12/09/2023 – 22:58
More than one in every five murders of land and environmental defenders in the world, recorded in 2022, occurred in the Amazon. In total, 177 people lost their lives across the planet, 39 (22%) in the largest tropical forest. This is what a survey by the non-governmental organization Global Witness shows, which for more than a decade has reported threats and deaths of those dedicated to defending the environment and land, including indigenous people, forest rangers, authorities and journalists.
For the first time, the institution counted attacks on defenders operating in the biome.
Global Witness senior consultant Gabriella Bianchini highlights that the numbers reveal the Amazon as one of the most dangerous places in the world for activists, with violence, torture and threats shared by communities across the region. The Amazon is almost 6.9 million square kilometers and covers eight countries in South America.
According to her, when acting against agricultural pressure, deforestation and illegal mining, defenders start to be intimidated and attacked.
“This frightening number is the translation of the absence of the State: the absence of public policies focused on the protection of defenders, the preservation of traditional territories and the preservation of the environment, and the demarcation of traditional territories, as well as the absence of accountability of companies and other agents involved in violations of the human rights of human rights defenders,” the consultant told Brazil Agency.
One of the emblematic cases of this violence was that of Brazilian indigenousist Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillipskilled on June 5, 2022, victims of an ambush, while traveling by boat through the Vale do Javari region, in Amazonas.
Indigenous
Indigenous people are among the most threatened. More than 36% of activists murdered around the world in 2022 were of indigenous origin, equivalent to 39 people. Next are small farmers (22%) and people of African descent (7%). In the Amazon alone, the deaths of 11 indigenous people were identified.
“Every year, defenders of this invaluable biome pay with their lives to protect their homes, livelihoods and the health of our planet”, adds the consultant.
The entity highlights the effort to expand the protection of defenders in Latin America, the region with the highest number of murders, through the Escazú Regional Agreement (signed in April 2022), but the majority of Amazonian countries have not yet joined.
Brazil
Brazil is the second deadliest country for environmental activists. Together with Colombia and Mexico, they account for more than 70% of cases worldwide, equivalent to 125 deaths.
In Brazil, there were 34 murders last year, compared to 26 in 2021. Since 2012, the beginning of the historical series, 376 defenders have lost their lives in Brazilian territory.
Colombia leads the world ranking, with 60 murders, almost double the number of deaths recorded in the country in 2021.
For Global Witness, the Brazilian situation is worrying and was worsened by the policies of the past government. “Land defenders in Brazil faced relentless hostility from the government of Jair Bolsonaro, whose policies opened the Amazon to exploitation and destruction, dismantled environmental agencies and fueled illegal invasions of indigenous lands”, highlights Gabriella Bianchini.
In relation to the current government, the entities hope for the restructuring “of regulatory agencies and the creation of new ministries that can help protect those who defend the environment, such as the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples”.
Recommendations
Global Witness brings a series of recommendations for a safe environment to land and environmental defenders, such as enforcing or formulating laws that protect the rights of activists. The recommendations also include the investigation and accountability of companies and governments for attacks and damage to activists.
#Amazon #accounts #deaths #land #defenders #world