Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca

A case study by Friends of the Earth International detailing the murder of Berta Cáceres and the role of corporate and financial impunity in the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam project in Honduras.

• Berta Cáceres was murdered in her home on 2 March 2016 as retaliation for her activism against the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam, which threatened a river sacred to her community. The project was associated with years of military repression and intimidation, resulting in the deaths of five community members, with the construction company directly involved in these killings.
• The Dutch Development Finance Institution (FMO) and the Finnish Development Finance Institution (Finnfund) provided financing for the project and continued their involvement despite being informed of human rights violations. Although the banks claimed adherence to the voluntary United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP), they only ceased financing after Berta Cáceres' murder and subsequent pressure.
• The case is used to argue that voluntary corporate commitments are ineffective in preventing human rights violations and environmental damage. Consequently, there is a call for a legally binding UN treaty on transnational corporations and human rights to ensure corporate accountability.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca. https://www.foei.org/publication/death-by-impunity-berta-caceres-and-agua-zarca/

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca. n.d. https://www.foei.org/publication/death-by-impunity-berta-caceres-and-agua-zarca/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca |url=https://www.foei.org/publication/death-by-impunity-berta-caceres-and-agua-zarca/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalnddeath, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/publication/death-by-impunity-berta-caceres-and-agua-zarca/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }