We adhere to the statement against the aggression against environmental defenders at the UNC
Within the framework of the “Educational Forum: skills for global citizenship”, the current and outgoing rector of the University, offended environmental defenders who were demonstrating before representatives of the Andean Development Corporation on the Punilla highway.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.
On June 15 at the UNC, an event was held in which representatives of the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), a multilateral financial institution that finances the Punilla highway project, were present. In this context, the environmental defenders demanded that the CAF authorities violate the environmental safeguard systems, and the impact on the environment that the project implies.
Faced with this intervention, the current rector of the National University of Córdoba, Hugo Juri, who represented the institution at the conference, publicly offended environmental defenders by associating their actions with the financing of institutions linked to the Nazi genocide, among other sayings.
This undoubtedly constitutes an act of violence and intimidation that seriously affects the guarantees incorporated in the Escazú Agreement. It is that the art. 9th of the treaty protects environmental defenders, guaranteeing them a safe and conducive environment for the exercise of their rights to protest, opinion and freedom of expression. In addition, it obliges the authorities to adopt measures to prevent and punish attacks, threats or intimidation.
In repudiation of the actions of the rector Juri, we adhere to the statement made by the teachers and researchers of the UNC, requesting the retraction and request for an apology towards environmental defenders, and we demand the adoption of measures that protect their fundamental rights.
More Information
Contact
Juan Bautista Lopez, juanbautistalopez@fundeps.org
*Photo taken from the Museum of Anthropology website
