No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsLatin AmericaDeadly Toll on Central American Human Rights Defenders Revealed

Deadly Toll on Central American Human Rights Defenders Revealed

About 200 human rights defenders were murdered in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras between 2012 and 2023, according to a report released this Monday by a network of activists. Leaders of the Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders presented in Tegucigalpa the report “Data that hurts us, networks that save us. 10+ years of aggressions” between 2012-2023, which attributes these crimes to a “colonial heritage” of “structural oppressions.”

“In more than a decade, 200 defenders (…) have been murdered, but there were 228 more attempted murders,” said Mexican activist Lidya Alpízar during the presentation of the 119-page report. Compiled with data from each of the five countries since 2012, when the network was formed, the report records 35,077 aggressions against 8,926 defenders and 953 organizations.

The report cites the case of renowned Honduran indigenous environmentalist Berta Cáceres, murdered in March 2016. According to the network, her crime led to “a substantial increase in aggressions against Garifuna, Lenca, and peasant women defenders who oppose megaprojects and defend their territory.”

45% of the aggressions were perpetrated by “actors linked to the State,” such as police, military, and municipal or regional authorities. Another 5.3% were perpetrated by people linked to extractivist or mining companies and consisted of “harassment, smear campaigns, threats, and psychological and verbal violence” and in some cases “criminalization.”

Cruz explained that the network’s “articulation” has allowed for the protection of about 8,000 women who have received threats in the five countries during that period. Protection in many cases has been through “forced displacement” or “political asylum,” she added.

Trending Now

Juanes Lands in Costa Rica to Shoot Videos for New Tracks

Colombian singer Juanes has arrived in Costa Rica, turning our country's landscapes into backdrops for his latest music videos. The artist, known for hits...

Heavy Rains in Costa Rica Trigger Landslides and Floods

Costa Rica faces tough conditions lately from ongoing heavy rains that have sparked deadly landslides and major flooding over the last few days. In...

Back North from Costa Rica: An Expat’s Culture Shock

I am presently away from Costa Rica. I am in a foreign country. I was born here, but it is now a different place...

Celebrate 128 Years of Costa Rica’s National Theater

The National Theater turns 128 this month, and starting Sunday, October 12, it opens its doors for a week of events that mix music,...

Family Beach Day in Costa Rica Exploring Tidepools and Wildlife

My two sons couldn’t be more different. They look completely different. They act completely differently. They eat different foods. They have different interests. This...

Costa Rica Ranger Trapped After Falling off Cliff on Cocos Island

Rescue teams in Costa Rica continue their efforts to save a park ranger who fell down a 40-meter cliff on Isla del Coco. The...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica