Human rights defenders have taken the lead in actions which support peace, justice, the rights of indigenous peoples, respect for territories and the strengthening of democracy. They are very often victims and survivors of human rights violations, as well as protagonists of the recognition of rights and the transformation of conflicts within their communities.
They are ordinary people, workers, lawyers, students, female activists, indigenous people, Afro-descendants, peasant and community leaders, journalists, trade unionists or land and environmental rights defenders who have always fought in times of crisis to regain our rights, demand they are ensured and respected, and promote all freedoms.
Despite this, defenders are under constant siege due to their work defending human rights; they are victims of murder, threats, physical and digital attacks, espionage, theft, stigmatisation, persecution, criminalisation, deprivation of liberty, forced displacement, kidnapping, disappearance, arbitrary detention, excessive use of force and sexual violence, among others, some of which are specific or are exacerbated because of their gender or ethnic origin.
Currently, Latin America is one of the world’s most dangerous regions for human rights defenders, where government authorities have not adopted any extraordinary measures to ensure their protection. On the contrary, the situation has been aggravated by the adoption of restrictive and regressive regulations affecting the exercise of human rights. Among the most frequent measures are limiting access to information, participation, justice, social protest and the intensification of militarisation, which are particularly deepened in extractive areas; likewise, the increase in gender-based violence and discrediting speeches against human rights defenders. In most contexts of violence, the main aggressors continue to be state agents, followed by organised crime and private actors, mainly the latter associated with extractive industries.
That is why today, on the international day of human rights defenders, we must not only recognise their work in the name of justice and the defence of rights and communities, but also call on all State agencies to implement concrete and real actions, with a gender and intersectional approach, aimed at protecting the lives and integrity of defenders and guaranteeing the right to defend human rights.
To this end, parliamentarians in each country must prevent the adoption of regulations that restrict civil society’s civic space, the use of mechanisms that allow the role of human rights defenders to be criminalised and the imposition of taxes or obstacles to the registration of civil society organisations. Action must be taken at all levels of government to recognise the work of defenders, implement measures to protect them and refrain from creating smear campaigns.
The criminal prosecution of crimes and the corresponding sanctions in cases of inaction and delay in the investigation of crimes committed against human rights defenders is a priority. The agencies responsible for the administration of justice must have specialised guidelines and accountability mechanisms that allow citizens, particularly human rights defenders, to understand how investigations are progressing. The bodies responsible for safeguarding the life and integrity of persons at risk must be strengthened and must have the human and financial capacity to enable coordination at the various levels of government and public authorities at national or binational level, the latter in the case of indigenous peoples defending their rights in cross-border territories.
A zero-tolerance policy for violence and a clear legal framework that provides for sanctions in cases involving companies or contractors that promote criminalisation or risk for defenders must be established as a priority. Mechanisms must also be designed and implemented as a matter of urgency to monitor corporate activity in complying with its obligations and due diligence. And in this context, we also urge the States to generate processes of investigation, justice, and punishment of private actors, where not only the perpetrators but also the masterminds of such attacks are made visible. Victims and their families must be guaranteed access to adequate reparation processes. In addition, preventing national justice systems, whether criminal, constitutional or civil, from obstructing the work of defenders is an urgent priority. Likewise, multisectoral actions for the eradication of illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, illegal logging, and land trafficking, which are a source of violence against defenders and their communities.
Through civil society organisations from several countries in the region, we will continue to build networks and mechanisms of mutual support and self-protection to respond to current threats, attacks, and risks, as well as prevent and warn of other challenges to come. We will also continue to demand that the governments of the region comply with their protection obligations in accordance with international human rights treaties and the provisions of the Declaration of Human Rights Defenders.
Finally, we call on wider society, national and international human rights bodies, and multilateral organisations to recognise the importance of the role of the many activists, to join their just causes and demand that governments and leaders support the work of defenders and create protection policies to guarantee the right to defend human rights.
In the region today, defending human rights is more urgent than ever and it is crucial that we strengthen and protect those who defend the rights of all. We firmly believe that by assisting and supporting their work, we are strengthening the democracies of Latin America and the Caribbean.