GNV News, September 19, 2024

On September 15, 2024, a male environmental activist in Honduras was killed. He had been engaged in activism to conserve Honduras’s tropical rainforests and rivers, and had been involved in movements opposing mining development and the construction of hydroelectric plants in the region.

In Latin America, violence against environmental activists is severe, and activists face risks such as murder and kidnapping. In 2023 alone, 196 environmental defenders were killed worldwide, the vast majority of whom were active in Latin America. According to the international NGO Global Witness, to put an end to violence against environmental activists, it is necessary to continue recording incidents of violence and to build legal frameworks to protect them; however, current efforts remain inadequate. In addition, there are many cases in which, when confronted with violence, environmental activists develop paranoia, panic attacks, or depression, increasing the need for mental health care for them.

Learn more about the situation facing environmental activists → “Latin America: Environmental defenders under threat”

Learn more about the socio-political situation in Latin America → “Challenges facing Latin American politics and society”

Learn more about deforestation in the Amazon → “Illegal logging is encroaching on the untouched heart of the Amazon: revealed by a ‘terrifying’ study”

Threatened wildlife reserve, Honduras (Photo: Joe Townsend / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])