Muerte por impunidad: Berta Cáceres y Agua Zarca

This case study by Friends of the Earth International examines the assassination of human rights defender Berta Cáceres and the role of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam project in Honduras, arguing that voluntary corporate human rights commitments are insufficient and a legally binding UN treaty is necessary to end corporate impunity.

• Berta Cáceres was murdered on March 2, 2016, as a result of her activism against the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam in Honduras, a project that threatened a river sacred to her community. The company responsible for the dam's construction was found to be directly involved in the murders of Cáceres and four other community members following years of military repression and intimidation.
• The Agua Zarca project received funding from international institutions, including the Netherlands development finance institution (FMO) and the Finland development finance institution (Finnfund). Despite reports of human rights violations and claims of following UN guiding principles on business and human rights, these institutions continued their participation until pressure following Cáceres' death led them to stop financing the project.
• The case is used to argue that voluntary corporate commitments are ineffective in preventing human rights abuses and environmental damage. The document calls for a legally binding UN treaty on transnational corporations and human rights to ensure corporate accountability and end the impunity that leads to the killing of environmental and human rights activists.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). Muerte por impunidad: Berta Cáceres y Agua Zarca. https://www.foei.org/es/publicaciones/muerte-por-impunidad-berta-caceres-y-agua-zarca/

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Muerte por impunidad: Berta Cáceres y Agua Zarca. n.d. https://www.foei.org/es/publicaciones/muerte-por-impunidad-berta-caceres-y-agua-zarca/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Muerte por impunidad: Berta Cáceres y Agua Zarca |url=https://www.foei.org/es/publicaciones/muerte-por-impunidad-berta-caceres-y-agua-zarca/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalndmuerte, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Muerte por impunidad: Berta Cáceres y Agua Zarca}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/es/publicaciones/muerte-por-impunidad-berta-caceres-y-agua-zarca/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }