Environmental Violence in Colombia and Indigenous Communities

Abstract

Environmentalists in Latin America are facing rising rates of violence higher than anywhere else in the world. In Colombia, 64 environmentalists were killed in the year 2019. Statistically in Latin America for every death there are 9 more people injured and 17 people who face criminalization. The Colombian government enacted a new constitution in 1991 that created reforms in many areas for its citizens to assert their rights, including the right to a healthy environment. While the Colombian Constitution of 1991 protects environmental rights and territorial rights, Indigenous communities in Colombia have still been facing environmental and human health impacts due to mining and territorial conflicts. Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by violence in Latin America despite contributing to great conservation outcomes and lower deforestation rates. Perpetrators of violence are often never prosecuted, due partly to corruption in local governments and lack of investigations. This project investigates some different factors that are contributing to the deaths in Colombia and how they affect their surrounding communities. Local land conflicts in many Latin American countries can create 'cycles of violence' that become more complex in communities affected by narcotics trafficking. In the case for Colombia, the production of the coca plant often plays a role in these disputes.

Paulina Torres | Earth and Geographic Science | Faculty Sponsor Elizabeth Gordon