Brazil is the fourth most dangerous country in the world for environmental defenders. In recent years, the number of attacks has only increased.
Soraya Rodríguez, MEP and Environment spokesperson for Ciudadanos in the European Parliament, presented a resolution in the European Parliament’s plenary session on Wednesday to demand more protection for land, indigenous communities and environmental defenders in the Amazon.
Soraya Rodriguez has strongly condemned the murders of environmental defenders Bruno Pereira and Don Philips, and demanded an independent and thorough investigation claiming that these murders “are not isolated cases”. “Brazil is the fourth most dangerous country in the world for environmental defenders. Bolsonaro’s aggressive rhetoric, verbal threats and intimidating speech are not an anecdote, but a serious threat”.
She lamented that attacks on indigenous communities and environmental defenders in recent years “have only increased”. For this reason, she called on the Brazilian government to fulfil its commitments “to protect indigenous lands and communities and, with them, the unique biodiversity of the Amazon”.
