land defenders
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Fracking opponent fights to reclaim her life after years of threats
At 23, Colombian environmental activist Yuvelis Natalia Morales Blanco, a leading voice against fracking, continues her battle for mental health after enduring years of harassment and death threats.
In short:
- Morales Blanco received her first death threat at 19 for opposing fracking in her hometown, Puerto Wilches.
- Colombia's stalled fracking projects could resume, increasing risks for activists like Morales Blanco.
- Despite escaping to France under protection, she returned to Colombia, determined to continue her advocacy.
Key quote:
"I decided that the militant half and the other half should be one."
— Yuvelis Natalia Morales Blanco, activist.
Why this matters:
Environmental defenders in Colombia face severe risks, with many, like Morales Blanco, enduring psychological trauma. As fossil fuel projects continue, activists fighting for the environment must also contend with personal safety and mental health struggles.
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Newsletter
UN highlights attacks on Indigenous land defenders
Global Indigenous communities face escalating criminalization and rights violations, spotlighted in a recent UN report.
In short:
- In 2022, about 70,000 Maasai were forcibly removed from their lands in Tanzania, highlighting a broader issue of Indigenous rights violations.
- The UN report details systematic criminalization of Indigenous peoples, often linked to conservation and mining interests.
- Key recommendations include revising laws and strengthening protections for Indigenous human rights defenders.
Key quote:
"It’s a very serious concern because the Indigenous people who have been resisting the taking over of their lands and territories, they are the ones who most commonly face these charges and criminalization."
— Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Why this matters:
Indigenous communities often inhabit regions rich in biodiversity and natural resources, making them front-line defenders against environmental exploitation. Their traditional knowledge and sustainable practices are crucial in preserving these areas. However, as economic pressures mount to exploit these lands for logging, mining and agriculture, Indigenous peoples frequently find themselves in conflict with powerful interests, including corporations and sometimes their own governments.
Attacks against environmental defenders take many forms, and the U.S. is not immune when it comes to persecuting those who take a stand. From MLK to climate scientists, Americans have a tragically strong track record of punishing those who speak out.
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Land defenders' trial commences in Wet’suwet’en territory
In a pivotal legal battle, three land defenders face trial for allegedly violating an injunction related to the Coastal GasLink pipeline project.
In short:
- The trial of Sleydo' Molly Wickham, Shaylynn Sampson, and Corey Jocko, arrested for opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline, began in Smithers, on Wet’suwet’en territory.
- The defendants are charged with criminal contempt for allegedly breaching a court-ordered injunction against obstructing pipeline construction.
- The trial will first address the contempt charges, followed by defense applications for a judicial stay based on alleged police misconduct and Charter rights violations.
Audio recorded during the Nov. 19 arrests captured police making derogatory comments about the arrestees, including racist remarks about face paint worn by Sleydo’ meant to recognize missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, writes Follett Hosgood.
Visit EHN's energy section for more top news about energy, climate and health.
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Heriberto Araujo: The defenders of the Amazon never wanted to be martyrs
For too long, the fate of the rainforest has rested on the shoulders of environmental and human rights activists.
Mexico world′s most dangerous place for environmental activists
A report released Wednesday by advocacy group Global Witness highlighted that more environmentalists were killed in Latin America than any other region in the world last year.
In Brazil, an Indigenous land defender’s unsolved killing is the deadly norm
Two years after the death of Indigenous land defender Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau in Brazil’s Amazonian state of Rondônia, questions about who killed him and why remain unanswered.
Top Story
How a rebellion planted seeds of revival in rural Mexico
In 2011, the women of Cherán led a revolt against illegal logging and corruption. Today, the forests are coming back, and the Indigenous community is returning to its roots.
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