MEXICO CITY, Oct 4 — Lawyers and environmentalists from Latin America unveiled a model law this week that punishes severe environmental harm by eliminating excuses for failing to protect ecosystems, one of its authors told AFP.
Latin America is home to about a third of the world’s biodiversity.
It is also one of the most dangerous regions for environmental defenders, with dozens murdered each year.
The region also suffers from high rates of impunity for environmental crimes, or “ecocide,” a term used to describe serious harm against the natural world.
“We are champions at passing beautiful laws that are then not enforced,” Rodrigo Lledo, Latin America director of the organisation Stop Ecocide International, told AFP by telephone.
