Date: February 6, 2014

At the end of last October” Elisa Lascoña Tulid was shot at point blank range in front of her husband and four-year-old daughter. She died as the result of retaliation for daring to defend the rights of her people to the lands where they live and farm in the Philippines’ Quezon Province.Her story was not unique in 2013″ nor was it limited to the Philippines. In Thailand” assassins reportedly killed Prajob Nao-opas after he demanded a clean-up of dangerous industrial toxins that were polluting farming communities in Chachoengsao Province. In Colombia” gunmen killed Adelinda Gómez Gaviria” who led a campaign against a gold mine that was damaging her community’s farmland. Pedro César García Moreno” another Colombian leader” was shot” likely for his role in resisting yet another mining operation.