Politics
International Relations
Human Rights
Human Rights Violations
Political events
Environment
US Intervention
Events unfolding in Latin America -- coups and attempts in Bolivia and Brazil -- are important in a number of ways but one of the most pressing may be the systematc killings of activists. Over the last decade, 1,733 climate activists alone were murdered.
globalwitness.org
globalwitness.org
In 2021, the Officer of the Director of National Intelligence identified 11 countries considered by U.S. backed scientists to be "highly vulnerable," meaning those countries faced an increased risk for "internal instability." Three are in Latin America.
dni.gov
dni.gov
The U.S. has a history, both historical and recent, of interfering in elections in all of these countries. For example, it backed the coup of Honduras' democratically elected president, Manuel Zelaya, in 2009.
theintercept.com
theintercept.com
Recently in an adjacent country on the list, Haiti, the U.S. military was responsible for training at least seven of the men involved in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel MoΓ―se.
theintercept.com
theintercept.com
2021 specifically was a horrible year for climate activists; it is estimated that over three-quarters of attacks occurred in Latin America, with target countries being those with historical ties to U.S. interference.
globalwitness.org
globalwitness.org
This is no coincidence. The ODNI report argues that only foreign governments and NGOs (i.e., the U.S. and its allies) are prepared to assist highly vulnerable countries. The problem? Poor governance in these countries hinders private investment.
dni.gov
dni.gov
The situation in Brazil, a nation where climate activists were murdered at a higher rate than any other over the last decade, has caused a panic in neighboring countries. Chile and Columbia have requested to meet with the Organization of American States.
reuters.com
reuters.com
The OAS, you'll remember, helped facilitate the 2019 coup in Bolivia.
washingtonpost.com
washingtonpost.com
It has been suggested that one of the reasons for the coup was access to Bolivian mines used in lithium productionβa key resource in battles over climate change.
economist.com
economist.com
Lithium is used in batteries for the electric cars created by companies like Tesla. Chile, one of the countries requesting a meeting with the OAS, also has salt flats that are used for lithium mining.
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
Climate change is a resource war between old and new energies, both controlled by the West. In contrast to the lithium mining in Bolivia and Chile, Colombia is at the center of a battle over oil. Leftist leader Gustavo Petro wants to cut production.
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
Naturally, he too fears a coup. The Colombian military, which has historical ties to American intelligence, openly campaigned against Petro in Colombia's 2022 election.
france24.com
france24.com
My point: climate change is political beyond whether or not we'll be able to live on this planet. It is a fight between countries possessing natural resources and those desirous of those resources. Anyone standing in the way of progress will be removed.
globalwitness.org
globalwitness.org
Loading suggestions...