For Latin American environmentalists, death is a constant companion

This article discusses a string of murders in past few months through Central and South America that have not garnered nearly as much media attention as they should have. Environmental activists in Honduras, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, and all over the region have been victims of state sponsored violence for the work they do trying to protect their environments. Most of these activists have been indigenous peoples, already marginalized and sadly considered expendable by their respective states. This violence transcends the past few months, as reports show that two-thirds of all environmentalists who have died violently around the world since 2002 were murdered in Latin America, and just from 2009-2014, 450 were killed in the region. What all of the activists have in common is that they are fighting to stop government-approved corporate development or remote lands, most likely belonging to indigenous peoples. I think this deserves far more media attention. After doing fieldwork with community organizers who are fighting to protect their environment in rural Guatemala, this hits home. These people live in poverty with little material possessions, and still choose to dedicate their lives to helping each other and the planet. They are selfless and gain nothing from their action other than the satisfaction of making a difference, and they are being gunned down in broad daylight with no repercussions for their murderers. I think it goes to show that the US is only interventionist if we have something to gain from stepping in, and peasant activists in Honduras or Guatemala probably don't have much to offer us.

Emily Alaimo

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/for-latin-american-environmentalists-death-is-a-constant-companion/2016/03/25/85920f96-ec69-11e5-bc08-3e03a5b41910_story.html