“An Open Letter in Support Of Environmental and Human Rights Defender Jani Silva and Denouncing the Threats Against Her. Corporate Accountability Lab,” April 30, 2021

We write this open letter as members of the Corporate Liability and Sustainable Peace (CLASP) Lab to express solidarity with our colleague, friend, and fellow CLASP Lab member Jani Rita Silva. Jani and her organization, the Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Sostenible Perla Amazónica (ADISPA), have recently received threats from the criminal armed group Comando de la Frontera, challenging their work to defend the Campesino Reserve of the Amazon Pearl of Putumayo, Colombia from corporate abuse. These threats come amidst an alarming increase in violence against social leaders in Colombia, and we seek immediate action to protect Jani and the organization she leads…In recent days, Jani received new threats against her and ADISPA from Comando de la Frontera Comando de la Frontera claims that it has the support of military, political, and economic actors to control areas of Putumayo. On Saturday April 24, a source within Comando de la Frontera reported that a Comando de la Frontera leader under the alias “Leonel” has ordered that Jani be killed and ADISPA eliminated. The source reportedly stated that Comando de la Frontera directly negotiates with oil company Amerisur and that opposition to extractive development will not be tolerated. In the past, another criminal group, La Mafia, has also threatened Jani…[Read the complete letter here]