Celia Umenza, environmental defender in Colombia, recounts the assassination attempts she suffered

As she herself points out, she certainly escaped three assassination attempts, but it is not over, death still lurks around her. Celia Umenza is an indigenous activist and her fight to protect her forest, the one where her Nasa people have lived for centuries, in southwest Colombia, disturbs. It disturbs in large widths: from Farc rebels to farmers, through mine operators who always want more land. This is what she describes to Agence France Presse, which interviewed her to illustrate a figure: in 2020, 227 environmental defenders were murdered around the world, a record compared to previous years according to the Global Witness organization which does the count every year. And the deadliest country is precisely Colombia: 65 murders, one every five days.

Celia Umenza is a survivor. The first time she was targeted was in 2005, when the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) shot her. Four years later, a homemade bomb threw it against a wall. “THETo, she says, I thought this was the end of my life, but I got through it.“And then in 2014, the van that brought her home was riddled with bullets, without any hitting her.”This year, she explains, the authorities gave me a bulletproof vest, but I didn’t want one, walking with this vest makes me feel like a moving target. “

It’s because Celia Umenza is still on the pitch. She is a member of the Indigenous Guard which defends indigenous territories, so that no one comes to appropriate them, all without a weapon, simply with walkie-talkies and sticks.

These lands where indigenous peoples have lived for centuries are highly coveted: the Farc and paramilitary groups enrich themselves there by exploiting illegal gold mines which pollute the water of rivers. Farmers raze the forest to plant sugar cane, pumping a lot of water and drying out the soil. “We are proud of the fact that lately we have succeeded in preventing mining, but the fauna, flora and forests of yesteryear are disappearing, it is very worrying.. “

At 48 years old, Célia Umenza has seen many of her friends fall around her. She herself is encouraged to leave by the authorities, for her safety, she is told. But she is one of those who remain: “Of course I’m scared, but the struggles can’t stop because someone dies, she concludes, we must always continue. “