Terrorizing, exhausting, and silencing environmental defenders

This is how Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) operate. These lawsuits are proliferating worldwide as a tool of legal intimidation. Behind the rhetoric of “progress” or “sustainable development,” corporations utilize the judicial system to stifle criticism and erode communities.

In Panama, the conflict over Puerto Barú exemplifies this situation. In August 2025, the organizations Adopta Bosque and CIAM Panamá were notified on social media that they were facing lawsuits for “defamation” and “crimes against the national economy.” Their “crime”? Questioning a port project that threatens the mangroves of the Gulf of Chiriquí, one of the most important ecosystems for marine biodiversity and coastal protection in the country.

When defending life becomes a legal risk

These lawsuits don’t seek justice, but rather to intimidate, exhaust, and silence. They are a form of censorship that erodes democracy and weakens citizens’ right to participate in environmental decisions. By attacking those who protect ecosystems, impunity is perpetuated for those who destroy them.

The criminalization of environmental defense translates into emotional stress, economic hardship, and damage to the reputation of organizations and community leaders. But it also jeopardizes the international credibility of Panama, a country that has legally recognized the Rights of Nature but allows those who defend them to be persecuted.

Let’s put an end to environmental criminalization.

Defending nature should not be a risk. Demanding transparency and justice is fundamental to a vibrant democracy.

👉 Sign the petition and share this campaign.

Because defending life is a right, not a crime.

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