European banks exit Honduras dam project after killings
Source: Associated Press
European banks exit Honduras dam project after killings
Christopher Sherman, Associated Press
Updated 2:47 pm, Friday, July 7, 2017
MEXICO CITY (AP) Two European development banks financing construction of a controversial dam project in Honduras have pulled out following the murders of local activists including Berta Caceres, a 2015 winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize.
The Netherlands Development Finance Institution and the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation said in a joint statement Thursday that the decision to halt their involvement in the Agua Zarca dam was reached after extensive local and international consultations.
The statement said the banks believe the dam would be a positive development for nearby communities and the Central American nation. They expressed hope that a dialogue will emerge in which local stakeholders decide whether they want the project.
"The lenders' exit from the project is intended to reduce international and local tensions in the area," it read.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/European-banks-out-of-Honduras-dam-project-after-11272797.php