Defendemos el medioambiente, defendemos los derechos humanos

The report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) details over 100 incidents of violence against environmental defenders across 27 countries. It identifies a systemic pattern of criminalization, physical attacks, and state repression linked to large-scale extractivist projects. The document advocates for legally binding international norms for transnational corporations and the recognition of environmental defense as a fundamental human right.

• Between November 1, 2011, and October 31, 2013, Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) recorded more than 100 incidents of violence and human rights violations against environmental defenders across 27 countries.
• A significant portion of the recorded killings involved peasant leaders and deaths resulting from violent land conflicts, often linked to the protection of territories against polluting development projects like hydroelectric dams and monocultures.
• The report argues that the 'neoliberal extractivist model' prioritizes corporate interests over the rights of people and nature, creating the conditions for violence and conflict over natural resources.
• Environmental defenders face a widespread trend of criminalization, which includes false charges, police raids on homes and offices, and the use of judicial processes to distract and exhaust activists.
• Women environmental defenders are at a particularly high risk of specific types of violence, including sexual harassment and violence, and are frequently targeted when defending land and indigenous rights.
• Voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) mechanisms and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are deemed insufficient because they lack legally binding enforcement and are often used to mask corporate abuses.
• State security policies and anti-terrorism laws are being used to restrict civil society's space for action, labeling environmental defenders as 'internal enemies' to justify repression.
• A pervasive culture of impunity exists where crimes against environmental defenders are rarely investigated or result in significant convictions, which serves to discourage activism.
• International solidarity actions, such as visibility campaigns, emergency funds, and international missions, have proven effective in protecting defenders and pressuring authorities to cease violations.

APA

Penchaszadeh, A. (2014). Defendemos el medioambiente, defendemos los derechos humanos. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Defendemos-el-medioambiente-defendemos-los-derechos-humanos.pdf

Chicago

Penchaszadeh, Analía. Defendemos el medioambiente, defendemos los derechos humanos. Friends of the Earth International, 2014. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Defendemos-el-medioambiente-defendemos-los-derechos-humanos.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Penchaszadeh |first1=Analía |title=Defendemos el medioambiente, defendemos los derechos humanos |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=June 2014 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Defendemos-el-medioambiente-defendemos-los-derechos-humanos.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{penchaszadeh2014defendemos, author = {Penchaszadeh, Analía}, title = {{Defendemos el medioambiente, defendemos los derechos humanos}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2014}, month = jun, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Defendemos-el-medioambiente-defendemos-los-derechos-humanos.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }