BOGOTA: Colombia has witnessed a disturbing surge in environmental activist murders, making it the world’s most dangerous country for those dedicated to protecting the planet, according to a report by the watchdog organization Global Witness.
In its annual review, Global Witness documented the tragic deaths of 177 land and environmental defenders in 2022, spanning regions from the Amazon to the Philippines and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Latin America continued to bear the brunt of these murders, with 39 occurring in the vast Amazon rainforest, a critical carbon sink facing extensive destruction at a time when global efforts to combat climate change are paramount.
While these killings had somewhat decreased since the record-high 227 in 2020, Global Witness cautioned that this did not significantly improve the situation.
The organization emphasized that the escalating climate crisis and the ever-increasing demand for agricultural commodities, fuel, and minerals would only exacerbate the pressure on the environment and those bravely risking their lives to safeguard it.
Colombia, in particular, experienced a troubling escalation in these murders in 2022, with 60 deaths recorded, surpassing all other countries and representing more than a third of all such global incidents.
This marked nearly double the number of killings compared to the previous year, when 33 defenders lost their lives. Tragically, many victims belonged to Indigenous communities, Afro-descendant groups, small-scale farmers, and dedicated environmental activists. Shockingly, at least five children, three Indigenous, were among the global victims.
Despite these dire circumstances, Global Witness expressed hope, acknowledging efforts by Colombia’s new leftist President, Gustavo Petro, to enhance protection for defenders, a significant step forward for the country.
The report also highlighted the personal ordeals of individuals like Colombian sociologist and activist Nadia Umana, who was forced to flee her home in the north of the country following the murders of four colleagues, all of whom had been advocating for the return of rural lands seized by paramilitary groups.
Even Colombia’s vice-president, Francia Marquez, a recipient of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2018, has faced numerous threats to her life. In 2019, she narrowly survived an attack by gunmen who sought to take her life due to her tireless efforts to defend her homeland’s water resources against mining companies.
APP—
