Editor’s note: Land defenders, especially indigenous land defenders, are at risk across the world, more so in some places than others. In their fight to protect their communities and their land, they directly confront structures of power, challenging the powerful’s sense of entitlement. In order to maintain the status quo, the powerful employ any means necessary to silence the resistors. In some places, this may take the form of political and legal attack, in others, this may lead to murder. Either way, the objective of such repression is not merely to silence one voice, but to set an example, to shut down those hundreds of voices which may have been raised in resistance. This strategy has been used through history.

Even so, resistance lives on. Where the repression becomes strong, defenders find new ways to adapt to their political situation and to continue fighting the powerful. Statistics say that one land defender is killed every two days. While it is necessary to hold the states accountable for these unlawful killings, it is also important for defenders to take measures to protect themselves. This may include being familiar with the laws of one’s region, or to learn self-defense, or whatever is appropriate for one’s situation. Following rules of security culture may help in increasing security for defenders.

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“I could tell you that, around the world, three people are killed every week while trying to protect their land, their environment, from extractive forces. I could tell you that this has been going on for decades, with the numbers killed in recent years hitting over 200 each year. And I could tell you, as this report does, that a further 200 defenders were murdered in the last year alone. But these numbers are not made real until you hear some of the names of those who died.” – Dr. Vandana Shiva

“This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here.”

By Joseph Lee/Grist

In Brazil, two Yanomami children drowned after getting sucked into a dredging machine used by illegal gold miners. A 14 year old Pataxó child was shot in the head during a conflict over land in the northeastern Bahia state. A Guarani Kaiowá person was killed by military police during a clash over a farm the Guarani had reclaimed from settlers. “There has been an increase in the amount of conflict – socio and environmental conflict – in our lands,” said Dinamam Tuxá, of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), Brazil’s largest coalition of Indigenous groups. ”It’s destroying communities and it’s destroying our forests.”

Between 2011 and 2021, at least 342 land defenders were killed in Brazil – more than any other country – and roughly a third of those murdered were Indigenous or Afro-descendant. That’s according to a new report by Global Witness, an international human rights group, that documents over 1,700 killings of land and environment defenders globally during the same time period. The report says that on average, a land defender is killed every other day, but suggests that those numbers are likely an undercount and paints a grim picture of violence directed at communities fighting resource extraction, land grabs, and climate change.

“We will continue to protest, we will continue to show up.” -Dinamam Tuxá, APIB

“All over the world, Indigenous peoples, environmental activists, and other land and environmental defenders risk their lives for the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss,” reads the report. “They play a crucial role as a first line of defense against ecological collapse, yet are under attack themselves facing violence, criminalisation and harassment perpetuated by repressive governments and companies prioritizing profit over human and environmental harm.”

After Brazil, the Philippines and Colombia recorded the most killings: 270 and 322, respectively. Together all three countries make up more than half of the attacks recorded in the global report.

In the Philippines, Indigenous and local environmental activists have been fighting huge infrastructure projects like the Kaliwa Dam and the Oceana Gold Mine, both of which Indigenous leaders say threaten their land and the environment. According to Global Witness, over 40% of the defenders killed in the Philippines were Indigenous peoples.

“It’s clear that the government has not taken this crisis seriously,” said Jon Bonifacio, national coordinator at Palikasan People’s Network for the Environment. “This statistic has not been recognized in any way by the Philippine government, despite the crucial role environmental defenders play in the fight against climate change.”

According to Global Witness, those statistics are uncertain due to a lack of free press and other independent monitoring systems around the world and other types of violence are also not counted in the report. “We know that beyond killings, many defenders and communities also experience attempts to silence them, with tactics like death threats, surveillance, sexual violence, or criminalization – and that these kinds of attacks are even less well reported,” Global Witness said.

An April report from the nonprofit Business and Human Rights Resource Centre documented some of those other tactics, tracking 3,800 attacks, including killings, beatings, and death threats, against land defenders since January 2015. But even those numbers aren’t the complete picture. “We know the problem is much more severe than these figures indicate,” Christen Dobson, senior program manager for the BHRRC and an author of the report said at the time.

The Global Witness report’s authors say governments should enforce laws that already protect land defenders, pass new laws if necessary, and hold companies to international human rights standards. Global Witness also says companies should respect international human rights like free, prior, and informed consent, implement zero-tolerance policies for attacks on land defenders, and adopt a rights-based approach to combating climate change. The report specifically calls on the European Union to strengthen its proposed corporate sustainability due diligence law by adding a climate framework and more accountability measures for financial institutions.

