http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/30395-at-least-116-environmental-defenders-were-murdered-last-year-mostly-in-latin-america
[video in on-line article]
At Least 116 Environmental Defenders Were Murdered Last Year, Mostly in
Latin America
Thursday, 23 April 2015 00:00
By Amy Goodman and Juan González, Democracy Now! | Video Interview
As we continue to mark Earth Day, we look at a new report that finds
killings of environmental activists on the rise, with indigenous
communities hardest hit. According to Global Witness, at least 116
environmentalists were killed last year - more than two a week.
Three-quarters of the deaths occurred in Central and South America. Just
recently, three indigenous Tolupán leaders were gunned down during an
anti-mining protest in northern Honduras, which has become the most
dangerous country for environmental activists. We speak to Billy Kyte,
campaigner for Global Witness and author of their new report, "How Many
More?"
TRANSCRIPT:
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: As we continue to mark Earth Day, we end today's show
with a new report that finds at least two people working to save the
environment were killed each week in 2014. In total, the group Global
Witness documented the murders of at least 116 environmental activists
last year. Three-quarters of them were killed in Central and South America.
AMY GOODMAN: The report is called "How Many More?" It looks in detail at
an activist who stood up to a mining project in one of the deadliest
countries and survived. Her name is Berta Cáceres, and she is another
winner of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize. This is Berta Cáceres
describing how she helped organize indigenous communities in Honduras to
resist a hydro dam on the Gualcarque River because it could destroy
their water supply.
BERTA CÁCERES: [translated] In more than 150 indigenous assemblies,
our community decided that it did not want that hydroelectric dam.
NARRATOR: Berta filed complaints with the Honduran government and
organized peaceful protests in the nation's capital. As her visibility
increased, she became a target for the government.
BERTA CÁCERES: [translated] We denounced this dam and were
threatened with smear campaigns, imprisonment and murder. But nobody
heard our voices, until we set up a roadblock to take back control of
our territory.
NARRATOR: For well over a year, the Lenca maintained the roadblock,
withstanding harassment and violent attacks. Tragically, Rio Blanco
community leader Tomás Garcia was shot by the Honduran military at a
peaceful protest.
BERTA CÁCERES: [translated] Seeing this man murdered, the community
became indignant, forcing a confrontation. The company was told that
they had to get out.
PROTESTER: [translated] We have 500 people here, and we are Rio
Blanco comrades. We will defend Rio Banco, and we will not let them pass.
BERTA CÁCERES: [translated] And that is how Sinohydro left Rio
Blanco. But it cost us in blood.
AMY GOODMAN: Honduran activist Berta Cáceres, who won the 2015 Goldman
Prize, as well. For more, we're joined by Billy Kyte, campaigner for
Global Witness, author of their new report, "How Many More?" As it went
to press, three more environmental and land activists were killed in
Latin America in the space of three days.
Billy, welcome to Democracy Now! Lay out for us this report and what you
have found.
BILLY KYTE: Sure. So we found last year that over 116 people, that we
know about, were killed defending their rights to the environment and
land. A shocking 40 percent of those victims were indigenous
communities. So we're seeing more and more the competition for natural
resources intensifying and having very disastrous effects.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And why are so many in Central and South America being
killed?
BILLY KYTE: Well, there's a long history of social conflicts and social
movements in Central and South America. There's also - it's a very
resource-rich region. And many marginalized groups - for instance,
indigenous peoples - are being targeted for the fact their lands are
very rich in commodities, which are wanted by companies and political
and economic interests. It's also an area where civil society is very
strong, which has - it's a double-edged sword. One, it means they're
more exposed to violence and conflict around the defense of the
environments and land. But also it means that they are better at
monitoring these issues. So, although it is a global problem, we
certainly see that Central and South America is where it's been hardest hit.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, talk about the three indigenous Tolupán leaders who
were gunned down during an anti-mining protest in northern Honduras.
They had received death threats warning them to stop their attempts to
protect the environment.
