In early March 2020, just before the novel coronavirus exploded across global headlines, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michael Forst presented a report before the Human Rights Council on a deadly pandemic in Colombia: human rights defenders, especially those defending their territory and the environment, were dying at alarmingly high levels due to unchecked rates of violence, threats and rampant impunity.
Months later, with lockdowns underway and death tolls rising, a report by Global Witness scored Colombia as a global ground-zero for environmental defenders. The same document also found that of deadliest countries for defending environmental rights across the world, five were in Latin America. According to the report, “over two thirds of the murders of HRDs took place in Latin America” with killings in Honduras increasing from four in 2018 to 14 in 2019, making it the country with the highest percentage increase. The Amazon meanwhile saw 33 deaths, 90% of those in Brazil.
Sadly, the data shows that when it remains unchecked, violence against defenders is viral. Furthermore, if we fail to find an appropriate treatment, we will only continue to lose the best line of defense against the destruction of our forests, jungles, rivers; and the preservation of equality and democracy.
