Hundreds of environmental and customary land activists were killed, why is being a ‘very dangerous’ activist?

The killing of a prominent indigenous expert and a British journalist in Brazil is yet another safety issue for environmental and land activists around the world.

Bruno Pereira, former head of Brazil’s indigenous organization Funai, and British journalist Dom Phillips were previously declared missing while reporting cases of illegal fishing in remote rainforest areas on June 5.

Activists at the grassroots level are often the last line of defense against environmental destruction, currently facing intimidation, threats and often violence.

And in countries like Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines, where natural resources are being exploited aggressively by powerful groups, their lives are at risk.

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