While international advocacy offers some hope for Indigenous leaders on the front lines, those leaders also know that they have to keep fighting to protect their land, lives, and environment. In Brazil, resistance to Indigenous land demarcation and advocacy for resource extraction in the Amazon pushed by President Jair Bolsonaro, has led to record deforestation in the Amazon since he took office in 2019. Dinamam Tuxá and other Indigenous leaders in Brazil are hopeful that the upcoming presidential election may lead to change, but remain skeptical. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the former president and current leading candidate, has promised better treatment for Indigenous peoples in Brazil but Tuxá says that Indigenous peoples cannot rest all their hopes on politicians.

“President Lula would not solve the problems of Indigenous peoples,” Tuxá said. “Regardless of who gets elected we will continue to protest, we will continue to show up.”

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Names of environmentalists murdered in 2021, by country

By Elisabeth Schneiter / Facebook

“Joannah Stutchbury loved trees, practiced permaculture, was an environmentalist, and bravely advocated for the environment, with a fiery and unwavering passion.” And she was wonderfully crazy and full of life and joy to be alive. She was shot dead on her way home in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, in July 2021. “

Argentina

1. Elías Garay

Bolivia

1. Lino Peña Vaca

Brazil

1. Aldenir dos Santos Macedo
2. Alex Barros Santos da Silva
3. Amaral José Stoco Rodrigues
4. Amarildo Aparecido Rodrigues
5. Ângelo Venicius Henrique Mozer
6. Antônio Gonçalves Diniz
7. Eliseu Pedroso
8. F.S.S.
9. Fernando dos Santos Araújo
10. Getúlio Coutinho dos Santos
11. Isac Tembé
12. Jerlei
13. João de Deus Moreira Rodrigues
14. José do Carmo Corrêa Júnior
15. José Francisco de Souza Araújo
16. José Vane Guajajara
17. Kevin Fernando Holanda de Souza
18. Marcelo Chaves Ferreira
19. Maria da Luz Benício de Sousa
20. Maria José Rodrigues
21. Rafael Gasparini Tedesco
22. Reginaldo Alves Barros
23. Roberto Muniz Campista
24. Roberto Pereira da Silva Pandolfe
25. Sidinei Floriano Da Silva
26. Wagner Romão da Silva

Chile

1. Jordan Liempi Machacan

Colombia

1. Ángel Miro Cartagena
2. Argenis Yatacué
3. Aura Esther García Peñalver
4. Cristian Torres Cifuentes
5. Danilo Torres
6. Dilio Bailarín
7. Edwin Antonio Indaburo
8. Efrén España
9. Fermiliano Meneses Hoyos
10. Fredy Pestana Herrera
11. Gonzalo Cardona Molina
12. Ilia Pilcué Yule
13. Jaime Enrique Basilio Basilio
14. Jair Adán Roldán Morales
15. Jhon Alberto Pascal
16. Jhon Edward Martinez
17. John Albeiro Paí Pascal
18. José Riascos
19. José Santos López
20. Juana Panesso Dumasá
21. Luis Alfonso Narváez Escobar
22. Marcelino Yatacué Ipia
23. Marcos Fidel Camayo Guetio
24. Nazaria Calambás Tunubalá
25. Noel Corsini Zúñiga
26. Rafael Domicó Carupia
27. Remberto Arrieta Bohórquez
28. Rogelio López Figueroa
29. Sandra Liliana Peña Chocué
30. Víctor Orlando Mosquera
31. Wilson de Jesús López
32. Yarley Margarito Salas
33. Yordan Eduardo Guetio

Democratic Republic of Congo

1. Alexis Kamate Mundunaenda
2. Emery Bizimana Karabaranga
3. Eric Kibanja Bashekere
4. Etienne Mutazimiza Kanyaruchinya
5. Innocent Paluku Budoyi
6. Prince Nzabonimpa Ntamakiriro
7. Reagan Maneno Kataghalirwa
8. Surumwe Burhani Abdou

Ecuador

1. Andrés Durazno
2. Nange Yeti
3. Víctor Enrique Guaillas Gutama

Gabon

1. Jean François Ndong Abaume

Guatemala

1. Alberto Tec Caal
2. Emilio Aguilar Jiménez
3. Ramón Jiménez
4. Regilson Choc Cac

Honduras

1. Celenia Bonilla
2. David Fernando Padilla
3. Juan Carlos Cerros Escalante
4. Juan Manuel Moncada
5. Martín Abad Pandy
6. Nelson García
7. Óscar Javier Pérez
8. Víctor Martínez

