Photo Credit: Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos
Author: Robert Soutar Source: openDemocracy Date of Publication: June 29, 2016
A record annual toll of 185 murders of environmental activists was recorded across 67 different countries in 2015 with the highest concentration of killings in Latin America. The figure represents a 59% increase on the previous year. Brazil (50), the Philippines (33), Colombia (26), Peru (12) and Nicaragua (12), make up the top five most dangerous countries, says the report. However, the numbers are likely an underestimate of the true extent of the problem, given the suppression of monitoring efforts by civil society groups and the media in some countries.