#WHRDAlert EL SALVADOR / Assailants kill RACDES member Dina Yaseni Puente, defender of land, territory and common assets

Dina Yaseni Puente

Organization
Network of Community Environmentalists in El Salvador (RACDES)

Activity
Defense of the land, territory and common assets

Attack experienced
MURDER

THE FACTS – Dina Yaseni Puente, 39 years of age, from the community of Jujutla in Ahuachapán, was a defender committed to the struggle for the country’s natural and social assets.

On Thursday, August 9th, the Attorney General’s Office of El Salvador sent out information regarding her murder by firearm in the village of Mesas de Jujutla in Cantón Las Flores.

Even though the causes and circumstances of the crime are still unknown, there are indications that it could be related to her activism. It is important to note that according to our Registry of Attacks, the defenders of land and territory are those who have experienced the greatest number of attacks in the region. Moreover, the most recent report issued by Global Witness states that the defenders of land have been the target of the greatest number of persons killed worldwide and, significantly, in Latin America.

We of IM-Defensoras profoundly regret and repudiate the murder of Dina Yaseni Puente and demand that the Salvadoran government conduct an immediate, efficient and thorough investigation that contemplates all possible causes, especially those related to her work in defense of human rights, to assure so that impunity will not persist for this crime.

Lastly, we express our solidarity and support for the defender’s family and for the Network of Community Environmentalists in El Salvador (RACDES).


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