Deadly Struggle of environmental defenders in a bleak scenario that highlights the growing vulnerability of those who defend life on the planet, civil society organizations have issued a alarming warning.
At least 84 environmental defenders have been murdered in Mexico since 2016, possibly in direct relation to their tireless work.
This figure, heartbreaking in itself, is a deadly struggle, emphasizing the profound debt that the Mexican State owes to those who risk their lives to protect the country’s natural resources.
A Deadly Struggle with Constant Victims and Aggressions
The Civil Society Organizations Space for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (OSC Space) revealed that, of the 84 fatal victims, 7 were women and 77 were men, showing an alarming disproportion.
Furthermore, the ethnicity of the affected individuals highlights the intersection of vulnerabilities: 44 belonged to indigenous peoples and one was afro-Mexican, communities that are often the first line of defense against environmental exploitation.
Environmental defenders in Mexico murdered[/caption>
However, the murders are just the tip of the iceberg. The report, strategically published on July 17th, National Day of Environmental Defenders, details a worrying escalation of aggressions.
In addition to the deadly struggle, multiple forms of harassment and coercion are added: criminalization and judicial harassment, constant surveillance, direct threats, forced displacement from their homes and communities, and even disappearances.
These tactics aim to silence and disarticulate environmental defense movements, creating a climate of fear and impunity.
The Irreplaceable Role of Environmental Defenders and Growing Threats
The National Day of Environmental Defenders, officially recognized by the Mexican Congress four years ago, is more than just a commemoration.
It is, as emphasized by the NGO, an urgent reminder of the pressing need for justice in the face of systematic violence, territorial dispossession, and rampant impunity.
This day demands action against those who often collude with organized crime, drive destructive megaprojects, and jeopardize the country’s biodiversity.
Environmental defenders are, essentially, key pieces to halt the looming climate crisis and resist the onslaught of projects that devastate ecosystems.
Their work is crucial to protect the natural resources that sustain the lives of millions of people and preserve indigenous ways of life, which historically have coexisted in harmony with nature.
Their work becomes critically relevant given the unchecked advance of extractive megaprojects, the imposition of infrastructure without prior consultation, uncontrolled deforestation, water grabbing, and widespread contamination.
All these activities not only inevitably degrade our ecosystems, but also exacerbate social and economic inequalities.
Environmental defenders murdered in Mexico
The Shadow of Organized Crime: a Dangerous Link
To this already complex scenario, the worrisome expansion of organized crime in various regions of the country adds, where it exerts violent control over territories and resources.
Illicit activities such as illegal logging, clandestine mining, species trafficking, land grabs, and violent dispossession of communities have intensified, generating a devastating impact on both the environment and the lives of those who defend it.
It is an undeniable reality: drug trafficking and other criminal economies are now closely linked to environmental degradation, creating scenarios of very high risk for defenders.
This lethal symbiosis between organized crime and environmental destruction worsens the vulnerability of those who dare to raise their voices in defense of their territories.
Normative Frameworks and Institutional Challenges: a Long Road to Effective Protection
The OSC has pointed out that the Mexican State has normative frameworks that must be urgently and effectively implemented.
Among them stands out the Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, which gave rise to the Federal Protection Mechanism in 2012.
This tool is crucial to safeguard the integrity of those at risk.
At the international level, Mexico has taken a significant step by signing and ratifying the Escazú Agreement on November 5, 2020.
This regional agreement, a global pioneer, establishes the obligation of States to protect environmental defenders, ensuring their access to information, public participation, and justice on environmental matters.
However, despite these legislative advances and international commitments, serious obstacles remain. The OSC has expressed “deep concern” over the recent elimination of the National Institute of Transparency (INAI).
This decision, in their view, creates a serious institutional void that jeopardizes the fundamental right of access to environmental public information, an essential pillar for accountability and territorial defense.
Finally, the organization considers it urgent to progress in guaranteeing the right to environmental justice.
This implies ensuring the existence of autonomous judges with specialized training in human and environmental rights, free from political or economic pressures.
Only in this way can impunity be dismantled and true justice be offered to those who have paid the highest price for defending our planet.
