Violence Against Social Activists in the Brazilian Amazon: The Role of Deforestation
The Brazilian Amazon is a dangerous place for social activists, particularly those who fight for land rights and environmental protection. In our recent study, published in the Journal of Peace Research, we find that high levels of deforestation are strongly linked to the assassination of activists. We argue that this is due to the highly territorialized nature of this criminal practice, which involves dispossessing local communities of their land. This violence is driven by local criminalpolitical networks protecting illegal profits as well as local authoritarian orders underpinning them. It poses serious threats to local civic spaces, democratic participation, and environmental protection.