'Hitmen tried to drive me off the road in Guatemala. Luckily, I’m a good driver'
'Hitmen tried to drive me off the road in Guatemala. Luckily, I’m a good driver'
Following the murder of Berta Cáceres, campaigners share their stories of environmental activism in Latin America
Anna Leach, Holly Young, Rachel Banning-Lover, Naomi Larsson and Pedro Cabezas
Saturday 12 March 2016 05.00 EST
Brazil: ‘I was shocked by Berta’s murder, but not surprised’
Paulo Adario, Greenpeace senior forest strategist and UN Forest Hero, Brazil
I’ve had death threats myself because of my fights in the Amazon. In the early 2000s, I had to be protected by bodyguards 24 hours a day for over a year. Being in that situation is one of the worst experiences a person can have.
But my country also has one of the richest environments in the world and so I’ve dedicated my life to protecting the Amazon because it’s important for my kids and grandkids to see it survive.
I am worried about the future. The Amazon is the agricultural frontier and tensions are growing between ranchers and indigenous people who are competing for the land. Hundreds of indigenous people have been murdered over land disputes. However, I am proud that deforestation in Brazil has been reduced by more than 70% in the last ten years – we have that even if the violence continues.
Latin American governments do need to step up though – they support the system that allow indigenous people to be killed just because they want to protect their homes in the face of the continued expansion of the economy.
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/mar/12/hitmen-tried-to-drive-me-off-the-road-in-guatemala-luckily-im-a-good-driver
