Spotlight on murders of activists as Peru prepares for Lima climate talks
Spotlight on murders of activists as Peru prepares for Lima climate talks
Government accused of neglecting people defending their land and forests against mining and illegal logging
[font size=1]
A chainsaw operator stands on the cut roots of a Shiwawaco tree in Inapari, Peru. So far 57 environmental activists have
been killed in the country. Photograph: Dado Galdieri/Getty Images
[/font]
Two weeks before Peru hosts a key global climate conference, the country has come under fire for failing to protect activists who were murdered trying to defend the country’s rapidly diminishing rainforest and other ecosystems.
The South American nation has become the fourth most dangerous state in the world for environmental and land defenders, according to the NGO Global Witness, which accused the government of putting a dangerous emphasis on exploitation rather than conservation of natural resources.
In a new report, Peru’s Deadly Environment, the group noted at least 57 activists have been killed in Peru since 2002, more than 60% of them in the last four years. Only Brazil, Honduras and the Philippines have a more deadly record.
The updated death toll comes as Lima prepares to welcome environmental ministers from around the world to this year’s United Nations climate conference despite the host nation’s patchy performance on green issues.
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/17/activists-murders-peru-lima-climate-talks
