Human rights violations and environmental degradation are particularly pervasive in the context of large-scale extractive and infrastructure projects. Despite the existence of international standards and legislative codes meant to protect threatened individuals and communities, these rights are often the focus of conflict as powerful interests wish to exploit the natural resources found within and beneath traditional territories.
March 4, 2019
The following is a joint press release of the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) and Union for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala (UDEFEGUA), released in Spanish and translated into English by PBI-USA.
February 25, 2019
Despite multiple alerts, illegal armed actors continue to fight for control of the territory in the Jiguamiandó and Curbaradó river basin areas (in the region of Urabá in northwest Colombia), resulting in ongoing violence and killings, placing the Afro-Colombian, mixed-ethnicity and indigenous communities in the region at serious risk and affecting their physical and emotional security and integrity.
February 11, 2019
February 8, 2019
February 7, 2019
January 22, 2019
From PBI we observe certain important actions from the new government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) that favor the protection of human rights defenders in Mexico. At the same time, we have noted a few tendencies that concern us. In this article we look at a few achievements and challenges for the new government and the reactions from Mexican and international civil society about the first few weeks of the MORENA government.
January 17, 2019
"Mexico should assure the rights of association, reunion, protest and liberty of expression of Alejandro Cerezo, in every way possible, including diplomatic activities, especially in the cases recognised as criminalisation of defence, as is the that of the Comité Cerezo Mexico."
-Espacio-OSC
January 31, 2019
“We don’t do this work because of an ideology, we do it out of love, a love that is politicized and has a social conscience."
-Yanette Bautista
December 14, 2019