Gualcarque River
Gualcarque River | |
---|---|
Native name | Río Gualcarque (Spanish) |
Location | |
Country | Honduras |
Departments | Intibucá and Santa Bárbara |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Reserva Biológica Opalaca |
• location | San Francisco de Opalaca |
• coordinates | 14°31′N 88°18′W / 14.517°N 88.300°W |
Mouth | |
• location | Río Grande de Otoro |
• coordinates | 14°45′39″N 89°09′45″W / 14.76083°N 89.16250°W |
Basin features | |
River system | Ulúa |
The Gualcarque River (
Since 2006, Sinohydro, the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Honduran company Desarrollos Energéticos (DESA) have made preparations for four hydroelectric dams without consulting the Lenca, including the Agua Zarca dam. Construction began in 2012, and in 2013 river access was blocked, after which the Lenca started to protest. They have been met with violence, detention and torture.
In March 2013 during a peaceful protest at the dam office, Tomas García was shot and killed. In March 2016, Berta Cáceres, an internationally known indigenous activist who was a leader of the opposition to the dam, was also shot and killed. In June 2017, the banks financing the project suspended and withdrew funding because of the controversy.
Geography
The Gualcarque originates in the Reserva Biológica Opalaca in Intibucá flowing eastward for 2.4 miles (3.9 km) to the reserve's border, where it is crossed by the only road in its entire course, the V-608. It then turns to the north, flowing through the entire length of the Reserva de Vida Silvestre Montaña Verde at its eastern border and upon exiting it discharges into the Río Grande de Otoro.[1]
The river is considered sacred to the indigenous
The Gualcarque River belongs to the geothermal sites in northwest Honduras, the
Development
Since 2006, the Chinese company
In 2012, DESA started construction on the land it had acquired, destroying corn and bean fields, fruit trees and coffee plantations. At the end of March 2013 DESA security officers blocked access to the river, and affected communities started a street blockade.[3] Protesters were "attacked with machetes, discredited, detained, and tortured", and a leader from Río Blanco named Tomas García was shot and killed during a peaceful protest.[8]
In late 2013, Sinohydro terminated its contract with DESA; the IFC, concerned about human rights violations, withdrew its funding.[7] In March 2016, Berta Cáceres was shot in her home and killed as well.[2] FMO and Finnfund suspended their loans 16 days after her assassination.[9] In 2021, a court ruled that Roberto David Castillo, President of the dam company, DESA, had planned the murder and hired the gunmen.[10][11]
In June 2017, the banks financing the project suspended and withdrew funding because of the controversy.[12][13]
See also
References
- ^ Google Maps Google 2016, retrieved 4 March 2016
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
- ^ a b (in German) Kirstin Büttner, Daniela Dreißig. Vom Putsch zur "grünen" Diktatur, Informationszentrum 3. Welt (iz3w), May/June 2014, issue 342, p 15-17.
- Democracy Now, 4 March 2016, retrieved 8 March 2016
- ^ Capaccioni, Bruno et al. Geochemistry of thermal fluids in NW Honduras: New perspectives for exploitation of geothermal areas in the southern Sula graben. Journal of volcanology and geothermal research. June 2014, Vol.280, pp 40 - 52.
- ^ "FAQ Agua Zarca Project Honduras". Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Berta Cáceres - 2015 Goldman Prize Recipient South and Central America". Goldman Environmental Foundation. 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Goldman Prize Winner Murdered in Honduras". ens-newswire.com. Environment News Service. 3 March 2016.
- ^ Finnfund suspends disbursements to Honduran hydropower project Development Today, n.d.
- ^ "Berta Cáceres: Ex-dam company boss guilty of planning Honduran activist's murder". BBC News. 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Berta Cáceres assassination: ex-head of dam company found guilty". the Guardian. 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ "Backers of Honduran dam opposed by murdered activist withdraw funding". The Guardian. 4 June 2017.
- ^ "FMO and Finnfund finalize Exit Agua Zarca" (Press release). FMO. 6 July 2017.
Further reading
- Rand McNally, The New International Atlas, 1993.
- UN map: Image:Un-honduras.png
External links
- Mother of All Rivers, documentary, 04:47min, Mill Valley Film Group, 2015
- Hidroeléctrica Agua Zarca website retrieved 8 March 2016