People demand justice for Irma Galindo, a missing Mexican environmentalist, in Mexico City, Mexico, April 22, 2022. EDGARD GARRIDO/Portal
Every year the number of murders of environmental and land protectors increases. In ten years, between 2012 and 2022, 1,910 activists were killed, according to figures released on Wednesday, September 13, by the international organization Global Witness. In 2022 alone, 177 attacks were registered, i.e. “one every two days,” emphasizes Laura Furones, member of Global Witness and lead author of the report.
And if the number in 2022 falls slightly compared to the 200 killed in 2021 or the 227 in 2020, the worst year on record of this global census, “this fluctuation does not really correspond to an improvement in the global situation, even if this “This is of course good news,” analyzes Laura Furones. In their opinion, such a slight decline cannot be explained by better protection from environmentalists around the world. “Furthermore, we should not ignore that these numbers are largely underestimated. Not all cases are known to us or reported to us, especially in certain regions such as Africa or Asia,” she adds.
Most of his murders took place in South America: nine out of ten. At the top of this macabre list is Colombia with 60 deaths. This figure has almost doubled compared to 2021, although, emphasizes Laura Furones, “in October 2022, this country ratified a regional agreement, legally important and binding, obliging governments to prevent and investigate attacks against defenders. “
During the presentation of the report before its official publication, Sirley Muñoz, coordinator of the Colombian NGO “Somos defensores” (We are the Defenders), described a constant climate of threat. “In our country, the defense of territories is a sensitive issue, armed conflicts over their control are an important cause of these attacks. With the regional elections at the end of October, the number of violent attacks against environmental activists is increasing,” she explains.
“Violence”, “torture” and “threats”
Colombia is followed by Brazil (34 deaths in 2022), Mexico (31) and then Honduras (14). Numerous Latin American countries are also affected, including Venezuela, Paraguay, Nicaragua and Guatemala. A fifth of these murders take place in the Amazon rainforest. “Violence, torture and threats have become a reality for communities in the region,” explains Laura Furones.
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