Indigenous peoples in Latin America demand that their protests no longer be criminalized

indigenous leaders of Latin America They asked this Thursday that their protests against extractive projects no longer be criminalized and prosecuted, in a meeting to monitor the Escazú Agreement In Panama.

Signed in 2018 by 24 countries, the Agreement stipulates that governments must ensure that environmental defenders “can act without threats, restrictions and insecurity”but Latin America It is the most dangerous region for the defense of the planet.

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“Amazonian indigenous people are persecuted” in Peruleader Elaine Shajian Shawit, from the Loreto wilderness region, told AFP.

“People take to the streets to protest so that their territories, their rivers, are protected, but they are criminally charged”he added at a regional forum on human rights defenders in environmental issues.

Guatemala’s Mayan leader, Kelidy Sacbá Coc, also complained that in her home region of Alta Verapaz, demonstrations against hydroelectric dams are repressed.

“There is a lot of suffering with hydroelectric plants”he told AFP.

Similar complaints were expressed by indigenous peoples from several countries in this forum organized by UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in follow-up Escazú Agreementratified so far by 15 countries.

“We brought indigenous voices from Peru, indigenous people often suffer from illicit activities, such as coca cultivation, illegal mining, illegal logging”said Cussi Alegría, from the NGO Law, Environment and Natural Resources (DAR).

“In some areas there is greater activity by mining companies and in others by oil companies that cause these impacts on the environment and in some cases the protest has been criminalized”Alegria told AFP.

Carlos de Miguel, from the ECLAC Escazú Agreement Secretariat, highlighted that in 2022 almost 90% of the murders of environmental defenders in the world occurred in Latin America, citing a report from NGO Global Witness.

“If you look at the map of Latin America, it is basically a map of socio-environmental conflicts and if you analyze the latest reports on human rights defenders in environmental issues, 88% of murders on the planet occur in Latin America and the Caribbean”he said.

Colombia is the most dangerous country, with 60 murders out of the 177 recorded in the world in 2022, according to Global Witness.

De Miguel stated that not only were indigenous people murdered for defending the environment, but also forest rangers, employees and businesspeople.

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Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.