In the last 11 years, there are records of 1,910 murders of people who dedicated their lives to protecting the environment; The number of deaths may be higher due to a lack of reliable data in some countries. In 2022, the tragic toll resulted in at least 177 defenders of the land and the environment being violently killed, 90% of which in Latin American countries, according to the annual toll published by the international organization Global Witness, which carries out this type of of studies since 2012 in collaboration with partners from all over the world.
The new Global Witness report highlights the crucial role that activists play in defending and achieving climate justice, but highlights that - to make a reference to environmental issues - "between the approval of that historic Paris Agreement on climate (on December 12, 2015) and on December 31, 2022, at least 1,390 defenders were murdered."
Last year, Colombia turned out to be the country with the highest homicide rate in the world, with 60 deaths in total, which represents more than a third of the murders that occurred. Despite the fact that Colombia ratified an important legally binding regional agreement in October 2022 that obliges the Government to prevent and investigate attacks against defenders, this figure almost doubles the number of murders recorded in 2021.
Since Global Witness began documenting the deaths of land and environment activists in 2012, at least 382 have been killed in Colombia, making it the country with the highest number of reported murders in the world during that period. .
The majority of homicides recorded in 2022 (88%) occurred in Latin America. In that region, other countries with a high rate of fatal attacks last year were Brazil, with 34 murders; Mexico, with 31; and Honduras, with 14. In the Philippines a total of 11 defenders died.
Furthermore, the research found once again that the world's indigenous communities face a disproportionate level of deadly assaults, having been victims of more than a third (34%) of global murders last year, despite They only make up about 5% of the world's population.
Global Witness denounces that, "despite the persistence of murders of defenders over the last 11 years, those who committed them have rarely been brought to justice because governments do not adequately investigate these crimes and the resulting impunity encourages new attacks ".
According to Shruti Suresh, acting co-director of campaigns at Global Witness, "those responsible for deadly attacks on activists have been getting away with it for too long. Even if they stop short of murdering defenders, they engage in violence, intimidation and harassment against them on various occasions. parts of the world to silence them. But the global movement of people united by the determination and commitment to defend their homes and communities is always on a war footing, despite being threatened by the irresponsible actions of companies and governments, and not They will manage to silence him.
"We continue to recognize and honor the work of defenders who have lost their lives and we dedicate our report to them, their families and their communities. We will continue working to echo their voice, as they are essential in the fight against change climate and protecting our environment from exploitation," highlights Shruti Suresh.
Global Witness' new report reiterates that "the world's governments must urgently tackle the senseless killings of those defending our planet, including by protecting the most valuable ecosystems, which play a fundamental role in tackling the climate emergency. Finally "With the violence and injustice that these types of activists face, we must join forces on a regional, national and international level. Too many lives have already been lost. And we cannot afford to lose more."
Global Witness analysis shows that the Amazon is one of the most dangerous places in the world for defenders: last year, 39 murders occurred in the largest rainforest on the planet, more than one in five (22%) of those registered worldwide. These include that of British Guardian journalist Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira, an expert on indigenous peoples, murdered last June while touring indigenous territory in the Amazon region of Brazil. In total, at least 296 defenders have been murdered in the Amazon since 2014.
The report also analyzes cases of indigenous rainforest communities that face various threats from activities such as gold mining and logging. It is indicated that companies based in the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States have been linked to human rights violations committed against these communities, as gold illegally extracted from Kayapó lands has been discovered in the supply chains of the Italian precious metals refinery Chimet and the mining company Serabi Gold*.
Laura Furones, senior campaign advisor for land and environmental defenders, stated:
"Studies have shown time and time again that indigenous peoples are the best custodians of forests and, therefore, are essential in mitigating the climate crisis. However, in countries like Brazil, Peru and Venezuela they are precisely under siege for carrying out that work. Every day we hear of new attacks and our report highlights some of those stories.
"When, less than two years ago, more than a hundred countries signed the Glasgow Declaration at COP26, they committed to stopping deforestation by 2030. However, we now know that in 2022 10% will be lost. more primary forests than the previous year, that is, we are going in the wrong direction and we are wasting very valuable time, which is running out. We must recognize that, so that the forests do not disappear, it is essential to protect those who consider them your home. Measures against the growing climate emergency and the defense of human rights must go hand in hand."
According to the report, the new data on murders of defenders do not accurately reflect the true magnitude of the problem, given the restrictions on press freedom and the lack of independent monitoring in many countries - especially in Africa, Asia and the Middle East — make it difficult to report these homicides. Likewise, the analysis highlights a worrying pattern emerging globally of cases of silencing of activists through criminalization, which means that the legal frameworks that should protect them become weapons to attack them.
