OVER 2,100 ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS KILLED WORLDWIDE IN A DECADE, REPORT REVEALS

Wed 11 September 2024:

A staggering total of more than 2,100 environmental activists were killed globally between 2012 and 2023, according to a report released by the international NGO Global Witness on Tuesday. The report highlights that Latin America accounts for the highest percentage of these deaths worldwide.

In 2023 alone, 196 land and environmental defenders were murdered. Colombia emerged as the deadliest country, with 79 activists losing their lives. Brazil followed with 25 killings, while both Mexico and Honduras reported 18 each.

Latin America once again held the grim distinction of having the most recorded killings, with 166 deaths across the region. Of these, 54 occurred in Mexico and Central America, while 112 took place in South America.

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“The number of killings remains alarmingly high, and simply unacceptable,” said Laura Furones, senior advisor to the Land and Environmental Defenders Campaign at Global Witness and the lead author of the report. She added, “As the climate crisis accelerates, those who use their voice to courageously defend our planet are met with violence, intimidation, and murder.”

Furones called on governments to take decisive steps to protect environmental defenders and address the root causes of violence against them.

Despite global outrage, many cases go unresolved, and impunity remains rampant. Rights groups and organizations like Global Witness continue to push for stronger protections, as the number of environmental defender killings remains “alarmingly high” year after year.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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