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STATELESS AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE
The Dominican Republic’s statelessness crisis continued to affect tens of thousands of people
of Haitian descent who were born in the country but were left stateless after being retroactively
and arbitrarily deprived of their Dominican nationality in 2013. Those affected were denied a
range of human rights and were prevented from accessing higher education, formal
employment or adequate health care.
In Haiti, almost 38,000 people remained internally displaced because of the 2010
earthquake. There was a reported increase in deportation cases at the Dominican-Haitian
border.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS
Indigenous Peoples’ rights continued to be violated in countries including Argentina, Bolivia,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru.
VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Indigenous Peoples continued to be criminalized and discriminated against in Argentina,
where the authorities used legal proceedings to harass them; there were reports of police
attacks, including beatings and intimidation. Rafael Nahuel of the Mapuche community was
killed in November during an eviction conducted by security forces.
In Colombia, a wave of killings of Indigenous people from communities historically affected by
the armed conflict highlighted shortcomings in the implementation of the peace agreement.
The killing of Gerson Acosta – leader of the Kite Kiwe Indigenous council in Timbío, Cauca,
who was shot repeatedly while leaving a community meeting – was a tragic example of the
ineffectiveness of the authorities’ measures to safeguard the lives and safety of community
leaders and other Indigenous people.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights documented the different forms of
discrimination faced by Indigenous women in the Americas and highlighted how their political,
social and economic marginalization contributed to permanent structural discrimination,
leaving them at increased risk of violence.
LAND RIGHTS
In Peru, new laws weakened the protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights related to land and
territory and undermined their right to free, prior and informed consent. The government
neglected the right to health of hundreds of Indigenous Peoples whose only water sources
were contaminated with toxic metals, and who lacked access to adequate health care.
In Ecuador, the right to free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples continued to
be violated, including after intrusions of the state into their territories for future oil extraction.
Indigenous Peoples in Paraguay also continued to be denied their rights to land and to free,
prior and informed consent on projects affecting them. Despite rulings from the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights, the government failed to provide the Yakye Axa community access to
their lands, or to resolve a case regarding the ownership of land expropriated from the
Sawhoyamaxa community.
Guatemala’s Supreme Court recognized the lack of prior consultation with the Xinca
Indigenous People of Santa Rosa and Jalapa, who were negatively affected by mining
activities.
In Brazil, conflicts over land, and invasion by illegal loggers and mine workers into Indigenous
Peoples’ territory, resulted in violent attacks against Indigenous communities.
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HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND JOURNALISTS
The extreme risks and dangers of defending human rights were apparent in numerous
countries in the region, with human rights defenders facing threats, harassment and attacks
including in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Paraguay.
KILLINGS AND HARASSMENT IN MEXICO
In Mexico, human rights defenders were threatened, attacked and killed, with digital attacks
and surveillance especially common. During the year, at least 12 journalists were killed – the
largest number recorded since 2000 – many in public places in daylight, with the authorities
making no notable progress in investigating and prosecuting those responsible. Victims
included prize-winning journalist Javier Valdez, who was killed in May near the office of the
newspaper Ríodoce, which he founded. It became apparent that a network of people was
using the internet to harass and threaten journalists throughout Mexico. Evidence also
emerged of surveillance against journalists and human rights defenders, using software that
the government was known to have purchased.
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AT RISK IN HONDURAS
Honduras remained one of the region’s most dangerous countries for human rights defenders
– especially those working to protect land, territory and the environment. They were targeted
by both state and non-state actors, subjected to smear campaigns to discredit their work, and
regularly faced intimidation, threats and attacks. Most attacks registered against human rights
defenders went unpunished. There was little progress in the investigation into the March 2016
killing of Indigenous environmental defender Berta Cáceres. Since her murder, several other
Honduran environmental and human rights activists have been harassed and threatened.
INCREASED ATTACKS IN COLOMBIA
There was an increase in the number of attacks against human rights defenders in Colombia,
especially community leaders, defenders of land, territory and the environment, and those
campaigning in favour of the peace agreement. According to the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, almost 100 human rights defenders were killed during the
year. Many death threats against activists were attributed to paramilitary groups, but in most
cases the authorities failed to identify who was responsible for the killings that resulted from
the threats.
ARBITRARY DETENTIONS, THREATS AND HARASSMENT
In Cuba, large numbers of human rights defenders and political activists continued to be
harassed, intimidated, dismissed from state employment and arbitrarily detained to silence
criticism. Online and offline censorship undermined advances in education. Prisoners of
conscience included the leader of the pro-democracy Christian Liberation Movement, Eduardo
Cardet Concepción, who was jailed for three years for publicly criticizing former president Fidel
Castro.
Human rights defenders in Guatemala, especially those working on land, territorial and
environmental issues, faced ongoing threats and attacks, and were subjected to smear
campaigns. The justice system was also frequently misused to target, harass and silence
human rights defenders.
A ruling by Peru’s Supreme Court confirming the acquittal of human rights defender Máxima
Acuña Atalaya after five years of unfounded criminal proceedings for land seizure was a
landmark decision for environmental defenders.