200 environmental activists murdered in a year, NGO reports
Nearly 200 environmental activists were murdered in 2023, with Colombia the most dangerous country, the NGO Global Witness said in a report published on Tuesday.
Around 85 per cent of the 196 murders of environmental and land rights defenders last year were in South America, with Global Witness recording 79 in Colombia alone, the highest number since the NGO began reporting in 2012.
Most of the crimes took place in the southwest of the country, with criminal organisations suspected of having carried out at least half of them. Honduras, which recorded 18 murders, has the highest homicide ratio per capita.
Colombia is set to host the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in the city of Cali in October, amid concerns over the safety of participants.
Intimidation and murder
“As the climate crisis accelerates, those who use their voice to courageously defend our planet are met with violence, intimidation and murder,” the report’s lead author, Laura Furones, said in a press release. “Our data shows that the number of killings remains alarmingly high, a situation that is simply unacceptable.”
The report also highlights the effect of marginalisation and environmental degradation on indigenous peoples.
“Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge can provide insights into sustainable resource management, conservation practices, and traditional adaptation strategies, all of which can help better respond to the threats posed by climate change,” it says.
“And yet, far from being listened to, Indigenous Peoples have been the subject of vicious attacks. Between 2012 and 2023, 766 of them were murdered, representing 36 per cent of all killings of environmental defenders.”
"Our data shows that the number of killings remains alarmingly high, a situation that is simply unacceptable"
In Asia, the Philippines remains the most dangerous country, with 17 murders of environmental activists last year. Global Witness also highlights a growing trend of kidnappings in the region. In Africa, Global Witness recorded four deaths, but said this was likely to be “a significant underestimate” given the difficulty of collecting information.
The NGO denounces British and American legislation that provides for harsher sentences for protesters and activists, as well as “draconian levels of surveillance” in EU countries.
“The causes of reprisals are firmly anchored in specific country contexts and influenced by local power dynamics that determine who can speak up for defenders’ rights,” it says, and calls on countries to systematically document attacks and collect better data to improve existing laws.
An enviromental activist near Dona Juana landfill in Bogota, one of the largest landfills in Latin America, April 2024 © PHOTO RAUL ARBOLEDA / AFP
Related news
