Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca

The report examines the assassination of Lenca indigenous leader Berta Cáceres in 2016, who opposed the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam in Honduras. It details how the project, developed by Desarrollos Energéticos S.A. (DESA) and funded by international institutions including FMO and Finnfund, was marked by systemic violence and a lack of free, prior, and informed consent. Despite a 2018 court verdict convicting several individuals and linking the murder to DESA executives, the report argues that the reliance on voluntary human rights due diligence under the UN Guiding Principles is insufficient. It calls for legally binding international legislation to hold corporations accountable for human rights abuses and environmental damage.

• Berta Cáceres was murdered on March 2, 2016, as a result of her leadership in opposing the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project on the Gualcarque River, which is sacred to the Lenca people.
• A November 2018 court verdict established that the murder was planned and executed with the 'knowledge and consent' of DESA executives, including president David Castillo, to retaliate against protests causing financial losses.
• International financiers, specifically the Dutch Development Finance Institution (FMO), the Finnish Development Finance Institution (Finnfund), and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), are accused of willful negligence for continuing funding despite reports of systemic violence and lack of indigenous consultation.
• The Lenca people were denied their right to free, prior, and informed consultation regarding the Agua Zarca project, violating both a 2011 agreement with the Honduran President and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• The report argues that the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) are insufficient because they are voluntary and not directly binding on businesses, creating an accountability gap.
• Honduras is identified as the most dangerous country in the world for environmental activists, with 123 land and environmental defenders killed since the 2009 military coup.

APA

Colsell, S. (2019). Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/09-FoEE-Berta-Caceres-ENG-mr-2.pdf

Chicago

Colsell, Sophie. Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca. Friends of the Earth International, 2019. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/09-FoEE-Berta-Caceres-ENG-mr-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Colsell |first1=Sophie |title=Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=March 2019 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/09-FoEE-Berta-Caceres-ENG-mr-2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{colsell2019death, author = {Colsell, Sophie}, title = {{Death by impunity: Berta Cáceres and Agua Zarca}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2019}, month = mar, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/09-FoEE-Berta-Caceres-ENG-mr-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }