Argentinian killed for defending the environment in Latin America

Protesting for clean air, fighting big companies to protect your own environment and that of a community or an army in an environmental movement that opposes certain infrastructure works can cost your life. And if you live in Latin America, the risk is even higher. The annual report of Global witness published today reveals that three quarters of the deadly attacks recorded against environmental activists in 2020 occurred in the region: 165 people were killed for defending their land and their planet. Globally, 227 fatal attacks have been recorded, up from all-time records for the second year in a row.

Colombia was, once again, the worst-affected country in the world, with 65 recorded murders, and Nicaragua, with 12 deaths, was the deadliest place for defenders given killings per capita.. On average, four defenders have been killed each week around the world since the signing of the Paris climate agreement in 2015. However, this shocking figure is almost certainly an underestimate, as many cases are unlikely to occur. ” be denounced in the face of growing restrictions on journalism and other civil liberties.

In 2020, Argentina was on this sad list: the tucuman producer Juan Carlos “Cheta” González he was shot dead by retired policeman Carlos Flores in a territorial dispute.

“On Tuesday September 15, 2020, González took his animals, like every morning, to the field where he was born and raised. From the shotgun of retired policeman Carlos Flores came the three bullets that ended his life. The shooter said it was in self-defense, but “Don Cheta” (as he was called) was unarmed and was shot in the back while riding his horse. It all happened in El Cevilar, municipality of El Bracho, department of Cruz Alta (Tucumán): on the same land that once belonged to Juan José González and that his legitimate heirs cultivated all their lives, ”explains the agency. Press Living earth. Cheta lived with Lidia, his wife, and Luis, one of their three children. He integrated the Land Workers Union (UTT).

Two months and 18 days later, Flores was sentenced to eleven years in prison in an abbreviated trial. The crime was classified as homicide aggravated by the use of a firearm. Judge Javier Tomas resolved the house arrest at the home of a relative of the convict, in Horco Molle, a remote town about 40 kilometers from the place of the events. He also ordered the murderer to carry an electronic device to locate. The victim’s family ensures that she does not comply with the provisions of justice.

Destruction

Figures from the international report show the human cost of destruction caused by extractive industries and corporations. According to reports, at least 30% of reported attacks were directly related to resource exploitation, including large-scale logging, mining and agro-industry, hydroelectric dams and other infrastructure. Logging was the industry linked to the highest number of killings with 23 cases, with attacks reported in Mexico, Brazil, Nicaragua and Peru.

The murders include the case of Oscar Eyraud Adams, a Kumiai native and water advocate, killed in Mexico after opposing industries that contribute to water shortages in Baja California. Óscar was one of many indigenous peoples killed in 2020, asserting their right to self-determination and protecting ancestral lands from those seeking to exploit their natural resources.

“In a year in which the countries of Latin America have suffered unprecedented crises, one constant has remained: violence against defenders. Latin America has always been the region most affected, and all too often those who defend their land and our planet face criminalization by governments, intimidation in their communities and murder. This systemic violence is the result of decades of impunity for perpetrators and corporations that place extraction and profits above human life and our environment, ”he said. Marina Commandulli, of Global witness.

Among the activists who continue to be threatened are the communities of Guapinol, Honduras. There, dozens of land and water defenders have been arrested in recent years for peacefully demonstrating against a central government iron oxide mining concession in a protected area. Many members of the community remain deprived of their liberty.

Main conclusions of the report

– Almost three out of four attacks recorded occurred in the Americas. Of the ten countries with the highest number of attacks recorded, seven are in Latin America. In Brazil and Peru, nearly three quarters of the attacks recorded have occurred in the Amazon region of these countries.

– Colombia is again the country with the highest number of attacks recorded, with 65 defenders killed in 2020. A third of these attacks were committed

– In 2020, the disproportionate number of attacks against indigenous peoples continued, being the target of more than a third of these deadly attacks. Attacks on indigenous defenders have been reported across Latin America.

– Nicaragua has recorded 12 murders, compared to five that Global Witness documented in 2019. Given the per capita killings, it has become the most dangerous country for land and environmental defenders in 2020.

– The number of attacks reported in Brazil remains high, with 20 murders recorded. The Bolsonaro government has prioritized extractive industries in the Amazon and Cerrado regions. Indigenous rights organizations and at least six of Brazilian political parties have alleged that COVID-19 could lead to the “genocide” of indigenous peoples in Brazil.

– Where reports indicate that defenders have been targeted for the protection of certain ecosystems, the majority (70%) have worked to defend forests against deforestation and industrial development, vital in efforts to stem the climate crisis. Others died for their work protecting rivers, coastal areas and oceans.

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