What are the 5 most dangerous Latin American countries to defend Human Rights?

Dedicating oneself to defending Human Rights is a high-risk job, especially if it is carried out in Latin Americaa region that has become the most dangerous in the world to denounce the violation of some fundamental guarantee or to demand its fulfillment.

The complaint was made by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), an instance that recorded the murder of 147 activists in 2021, according to information contained in the annual report published last week.

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But if 2021 was not a good year for human rights defenders in the region, 2022 is not looking much better.

The IACHR, in another preliminary report, reported that only in the first 4 months of the current year has it counted the death of 89 activists.

The 5 most dangerous countries

Scheme

With 145 dead defendersColombia is the most dangerous country on the continent to promote fundamental rights and freedoms.

The Colombian authorities have recognized the seriousness of the situation and this year they assured the Commission that measures are being taken to reverse it, among them they highlighted that they currently have 3,749 social leaders under protection.

“The situation is worrying,” also admitted Commissioner Joel Hernández, rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders of the IACHR.

Mexico, with 10 murdered, ranks second, according to data from the IACHR. Leaders of indigenous communities and environmentalists were the main victims.

For its part, Peru with 5 deceased, Honduras with 4 and Guatemala with 2 they are in third, fourth and fifth place; respectively.

who are the victims

Most of the murdered activists defended the land, territory and environment or were members of indigenous communities, denounced the IACHR, an organization attached to the Organization of American States (OAS).

This indicates that not only those people who have decided to publicly expose the abuses and excesses committed by the police forces and the military are at risk.

On the contrary, anyone who has decided to peacefully promote and protect the universality and indivisibility of the rights of peoples and individuals may be compromised. This includes trade unionists and journalists as well.

The data handled by the Commission also reveals that the threats are not limited to activists only, but in some cases extend to their death. family circle.

The case of the Brazilian Joseph Gomes is proof of it. On January 9, Gomes was shot dead along with his wife and his daughter in the region of São Félix do Xingu, state of Pará. The victim was dedicated to releasing baby turtles in the Amazon, in an attempt to repopulate this species.

Until now, the police authorities have not provided much information on the matter and have only said that they are investigating the crime.

Although the bulk of the deceased recorded by the IACHR are men, cases such as that of the Mexican activist Gladys Aranza Ramos, a member of the Madres Buscadoras de Sonora collective, who was murdered on July 15, 2021, indicate that women defenders are not exempt from risks.

The Commission’s figures are corroborated by those managed by other organizations such as the Irish Front Line Defenders, which specializes in monitoring the conditions in which defenders carry out their work around the world.

In its report corresponding to 2021, Front Line Defenders denounced that of the 358 human rights defenders who were murdered in the world, 252 were Latin American; ie 70%.

The causes of the problem

Institutional weaknesses, especially the lack of judicial independence, and criminal violence are, in the opinion of Commissioner Hernández, the reasons why Latin America has become so dangerous for those who decide to defend the rights of other people, but they are not the only ones. .

The Mexican diplomat Joel Hernández is the rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders of the IACHR. (IACHR)

“Conflict situations are occurring in different parts of the region that make the defenders activate,” Hernández explained to BBC Mundo by videoconference.

“For example, in those areas where extractivist projects are being launched, without the due consent of the affected communities, the leaders are mobilizing or emerging and that places them in the crosshairs of groups of certain groups.”

“This explains why the defenders of indigenous peoples, peasants and the environment are being the main victims of attacks and attacks,” added the Mexican diplomat.

Indigenous people who oppose mining on their land and those who defend them are likely to be killed or attacked. (Photo: Reuters)

Some positive steps

Despite describing the situation faced by defenders in the region as “difficult”, Hernández assured that in some countries steps are being taken in the right direction.

Thus he mentioned the case of Brazil, whose authorities have launched the Human Rights Defenders Protection Program (PPDDH), in the states of Bahia, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Ceará, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Pará and Rio de Janeiro, which currently protects 600 activists.

Honduras, meanwhile, has announced that it has taken measures in favor of 116 defenders and 25 journalists.

However, the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in Mexico is the largest in the continent and has under its protection 1,011 activists and 495 communicators.

Finally, Peru announced in the middle of last year the creation of a similar program.

The commissioner demanded that the authorities of the countries in the region create the conditions so that the activists can carry out their work safely, that they refrain from attacking them and that they punish any attack against them.

“Impunity is very dangerous, because when crimes are not punished, their repetition is invited”said Hernández, who highlighted the importance of having an independent judiciary.

Source: Elcomercio