200 environmentalists killed in the fight for the environment and climate
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- Published: Wednesday, 30 November -0001 01:00
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200 environmentalists were killed worldwide in 2021, according to the non-governmental organisation Global Witness. Most of the attacks - over three quarters - were recorded in Latin America. 33 climate activists were killed in Colombia alone, 54 in Mexico and in Brazil there were 26....
They were mostly activists campaigning against mining and energy projects, agriculture and logging. Most of the killings were never solved, the organisation reported. "All over the world, indigenous people, environmental activists and conservationists are risking their lives in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss," said a spokesperson for Global Witness, Shruti Suresh. In ten years, 1733 activists have been killed - the equivalent of one murder every two days. Indigenous people in particular are repeatedly targeted: they account for 40 per cent of the victims, although they represent only 5 per cent of the world's population. "We need more attention to the situation of environmental activists," said Filipino environmentalist Jon Bonafacio. "The companies, but also the banks that finance the projects, must be held directly responsible for the human rights violations," he demanded. Around the Peña Colorada iron ore mine in western Mexico, for example, local residents have been fighting against displacement and environmental destruction for decades. There is a lack of water because the mine consumes it all. The lawyer representing the indigenous village communities, who did not want to be named for security reasons, says: "Those who oppose the mine are kidnapped and murdered." In April 2021, for example, José Santos Isaac Chávez was killed. The indigenous man was the only candidate for the local council who openly spoke out against the mine owned by the multinationals Arcelor Mittal and Ternium. He was found dead in his car with traces of torture.