May 17, 2019

Environmental defenders endangered in Latin America

located:	Brazil, Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia
editor:	Magdalena Rojo

Six of the ten most hostile countries for environmental defenders are within Latin America. During the past decade, 1,356 attacks against leaders and communities protecting their environment happened in the region.

Land of Resistants is an investigative journalism project by a team of 30 journalists, videographers, designers, and developers from seven countries across Latin America. It brings 16 stories and comprehensive data about environmental defenders and their struggles, including killings, in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru.

The results of Land of Resistants' latest investigation were published earlier this month. Further killings and attacks followed the disclosures of journalists, which only affirm how alarming the situation is. Within a few days, two environmental defenders were murdered in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The Rarámuri indigenous people have been fighting mining companies and drug traffickers that were cutting down forests in the region. Afro-Colombian leaders were also attacked by men with firearms during a meeting in the department of Cauca in Colombia. Francia Márquez Mina, a Goldman Environmental Prize winner from last year, was also present at the meeting.

Attacks on environmental defenders in Latin America are never attacks on one person. These civil activists do not make a decision to put their own lives under threats to gain a healthy environment for an individual benefit only, but for the benefit of entire communities.

This is also the reason why an environmental defender is rarely alone on their mission. Killings of famous defenders, including holders of international awards, have become part of the threatening strategy. But communities continue their battles – even though there is very little protection they can ask for.

In some countries, they search for help from local Ombudsmans' offices or non-governmental organisations. In others, they stand up for themselves and find their own ways to keep the land that belongs to them. There have been successful cases of lawsuits that allowed communities to stay. Yet, challenges remain that do not enable us to see the improvement of the security situation of environmental defenders.

One of them is corruption. It continues to be a tool to reach the goals of both institutions and companies involved in businesses in Latin America. Individual interests in economic prosperity are another challenge. Especially in capitalistic thinking, individual and economic interests are often put above the good of the people and their environment.

Unlike economic activities that destroy the environment, fighting for the access to clean water or for lush forests means a fight to sustain the planet in a condition that will allow us and other beings to enjoy it in the future.

Here is something we can learn from indigenous people in Latin America who, according to the Land of Resistants, form more than half of all environmental defenders in the region. Community interests first. Thus the environment will become a priority, too. Sooner or later, it will have to happen.

Photo: Protest against the murder of Berta Caceres, environmental activist from Honduras in 2016. Wikimedia Commons

Call to Action

Support Amazon Watch in protecting the rainforest and its indigenous peoples

Support now