FILE – Alex Lucitante, of the indigenous Cofan ethnic group, poses for a picture at Avie village, in Lago Agrio, SucumbÃos Province, Amazon region, Ecuador, on January 15, 2023.
It helped win him the Goldman Environmental Prize — the Nobel of environmental defenders — two years ago.
But despite setting up a system of patrols and even drone surveillance, it has not stopped gold prospectors violating their territory.
“The destruction is still going on all around our land, and the threat is stronger,” he told AFP, telling of illegal mining, deforestation and threats from armed groups.
“Today, the situation is particularly critical in our territories,” said Lucitante.
“It all happens in plain sight and with the knowledge of the authorities,” which are “sometimes linked to illegal actors operating in the area,” he added.
The environmentalist has urged global leaders to listen to the “voice of Indigenous communities” and hear their plea to “defend life.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-17 19:27:00
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