Statement on the murder of Estela Casanto Maurício, of the Ashaninka people (Peru), leader and environmental defender
The CLACSO Working GroupsPolitical ecology(ies) from the south/Abya Yala","Critical studies of rural development","Borders, regionalization and globalization"And "Latin American critical geographical thought” They raise their firm voices in protest and express their outrage at the murder of Asháninka leader Estela Casanto Mauricio, which occurred this Saturday, March 13, 2021, in the Junín region of Peru. This tragedy adds to the recurring murders of environmental defenders across the Latin American continent, in territories crucial to life on the planet, such as the Amazon, tropical and Andean forests, mountain ranges, and areas where life flourishes in grasslands, wetlands, moorlands, and mangroves. These are territories rife with disputes over the interests of large corporations involved in the extraction of “natural resources” and the appropriation of land and water sources.
The death of Estela Casanto Mauricio brings the number of murders of environmental defenders in the Peruvian Amazon to three, adding to the eight environmental defenders killed in 2020, one of whom was a park ranger. All were defending their communities' territories against mining activities, illegal logging, land grabbing, and drug trafficking. Despite many of them receiving death threats and calling for attention, the state failed to respond to their pleas. The killers are taking advantage of the country's state of emergency to commit their crimes.
The Peruvian government is simply failing to react, demonstrating its continued alignment with the private interests of extractive companies. It is deeply concerning that during the election campaign, many political parties expressed their intention to strengthen extractive interests and dismantle the few remaining laws and agencies that protect local communities and monitor environmental damage.
Since the CLACSO Working GroupsPolitical ecology(ies) from the south/Abya Yala","Critical studies of rural development","Borders, regionalization and globalization" y "Critical geographical thinking Latin American"We demand not only that the Peruvian government investigate and punish this crime, but also that it respond to the demands for protection made by environmental defenders, guarantee the lives of all people regardless of their origin, and protect Indigenous peoples. This extends to all governments in the region. We also call on all Peruvian citizens to speak out against the deaths of our Indigenous, peasant, and Afro-descendant brothers and sisters, including urban environmental defenders.
The threats and murders of environmental defenders in Latin America, with a marked increase in recent years in Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, and Venezuela, in addition to Peru, constitute a problem that affects all of humanity. This persistent aggression against fundamental collective human rights requires prompt investigation and punishment of those responsible, both the perpetrators and those who ordered the crimes, as well as broad international solidarity. The pandemic has exacerbated impunity for these crimes, and we will not allow this situation to continue.
In solidarity for the right to life, water and territory.
March 16th 2021
CLACSO Working Groups
Political ecology(ies) from the south/Abya Yala
Critical studies of rural development
Borders, regionalization and globalization
Latin American critical geographical thought
This statement expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Groups and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.