BILLY KYTE: So these were indigenous leaders who stood up against
illegal mining and illegal logging in their communities, and they were
gunned down, as you say, at a peaceful sit-in protest to stop - checking
cars being filled up with illegal timber and minerals from their
communities. And they then left the community for six months. They were
granted emergency protection measures by the Inter-American Human Rights
Commission. They returned after six months back to their community. But
the perpetrators are still at large. They're still walking freely in the
village without - even though they have police arrest warrants out for
them. And even, you know, a couple of weeks ago, one of the leaders was
- who had been threatened, was killed. And this person had had
protection measures from the Inter-American Human Rights Commission. So
it's still very much an ongoing crisis in that area.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you tell us a little more about the 2015 Goldman Prize
winner who we just played a clip of, Berta Cáceres, and her significance
and what she's doing in Honduras?
BILLY KYTE: Well, she's an emblematic case. I mean, she's a very
courageous activist. She fights for indigenous rights, but also women's
rights, as well. Her leadership in COPINH, indigenous network in
Honduras, has been inspirational for many, many people. She's suffered
threats against her life. Two of her children have had to flee the
country because of these threats. She continues to receive threats. Even
recently, she received attempted plans to kidnap her. And despite this,
she still struggles on with the fight to protect indigenous areas and
the rivers of the Rio Blanco community.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And what is the responsibility of international bodies or
governments on this issue of continuing killings of environmental
activists around the world?
BILLY KYTE: Well, our report has shown there's been a 20 percent
increase last year from the previous year, and - of these killings. This
is almost double the amount of journalists killed in the same period,
but it doesn't have the same amount of attention. This is a hidden
crisis, which people need to monitor. International bodies need to
really stand up and have a real wake-up call and realize that this is an
issue. And what happens - what needs to happen is that governments need
to make sure that perpetrators are accountable, that the problem is
monitored systematically, that people are actually put in jail for these
crimes, and the heightened risk posed to these environmental land rights
activists is recognized. For instance, a Human Rights Council resolution
would be helpful as a starting point to really put pressure on
governments to act and bring perpetrators to account. Impunity breeds
violence. And the environment is now seen as a key battleground for
human rights, and people are dying every day for the protection of these
rights.
AMY GOODMAN: In countries that are seen to have somewhat progressive
leaders, like Evo Morales in Bolivia or Rafael Correa in Ecuador, in
these particular countries there's huge battles with the government and
indigenous rights activists, environmental activists, around the
extractive industries and the governments relying on this. Can you talk
about this?
BILLY KYTE: Sure. So I think those governments, we have to be careful,
because they have two different discourses: One is the domestic
audience; one is the international audience. Internationally, they're
seen as the kind of purveyors of Madre Tierra, you know, Pachamama,
Mother Earth, but actually, when the reality is that they are selling
off a lot of their countries' resources, particularly in the Amazon
region, for instance. An Ecuadorean activist was killed during the UN
climate change conference in Lima last year, for instance, and there are
links for his activism into the fact that he was murdered. So, yes, we
are seeing a lot of resource-rich areas being sold, often in secret
resource deals, and this really must end. That's where the kind of crux
of the problem, the fact that governments and companies are allowing
indigenous lands, other communities' territories to be sold off to the
highest bidder.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And you mentioned the Amazon, the key role of the Amazon
in the fight to save our Earth, and the activism there. Has there been
any reduction in the violence against environmental activists in that
region of the world?
BILLY KYTE: I wouldn't say so. No. I mean, just literally in November,
December last year, four indigenous leaders in the Peruvian Amazon were
killed by illegal loggers. And now these people, Edwin Chota and his
compatriots, have been fighting for the official recognition of land
title for their areas, of their indigenous communities, for almost over
10, 15 years. And the Peruvian government refused to officially
recognize their land title, even though this had been promised over a
long period of time. So illegal loggers were able to take advantage of
this vacuum of power in those areas and illegally log in their
communities. And anyone who stands up, like Edwin Chota and his
colleagues, were killed. So, no, it's particularly prevalent in the
Amazon, and it's an issue which is - which will continue to be - see on
the airwaves -
AMY GOODMAN: Billy Kyte, we want to thank you for being with us,
campaigner for Global Witness. We'll link to your report, "How Many
More?" which documents the killing of environmental activists worldwide.
_______________________________________________
Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list
Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org
http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel