As there are abundant natural resources in South America, these have attracted all types of people, starting from multinationals to the mafias to the region. The right to land and the natural resources of the indigenous people’s of the region demands an urgent protection
latin America, encompassed by its pampa grasslands, the Andean mountain range and the Amazonian rain forest, is today witnessing a potential threat for its man-made disasters. They have been consistently driven by both global and glocal greed. Actively supported by a chain of international mafias, one of the fastest spreading environmental degradation has been engulfing almost all the countries of this part of the world. A report published by Global Witness, a UK-based NGO, in 2016, recorded that more environmentalists were killed in latin America than in any part of the world so far. According to this report, nearly 185 environmentalists were murdered across the globe in 2015, which reflects an increase of 59 per cent from 2014. In the list, Brazil comes at the top with the killing of 50 environmental activists. And, Honduras is especially showing a devastating trend wherein 123 activists have been so far eliminated by the suspected mafias. Shockingly, the major brunt of this sad saga has been falling on the indigenous people of the region who are vociferously fighting for the protection of their land, resources, and, more importantly, their precious lives.
Why the resource-rich South America is facing this deadly crisisIJ Is it a nefarious nexus of the market forces, local mafias and the politicians who all have their vested business interests in natural resourcesIJ Does it indicate another facet of lawlessness in latin AmericaIJ Simply put, as there are abundant natural resources, this attracts all types of people, starting from multinationals to the mafias to South America. Though the region has been facing acute financial crisis, the stakeholders in this business are not moving anywhere from these countries. Rather they are holding on to the ground and displaying signs of more aggression in their business.
Definitely, the rising deaths of the environmental activists indicate further lawlessness in South America. Most of the victims come from the indigenous communities. Interestingly, the indigenous peoples and communities living in the fringe manage territories that contain nearly a quarter of the carbon sequestered in the tropical forests of the region. Their constant resistances to the mafias and the active support they garner from the global environmental groups have undoubtedly highlighted the tragedy, but it has in no way helped eradicate the menace. Most of the clashes take place either in the border areas or in the deep jungles where there is poor presence of security forces. It is increasingly becoming difficult for the State forces of countries like Honduras, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, etc, to reduce the killing spree of the mafias as the Government forces are either ill-equipped or at times indirectly connected to the culprits. Also slow progress in delivering judgements in most of the cases related to the murder of environmentalists show how the absence of a pro-active judiciary is further escalating the crisis. Situation is grim and people are fast losing faith in the system. For example, the murder cases of Berta Caceres (Honduras) and Isidro Baldenegro lopez (Mexico) constantly remind people that the State administrations are fast failing to initiate actions against the goons.
In some of the countries like Columbia, it has witnessed the movements of the armed groups into the extractive industries of the continent. For them, it can reward them easy money and in turn that can help them in their other underground activities, particularly supplying of drugs and arms across the region. In its Cauca region, the activists are regularly receiving death threats and they are largely branded as anti-development. Still, the State is keeping quiet as it has remained a long-drawn nexus between the mafias and a section of Government officials who always want that their businesses should no way be disturbed at all.
The demand for mineral products, wood and space is a continual pressure on the locals and many of them are not ready to compromise as they view it as their rights. And the goons are not simply leaving their business and, hence, the indigenous communities are at the receiving end of the whole crisis. It is a question of their life and death. Why they should surrenderIJ It is their right to live and life Most of the latin American Governments must come up firmly against these mafias and stop destroying the environment.
Amid the growing lawlessness against the environmental activists, a recent report by the Boston University’s Global Economic Governance Initiative (GEGI) indicates a disturbing trend. It shows that China’s globetrotting adventures are no less responsible for the ongoing environmental disasters of the region. China’s increasing engagement in latin America and Caribbean (lAC) has been adding to uproar in the West. Chinese investors have brought more than $120 billion into latin America in the last one decade or so. And this is much more than any global lending institution or bank that is investing in the continent. In the last one decade or so, China has mushroomed its influence in political, military, cultural, economic and in diplomatic arenas across the lAC, mainly in the much neglected countries of the Caribbean, by the American policymakers for decades. latin American observers say that China’s deepening ties with the region have prompted major social and environmental changes, much of which is negative.
However, China should not be blamed for the bulk of latin America’s environmental disasters as all of these have been done right under the nose of its own leaders. The report published by the GEGI records that “Chinese companies do not necessarily perform any worse than other international firms operating in the region, despite their relative inexperience and lower levels of regulation at home”. However, China’s massive investments in Mining, railways and in hydropower sectors have so far caused potential damage to the green cover of the continent in many countries. Therefore, while driving its global expansionist agenda, it is important for Beijing to mitigate the social and environmental impacts in South American countries so as to safeguard the livelihood of the locals and more importantly of the environment.
Time is fast running out for making an urgent appeal to just challenge the impunity of the perpetrators, protect the common people and to rightly address the environmental crisis that is engulfing the South American continent. The right to land and the natural resources of the indigenous people’s of the region demands an urgent protection. Despite having such sharp fall in the security of the environmentalists, the Governments are almost doing very little as of today. But for sure, the green activism against the killings of the environmentalists will be on the rise.
(The writer teaches sociology at OP Jindal Global University in Sonepat)