We are defending the land with our blood: Defenders of the land, territory and environment in Hondur
We are defending the land with our blood: Defenders of the land, territory and environment in Honduras and Guatemala
September 1, 2016
smear campaigns, attacks and killings of environmental and land activists in recent months has made Honduras and Guatemala the most dangerous countries on earth for those protecting natural resources, Amnesty International said in a new report six months after the brutal murder of Indigenous leader Berta Cáceres.
The report, We defend the land with our blood, explores the increasing stigmatization, threats, attacks, killings and lack of justice faced by individuals and communities fighting to protect the environment from large-scale mining, logging and hydroelectric projects.
“Defending human rights is one of the most dangerous professions in Latin America but daring to protect vital natural resources takes these risky jobs to a whole new, potentially lethal level,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
An astounding 65 percent (122 out of 185) of the murders of human rights defenders working on issues related to land, territory or the environment registered across the world in 2015 were from Latin America, according to Global Witness. Eight took place in Honduras and 10 in Guatemala alone – making them the highest rate per capita in the region.
More:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/we-are-defending-the-land-with-our-blood-defenders-of-the-land-territory-and-environment-in-honduras
Environment & Energy:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1127104715