India

1. Kawasi Waga
2. Daljeet Singh
3. Gurvinder Singh
4. Lavepreet Singh
5. Maynal Haque
6. Nakshatra Singh
7. Saddam Husaain
8. Sheikh Farid
9. Stan Swamy
10. T Shridhar
11. Uika Pandu
12. Ursa Bhima
13. Venkatesh S
14. Vipin Agarwal

Kenya

1. Joannah Stutchbury

Mexico

1. Alejandro García Zagal
2. Artemio Arballo Canizalez
3. Benjamín Pórtela Peralta
4. Braulio Pérez Sol
5. Carlos Marqués Oyorzábal
6. David Díaz Valdez
7. Donato Bautista Avendaño
8. Fabián Sombra Miranda
9. Fabián Valencia Romero
10. Federico de Jesús Gutiérrez
11. Fidel Heras Cruz
12. Flor de Jesús Hernández
13. Gerardo Mendoza Reyes
14. Gustavo Acosta Hurtado
15. Heladio Molina Zavala
16. Irma Galindo Barrios
17. Isaías Elacio Palma
18. Isidoro Hernández
19. Jacinto Hernández Quiroz
20. Jaime Jiménez Ruiz
21. Jesús Solórzano Díaz
22. Jordán Terjiño Luna
23. José Ascensión Carrillo Vázquez
24. José de Jesús Robledo Cruz
25. José de Jesús Sánchez García
26. José Santos Isaac Chávez
27. Juan Justino Galaviz Cruz
28. Lea Juárez Valenzuela
29. Leobardo Hernández Regino
30. Leocadio Galaviz Cruz
31. Luis Urbano Domínguez Mendoza
32. Manuel Cartas Pérez
33. Manuel Hidalgo Vázquez
34. Marcelino Álvarez González
35. Marco Antonio Arcos Fuentes
36. Marco Antonio Jiménez de la Torre
37. Marcos Quiroz Riaño
38. María de Jesús Gómez Vega
39. Martín Hurtado Flores
40. Mayolo Quiroz Barrios
41. Miguel Bautista Avendaño
42. Narciso López Vasquez
43. Noé Robles Cruz
44. Oliverio Martínez Merino
45. Pedro Lunez Pérez
46. Ramiro Rodríguez Santiz
47. Ramiro Ventura Apolonio
48. Raymundo Robles Riaño
49. Rodrigo Morales Vázquez
50. Rolando Pérez González
51. Simón Pedro Pérez López
52. Tomás Rojo Valencia
53. Vicente Suástegui Muñoz
54. Víctor Manuel Vázquez de la Torre

Nicaragua

1. Albert Jairo Hernández Palacio
2. Armando Pérez Medina
3. Armando Suarez Matamoros
4. Bonifacio Dixon Francis
5. Borlan Gutiérrez Empra
6. Dolvin Acosta
7. J.L.P. or J.R.B
8. Jaoska Jarquín Gutiérrez
9. Kedelin Jarquín Gutiérrez
10. Martiniano Julián Macario Samuel
11. Morgan Pantin
12. Ody James Waldan Salgado
13. Romel Simon Kely
14. Sixto Gutiérrez Empra
15. Víctor Manuel Matamoros Morales
16. Peru Estela Casanto Mauricio
17. Herasmo García Grau
18. Lucio Pascual Yumanga
19. Luis Tapia Meza
20. Mario Marco López Huanca
21. Santiago Meléndez Dávila
22. Yenes Ríos Bonsano

Philippines

1. Abner Esto
2. Ana Marie Lemita-Evangelista
3. Angel Rivas
4. Antonio “Cano” Arellano
5. Ariel Evangelista
6. Edward Esto
7. Emanuel Asuncion
8. John Heredia
9. Joseph Canlas
10. Juan Macababbad
11. Julie Catamin
12. Lenie Rivas
13. Mark Lee Bacasno
14. Melvin Dasigao
15. Puroy Dela Cruz
16. Randy Dela Cruz
17. Romeo Loyola Torres
18. Steve Abua
19. Willy Rodriguez

Venezuela

1. Carmen Lusdary Rondón
2. Miguel Antonio Rivas Morales
3. Nelson Martín Pérez Rodríguez
4. Wilmer José Castro

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Want to learn more? This report by Global Witness discusses the issue elaborately outlining the situation in different countries, including with stories of the defenders who have been killed.

Featured Image Brazilian land defenders memorial by Nelson Almeida/AFP via Getty Images on Grist