9.3 Environmental and Human Rights Activism

Environmental and human rights movements in Latin America emerged in the 1970s and 80s, fighting against harmful development projects and authoritarian regimes. These movements, influenced by liberation theology and indigenous worldviews, formed alliances with various groups to push for change.

While achieving victories like constitutional recognition of indigenous rights and project cancellations, activists face ongoing challenges. They battle powerful interests, criminalization, and environmental degradation using strategies like protests, legal action, and social media to raise awareness and influence policy.

Environmental and Human Rights Movements in Latin America

Emergence and Growth of Movements

Top images from around the web for Emergence and Growth of Movements

• 

  Brazil: Chico Mendes lives on, 20 years after his death · Global Voices View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Artigo | Chico Mendes: uma memória a honrar, um | Direitos Humanos View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Cineasta que filmou Chico Mendes um mês antes do | Direitos Humanos View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Brazil: Chico Mendes lives on, 20 years after his death · Global Voices View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Artigo | Chico Mendes: uma memória a honrar, um | Direitos Humanos View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Emergence and Growth of Movements

• 

  Brazil: Chico Mendes lives on, 20 years after his death · Global Voices View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Artigo | Chico Mendes: uma memória a honrar, um | Direitos Humanos View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Cineasta que filmou Chico Mendes um mês antes do | Direitos Humanos View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Brazil: Chico Mendes lives on, 20 years after his death · Global Voices View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Artigo | Chico Mendes: uma memória a honrar, um | Direitos Humanos View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Latin American environmental and human rights movements emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, often in response to the negative impacts of economic development projects and authoritarian regimes
• The movements were influenced by liberation theology, which emphasized social justice and the rights of the poor, and by indigenous worldviews that stressed the interconnectedness of humans and nature
• Key events that catalyzed the growth of these movements include:
  • The assassination of Chico Mendes in Brazil (1988), a rubber tapper and union leader who fought against deforestation and for the rights of forest peoples
  • The Zapatista uprising in Mexico (1994), an indigenous rebellion against neoliberal policies and for autonomy and dignity
  • The Cochabamba Water War in Bolivia (2000), a popular revolt against the privatization of water resources by a transnational corporation
• Environmental and human rights activists often formed alliances with indigenous communities, labor unions, and other civil society groups to build broader coalitions for change

Achievements and Challenges

• The movements have achieved significant victories, such as:
  • The recognition of indigenous rights in national constitutions (Bolivia, Ecuador)
  • The cancellation of destructive development projects (Belo Monte dam in Brazil, Pascua Lama mine in Chile/Argentina)
  • The creation of protected areas and community-managed reserves (Yasuni National Park in Ecuador, extractive reserves in Brazil)
• However, they also face ongoing challenges from powerful economic and political interests, such as:
  • The expansion of extractive industries (mining, oil, agribusiness) into new frontiers
  • The criminalization and repression of activists by state and private security forces
  • The co-optation and division of movements by political parties and elite groups
  • The impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on livelihoods and cultures

Activist Strategies for Influence

Public Awareness and Mobilization

• Activists have used a variety of strategies to raise awareness about environmental and human rights issues, including:
  • Public protests and demonstrations (marches, rallies, hunger strikes)
  • Media campaigns and press conferences to gain visibility and shape public opinion
  • Legal action and advocacy to challenge policies and practices in courts and legislatures
• Indigenous communities have often employed direct action tactics to defend their territories from extractive industries and infrastructure projects, such as:
  • Blockades and occupations of roads, bridges, and facilities
  • Community consultations and referendums to assert their right to free, prior, and informed consent
  • Mapping and demarcation of ancestral lands to claim legal recognition and protection
• In recent years, social media and digital activism have become increasingly important tools for mobilizing support and pressuring decision-makers, allowing activists to:
  • Share information and testimonies in real-time and across borders
  • Coordinate actions and campaigns with allies and supporters
  • Target specific companies, investors, and politicians with online petitions and boycotts

