In Colombia, implementing the Escazú Agreement is a matter of life and death

The document highlights that 322 land and environmental defenders have been killed in Colombia over the last ten years, alongside numerous non-lethal attacks such as threats and criminalization. It argues that the ratification of the Escazú Agreement—the first regional treaty for Latin America and the Caribbean on human rights and the environment—is essential to mandate the prevention and investigation of attacks against defenders. While noting that countries like Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina have already ratified the agreement, it points to the government of Gustavo Petro and initiatives like the 'Somos Defensores' program and its emergency plan as reasons for optimism in establishing a safe environment for environmental participation.

• Over the last ten years, 322 people have been killed in Colombia due to their work defending land and the environment, with defenders also facing non-lethal attacks including threats, harassment, surveillance, and criminalization.
• The Escazú Agreement is the first regional treaty for Latin America and the Caribbean regarding human rights and the environment, and the first global legal instrument to include specific clauses for the protection of defenders, requiring governments to prevent and investigate attacks.
• Although Colombia signed the Escazú Agreement in December 2019, ratification remained pending nearly three years later, whereas Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina have already ratified it.
• The government of Gustavo Petro has included specific points in its program to address the challenges faced by defenders, representing a shift from previous authorities who ignored or invisibilized the violence.
• The 'Somos Defensores' program and other human rights organizations have proposed an emergency plan for the first 100 days of government to protect social leaders, human rights defenders, and signatories of the Peace Agreement.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). In Colombia, implementing the Escazú Agreement is a matter of life and death. https://globalwitness.org/es/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/in-colombia-implementing-the-escazu-agreement-is-a-matter-of-life-and-death-es/

Chicago

Global Witness. In Colombia, implementing the Escazú Agreement is a matter of life and death. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/es/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/in-colombia-implementing-the-escazu-agreement-is-a-matter-of-life-and-death-es/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=In Colombia, implementing the Escazú Agreement is a matter of life and death |url=https://globalwitness.org/es/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/in-colombia-implementing-the-escazu-agreement-is-a-matter-of-life-and-death-es/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndcolombia, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{In Colombia, implementing the Escazú Agreement is a matter of life and death}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/es/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/in-colombia-implementing-the-escazu-agreement-is-a-matter-of-life-and-death-es/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }