Colombia: Ethnocide and political violence on the rise – More than 60 percent of all indigenous peoples in Colombia are at risk of extinction

By Dan Kovalik28 March 2016 (Libya 360) – While Colombia, the U.S.’s staunchest ally in the Hemisphere, is held out as some beacon of democracy in Latin America, the facts on the ground tell a very different story. Of course, you will rarely hear those facts, or about Colombia at all, given the general laziness […]

Downpours cause deadly floods, mudslides in São Paulo

13 March 2016 (Al Jazeera) – Parts of Brazil have gone from a state of drought to intense flooding after torrential downpours hit southeastern areas of the country. At least 20 people have died in the high waters and mudslides in and around São Paulo. Five are still missing. São Paulo’s fire department said 18 […]

São Paulo flooding leaves 21 dead, Latin America’s largest city paralyzed – ‘The fingerprints of climate change are all over this particular event’

By Cedar Attanasio11 March 2016 (Latin Times) – At least 15 were confirmed dead in the Brazil’s financial capital and largest city, São Paulo, according to Reuters. Half a dozen people died as a result of the flooding elsewhere in São Paulo state after 24 hours of steady rain, local media report. Most died as […]

Peru: Mercury poisoning epidemic sweeps tribe

[cf. Video: Flyover of illegal gold mining operations destroying Amazon rainforest in Peru – ‘These are giant operations. Arsenic has been found in the Titicaca Lake.’] 10 March 2016 (Survival International) – Up to 80% of a recently-contacted tribe in Peru have been poisoned with mercury, raising serious concerns for the future of the tribe. […]

Graph of the Day: Global killings of land and environmental defenders, 2002-2014

By Melissa Cronin4 March 2016 (Grist) – The death of Honduran environmental and human rights activist Berta Cáceres this week is an unspeakable tragedy — but it’s not unique. In fact, environmentalists have historically been targeted for their actions, and for speaking out about environmental injustice. Last April, a report found that in 2014, at […]

Last of six toothfish poaching vessels arrested in Indonesia – ‘The entire fleet of the toothfish poachers is in disarray with no poachers fishing in Antarctica for the first time in more than 10 years’

26 February 2016 (Sea Shepherd Global) – The hunt for the last of six known toothfish poaching vessels has ended with the arrest of the Nigerian-flagged Viking in Indonesia. The announcement of the vessel’s arrest was made at a press conference in Jakarta today, held by Indonesian Fisheries Minister, Susi Pudjiastuti, the Commander of the […]

Peru oil spill pollutes Amazon rivers used by indigenous group – Environment agency says spills are ‘not isolated cases’

23 February 2016 (BBC News) – At least 3,000 barrels of crude oil have been spilled in an Amazonian region after leaks from Peru’s main oil pipeline, the state oil company said. The oil has polluted two rivers that at least eight indigenous communities rely on for water, the government and indigenous leaders said. Petroperu […]

Why are the lost tribes now emerging from the Amazon?

By Angus Macqueen20 February 2016 (Guardian) – Footage of a man handing bananas to two naked men in the middle of an Amazonian river went viral in late June 2014. At the time, the Brazilians claimed it was a once in a generation event – that the moment of “first contact” was caught on camera. […]

Global list of water-related conflicts grows – ‘By any measure or any method, there are too many people who are facing water scarcity’

By Ian James 18 February 2016 (The Desert Sun) – Violent conflicts over water have been flaring in places from Yemen to Peru, and an updated global list shows a sharp rise in the number of water-related clashes reported over the past three decades. The Pacific Institute, a think tank that focuses on water issues, […]

Seven million hectares of forests have been lost in Argentina over the past 20 years – ‘We are facing a serious forest emergency’

By Ruxandra Guidi 19 February 2016 (mongabay.com) – Agriculture in Argentina has expanded at an accelerated rate in the past twenty years due to technological advances, the use of genetically modified crops, and, in particular, to the cultivation of soybean. The South American country is the first global exporter of soy, and the biggest provider […]

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