NGO and Cultural Strategies

• NGOs and advocacy groups have played a key role in supporting affected communities and influencing policy changes, by:
  • Documenting abuses and impacts through research, monitoring, and reporting
  • Providing legal support and capacity-building to communities to defend their rights
  • Lobbying governments and international institutions to adopt and enforce stronger regulations and safeguards
• Activists have also used cultural expressions to communicate their messages and build solidarity among different groups, such as:
  • Music and songs that celebrate resistance and resilience (Nueva Canción, hip-hop)
  • Art and murals that depict struggles and aspirations (Mexican muralism, graffiti)
  • Theater and performance that reenact histories and identities (Mayan ritual drama, street theater)
• These cultural forms help to:
  • Preserve and revitalize traditional knowledge and practices
  • Educate and engage wider audiences beyond the directly affected communities
  • Create alternative narratives and imaginaries to the dominant discourses of development and progress

Environmental and Human Rights Impacts on Marginalized Communities

Disproportionate Impacts and Vulnerabilities

• Environmental degradation and human rights abuses often disproportionately affect marginalized communities, such as:
  • Indigenous peoples, whose territories and resources are often targeted for exploitation and dispossession
  • Afro-descendants, who face racial discrimination and exclusion from decision-making processes
  • Rural poor, who depend on natural resources for their livelihoods and are often displaced by mega-projects
• Extractive industries, such as mining and oil drilling, have often led to:
  • The displacement of communities from their lands and the disruption of their social fabric
  • The contamination of water sources and soil with toxic chemicals and waste
  • The criminalization and persecution of activists who resist these projects (death threats, arbitrary arrests, assassinations)
• Deforestation and land grabs for agribusiness have threatened the livelihoods and cultural traditions of indigenous and peasant communities, particularly in the Amazon region, leading to:
  • The loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services that sustain local economies and identities
  • The erosion of traditional knowledge and practices related to forest management and agriculture
  • The increased exposure to violence from land traffickers, loggers, and ranchers

Climate Change and Gender Dimensions

• Climate change is exacerbating existing inequalities and vulnerabilities, with marginalized communities often being:
  • The least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, as they have lower consumption levels and carbon footprints
  • The most affected by the impacts of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and extreme weather events that destroy crops and homes
  • The least able to adapt and recover from these impacts, due to limited resources and access to services
• Women have often been at the forefront of environmental and human rights struggles, as they are:
  • Often responsible for managing natural resources, such as water, firewood, and food, for their families and communities
  • Particularly vulnerable to the impacts of environmental degradation and violence, such as sexual assault by armed actors in conflict zones
  • Active in organizing and mobilizing their communities to defend their rights and promote alternative visions of development (ecofeminism, subsistence economies)

International Advocacy Networks vs Local Activism

Role and Contributions of International Networks

• International advocacy networks, such as Friends of the Earth and Amnesty International, have played a crucial role in supporting local activism by:
  • Raising global awareness about environmental and human rights issues in Latin America through campaigns and reports
  • Providing funding, technical support, and solidarity to local activists and communities to help amplify their voices and demands
  • Pressuring governments and corporations to respect human rights and environmental standards, using tactics such as:
    • Consumer boycotts of products linked to abuses (tropical timber, palm oil)
    • Shareholder resolutions and divestment campaigns targeting complicit companies
    • Legal action in international courts and tribunals (Inter-American Court of Human Rights, International Criminal Court)
• These networks have helped to:
  • Put local struggles on the international agenda and rally global public opinion behind them
  • Leverage the reputational and financial risks for companies and investors to change their practices
  • Hold states accountable for their obligations under international law and agreements

Critiques and Challenges of International Advocacy

• However, international advocacy networks have also been criticized for:
  • Imposing their own agendas and priorities on local communities, based on their ideological or donor-driven preferences
  • Not always being accountable to the people they claim to represent, as they are often based in the Global North and have limited direct contact with affected communities
  • Focusing on short-term campaigns and victories rather than long-term accompaniment and capacity-building for local movements
• The effectiveness of international advocacy depends on the ability to:
  • Build genuine partnerships with local activists based on trust, reciprocity, and mutual learning
  • Respect the autonomy and knowledge of local communities to define their own needs and strategies
  • Support the long-term struggles for justice and sustainability beyond the media spotlight and funding cycles
• Ultimately, the success of environmental and human rights movements in Latin America will depend on the strength and resilience of local activism, rooted in the diverse realities and aspirations of the region's peoples and territories.