[Excerpt translation from Spanish to English provided by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

- 21 January 3 February 2020

...It is of utmost importance that the formal business sector supports the implementation of the Protocol [on protection of human rights defenders], as well as the development of a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights for the year 2020, in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

I have been deeply moved by all the testimonies received from human rights defenders, and especially from indigenous peoples, local communities and peasants who told me that they are often subjected to threats, harassment, intimidation, criminalization and physical attacks.  In many cases, they indicated that they were labelled "enemies of the State", "anti-government" or "anti-development" if they opposed development projects.  I am also concerned about the misuse of the justice system to harass and silence defenders in the country, particularly those working on the environment, such as Oscar Mollohuanca Cruz and others in Cuzco, the 16 defenders in Cajamarca who face charges for participating in protests, or Maxima Acuña, a peasant woman who was subjected to police violence for refusing to leave the land where she lives... I have been told that security guards or police officers hired by oil and mining companies have on several occasions threatened to kill, harass and attack human rights defenders during peaceful protests.