Murky Times in Paddington Bear Country

Global Witness maintains that, around the world in the last 10 years, more than 1,700 environmental defenders have been killed. Attacks on such folk as well as indigenous leaders was especially evident in 2021. 78% of recorded killings (many others must be undocumented), took place in the Amazon regions of Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. There has been a small glimmer of light in darkest Peru. Here, five illegal loggers have finally been given 28-year jail sentences for their 2014 torture and murder of four indigenous leaders (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/17/peru-illegal-logging-murder-indigenous-leaders). This seems like progress but, following the ousting of Peru's president, that country's 'lawmakers' in congress, are proposing a bill to strip indigenous people of their lands and protections (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/23/peru-indigenous-protections-bill). As they say, 'One step forward and two steps back'