but pain and hope, always hope”.
Between 1979 and 1989, the Honduran State imposed the installation of an institutional network, composed of civil, military and Para military structures. That repression resulted in almost 200 ‘missing’ people, 300 political assassinations and 1500 survivors of torture. (1000peacewomen).
Cuando tenía 20 años se enamoró del « hombre más tierno del mundo ». Ambos estaban enamorados de un mundo que querían cambiar. Lucharon por pan y por sonrisas. Una noche en 1981, ella fue secuestrada. Él es uno de los 184 desaparecidos en el países. Hoy es la coordinadora general del Comité de Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos en Honduras (COFADEH), organización fundada por Bertha y otra mujer como ella. (Women and life on earth).
Sorry, I can’t find more informations about Bertha Oliva Guiffarro de Nativí, Honduras.