Vidal Brítez is the president of the Santa María’s Association of Yerba Mate Producers in Paso Yobái and a highly regarded community leader. Mr. Brítez has spoken out against pollution caused by mining in the region. For his defense of the right to food and a clean and healthy sustainable environment he is now facing criminal prosecution.
Call on the Prosecutor’s Office to respect Mr Brítez’s procedural guarantees, and drop the charges, resulting in his release.
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PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: May 15, 2025
Dear Dr. Rolón,
I write to you to express my deep concern for the detention and prosecution of Vidal Brítez. He is a highly regarded leader, who has been defending the right to food and to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, playing a critical role against pollution in Paso Yobái.
Amnesty International is concerned that the prosecution of Mr. Britez is reprisal for his activism. Family members are concerned about the impact of the detention on his fragile health. Mr Britez has a severe asthma condition.
According to the international law on human rights, all states are obliged to respect and protect the right to defend human rights. Criminalizing Mr. Brítez breaches this obligation and creates a chilling effect for other defenders advocating for a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Furthermore, it’s Paraguay’s international obligation to respect procedural guarantees, and the right to a fair trial.
Therefore, I urge you to drop the charges against Mr. Brítez and respect the right to defend human rights in Paraguay.
Yours sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
Additional Resources and Ways to Act
- Check out Amnesty’s Urgent Action Young Responders Activity Sheet!
- Read the UN Special Rapporteur report on toxics and human rights by Marcos Orellana, who conducted a mission to Paso Yobái, Paraguay in 2022 (In Spanish)
- Learn more about Climate Justice
- See our tips for writing effective letters and emails.
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