COPINH demands immediate suspension of FMO contributions to Aqua Zarca Dam

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In January 2016, Berta Cáceres, co-founder of COPINH, asked our legal assistance to hold Dutch development bank FMO responsible for its involvement in the completion of the Agua Zarca Dam in Honduras, which has been associated with numerous human rights infringements. COPINH is a social and political organization that aims to support the indigenous and popular movements of Honduras. COPINH is represented in the Netherlands by Channa Samkalden.

On March 2nd, Berta Cáceres was murdered. Her death is a brutal and appalling example of the way resistance of the local communities to the dam has been violently suppressed.

The Agua Zarca dam is being constructed with substantial financial support from FMO. As a consequence, FMO has a direct influence on whether and in what way the construction of the dam is completed. In violation of national and international obligations, the construction was commenced without free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous communities. FMO is obliged to use its influence to prevent further environmental and human rights violations.

On March 9th, COPINH has formally requested that FMO immediately suspends all financial contributions to the Agua Zarca dam construction. The letter can be found here.

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Prakken d'Oliveira, formerly known as Böhler, is a law firm with expertise and experience in asylum and immigration law, European law, administrative law, international criminal law and human rights. Our lawyers provide advice and conduct procedures before the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), the Dutch Review Committee on the Intelligence and Security Services (CTIVD), the District- and Appeals courts, the Administrative Law Division of the Dutch Council of State, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), the Human Rights Treaty Bodies of the United Nations (UN), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and other international tribunals.