Record 212 environmental activists murdered in 2019: NGO

Shares At least 212 environmental campaigners worldwide were murdered in 2019, making last year the deadliest on record for frontline activists battling the destruction of Nature, watchdog group Global Witness reported Wednesday. Colombia and the Philippines combined accounted for just over half of the confirmed deaths -- 64 and 43, respectively -- followed by Brazil, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. The real number is likely higher due to unreported or misrepresented cases, especially in Africa, the NGO said in its annual review. About 40 percent of victims were indigenous people, and over two-thirds died in Latin America. One in ten were women. For decades, native communities in the...