At least 126 activists killed in Latin America in 2023 – report
Mexico City, Mexico Reuters At least 126 human rights and environmental defenders were murdered in Latin America in 2023, according to data from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) published on Tuesday, matching the previous year’s figure. The IACHR, an autonomous organ of the Washington-based Organization of American States, expressed alarm over “high rates […]
Violence against Honduran human rights defenders “alarming” – OAS group
Tegucigalpa, Honduras Reuters Honduras is one of the deadliest countries in the world for human rights defenders, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said on Friday after a visit to the Central American country. Eight human rights figures were killed in the year’s first four months, on pace to surpass the 17 killed in 2022, […]
Colombia killings of social leaders, rights defenders hit new high
Bogota, ColombiaReuters Colombia will end the year with at least 199 killings of social leaders and human rights defenders, the highest level recorded, due to attacks by illegal armed groups in areas tied to the drug trade, the country’s human rights ombudsman said on Wednesday. In the first eleven months of the year, 199 people […]
Migrant rights defenders in Greece treated like criminals, says UN expert
Athens, Greece Reuters Human rights defenders in Greece, particularly those documenting the treatment of migrants and refugees, face smear campaigns and are treated like criminals, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor said on Wednesday. Lawlor was presenting her preliminary findings at the end of a 10-day visit to Greece where she met […]
“War means blood”: Can a treaty stop Latin American activists being killed?
Bogota, ColombiaThomson Reuters Foundation A treaty aimed at protecting activists in Latin America could be a “life-saving” watershed in a region where scores are murdered each year, but the pact’s success will depend on the commitment of governments and big business, rights advocates said. Nicaraguan activist Lottie Cunningham, who described the Escazu treaty as “extremely […]