{"id":5684,"date":"2025-11-18T10:33:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T17:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/?p=5684"},"modified":"2025-11-18T13:40:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T20:40:10","slug":"cop30-protecting-land-and-water-defenders-at-cop30-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/cop30-protecting-land-and-water-defenders-at-cop30-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"COP30: Protecting Land and Water Defenders at COP30 and Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"

GreenLatinos in the Amazon: COP30<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read in Spanish here<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Topacio Reynoso Pacheco<\/em>, Sandra Liliana Pe\u00f1a Chocu\u00e9<\/em>, Paulo Paulino Guajajara\u2019s, Homero G\u00f3mez Gonz\u00e1lez<\/em>, Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 200 names appear in memoriam at the start of the Global Witness report, Roots of Resistance<\/em><\/a>. The report documents the struggles of land and water defenders around the world and exposes a tragic truth: in 2024 alone, 146 people were killed or disappeared while fighting for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable planet. The four countries with the highest rates of murders and disappearances are Colombia, Guatemala, M\u00e9xico, and Brazil where COP30\u2013the United Nations\u2019 climate change conference\u2013now takes place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While climate activists, government delegations, and lobbyists gather in Bel\u00e9m, Brazil, one truth stands out. Justice is at stake for the 2,253<\/a> known land and water defenders who have been killed or disappeared since 2012, for their families, and for all of us fighting for cultural, economic, political, and environmental freedom. Even as the current presidential administration turns its back on global climate commitments, the GreenLatinos community continues the fight for climate, conservation, and environmental justice at home<\/strong>.
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The Ongoing Crisis of Violence<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The epidemic of violence against land and water protectors is rooted in the colonial history of community displacement across the Americas, driven by European powers seeking to expand their empires and exploit the people, wildlife, minerals, food, water, and sources of energy for their own gain. As a result, Indigenous people, Tribal Nations, women, LGBTQIA+ people, and rural communities are most at risk of threats when standing up for nature and human rights.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Murals at the Parque Zoobot\u00e2nico do Museu Paraense Em\u00edlio Goeldi in Bel\u00e9m, Brazil.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When Policy Fails, Violence Grows<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Violence persists today because national and international policy is failing to recognize the land rights of rural communities and Indigenous peoples to live safely on their homelands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in 100 countries globally, women are still denied inheritance of their husbands\u2019 property. Further, many governments look the other way when organized criminal groups attack communities, or reinforce policies that favor land dispossession and criminalize land and water activism so private corporations can expand industrial agriculture, mining, drilling, logging, and construction.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COP30 Main Entrance, Bel\u00e9m, Brazil<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Global Commitments to Protect Nature<\/strong>
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Each of the nations with the highest rates of violence against land and water protectors are signatories of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework<\/a>, which among other goals, commits 196 countries to restore and conserve at least 30% of land, water and sea by 2030.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

International Agreements That Require Defender Protection<\/strong><\/summary>\n

El Escaz\u00fa Agreement<\/a>, el Aarhus Convention<\/a>, y the Advisory Opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights<\/a> make it clear that nation-states must take proactive steps to ensure the safety of land and water protectors. A rapid response mechanism<\/a>, action plan<\/a>, y guidelines<\/a> have been developed for this purpose.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Why These Protections Matter at COP30<\/strong><\/summary>\n

As nations pursue meeting their biodiversity and conservation targets, they must further their commitment to protect environmental defenders and focus on those who are most vulnerable to violence at COP30. This discussion should inform crucial decisions expected <\/a>to result from the Conference related to climate action financing, just transition, and adaptation planning.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n



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Violence at Home in the United States<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Land and water protectors in the United States and territories have also been the targets of violence and criminalization. In January 2023, Manuel (Manny) \u201cTortuguita\u201d Ter\u00e1n was murdered<\/a> by a Georgia State Patrol officer while defending the Weelaunee (South River) Forest in Atlanta, GA. This marked the first recent case of an environmental defender killed by law enforcement in the U.S. while acting for conservation justice. Their death is contextualized by unprecedented \u201cdomestic terrorism\u201d charges levied against 13 Weelaunee Forest defenders. The fact that Tortuguita was a queer, non-binary, and Indigenous Venezuelan of Timoto-Cuica descent marks this injustice as an act of violence, making the United States also subject to the international tools that can create safer conditions for land and water protectors, and is indicative of the heightened rates of violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Manuel (Manny) \u201cTortuguita\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each year in observance of el D\u00eda de Los Muertos, GreenLatinos creates digital and physical ofrendas<\/em> in memory of disappeared land and water protectors. We honor their sacrifices for a healthier planet during a culturally sacred time, amplifying the need for international accountability and justice. The Marco Latino de Justicia Clim\u00e1tica<\/a> calls on the United States to lead on ambitious policy at COP, including outcomes that will protect environmental defenders. Though our national delegation is markedly absent, GreenLatinos, our partners and allies across the country are at COP30 to advance the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Global people's march during COP30, Bel\u00e9m, Brazil<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What COP30 Must Deliver<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At COP30, agreements must further protections for Indigenous, Afro-latine, women, rural, poor, and LGBTQIA+ environmental protectors. This should include methods of accountability for nation-states that directly participate in the violence or otherwise enable it through attempts to undermine democratic processes, criminalize activists, support extractive industries, or give impunity to criminal groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States Congress, regardless of its participation at COP and other international gatherings, has the power to secure justice. This can occur in the context of bi-national legal frameworks like the U.S.\u2013M\u00e9xico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities,<\/a> U.S. foreign assistance, sanctions, and more. Positive and impactful action opportunities are extensive. For instance, Congress could introduce a bill to establish an Office and Ambassador at Large for Environmental Defender Freedom; create pathways for threatened environmental defenders to gain asylum in the U.S.; update or create legal bi-national safety frameworks with Colombia, Guatemala, M\u00e9xico, and Brazil; fund USAID to execute projects that strengthen foreign nations\u2019 ability to prosecute cases against human rights violators; or establish federal environmental defender protection mechanisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AUTHOR:<\/strong> Olivia E. Juarez is the GreenLatinos Public Land Program Director. The GreenLatinos Public Land Program strives for our environmental liberation through the stewardship of accessible, inclusive, and healthy public lands.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Join the Climate Justice & Clean Air Collective<\/strong>, and Public Land and Ocean Colectivo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be part of our Collectives!<\/strong> You\u2019ll get updates, resources, and opportunities to plug into virtual and in-person events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog post was a collaboration between our Justicia clim\u00e1tica y aire limpio<\/a><\/strong> y Public Land and Ocean <\/strong><\/a>programs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GreenLatinos in the Amazon: COP30 Read in Spanish here Topacio Reynoso Pacheco, Sandra Liliana Pe\u00f1a Chocu\u00e9, Paulo Paulino Guajajara\u2019s, Homero G\u00f3mez Gonz\u00e1lez, Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau\u2019s Nearly 200 names appear in memoriam at the start of the Global Witness report, Roots of Resistance. The report documents the struggles of land and water defenders around the world and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1468,"featured_media":5685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[77,98,97,96],"federal_programs":[],"state_region":[],"class_list":["post-5684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs","tag-blog","tag-climate-justice-clean-air-program","tag-energy","tag-ira"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5684"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5703,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5684\/revisions\/5703"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5684"},{"taxonomy":"federal_programs","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/federal_programs?post=5684"},{"taxonomy":"state_region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenlatinos.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/state_region?post=5684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}