‘It’s not safe to live here.’ Colombia is deadliest country for environmental defenders

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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on the Associated Press or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Colombia remains the world’s deadliest country for environmental defenders, with Global Witness recording 48 killings in 2024, nearly one-third of all cases worldwide
• The story of Amazon defender Jani Silva, forced from her home for eight years due to threats from armed groups, illustrates the extreme risks faced by those protecting forests and resisting extractive industries

🔭 The context: Armed groups proliferated across Colombia’s Amazon after the 2016 FARC peace deal, filling governance vacuums and competing for control of oil, mining and coca economies
• While Colombia’s National Protection Unit provides security to 15,000 at-risk individuals, rights groups say protection is inconsistent and impunity for attackers remains high, particularly in rural conflict zones

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Violence against environmental defenders directly undermines efforts to protect the Amazon, one of the world’s most critical carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots
• Community-led reserves like Silva’s Amazon Pearl, with reforestation, agroecology and pollinator recovery projects, play essential roles in climate mitigation and ecosystem resilience
• Their destabilisation threatens both local livelihoods and global climate goals

⏭️ What’s next: Advocacy groups urge the Colombian government to prosecute perpetrators, strengthen environmental enforcement, and expand civilian-led protection in conflict regions
• International pressure is expected to intensify, especially ahead of upcoming biodiversity and climate summits where defender safety is rising on the agenda

💬 One quote: “We have to continue defending the future, and we need more and more people to join this cause,” says Silva

📈 One stat: 48 environmental defenders were killed in Colombia in 2024, more than any other country worldwide

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