Countries who bear little responsibility for the climate crisis suffer the most

By Staff - La Via Campesina, February 2, 2021

In November 2020, two catastrophic hurricanes struck Central America and left behind lost lives, lost livelihoods and destruction on an unprecedented scale. Once again, countries who bear little responsibility for the climate crisis suffer the most from intensifying climate breakdown.

In this context, the global movement of peasants and indigenous peoples La Via Campesina (LVC) and the Nicaraguan government are at the forefront of the global struggle for climate justice. The video includes interviews with Nicaraguan peasant farmers, members of the Rural Workers Association, who describe the impact of the hurricanes on their lives and livelihoods.

Amaru Torrez of the LVC climate justice collective argues that the causes of the climate crisis are systemic, a consequence of unsustainable capitalism that poses a threat to all life forms. In the lead up to COP26, what is the vision of climate justice that LVC is promoting? Why are agroecology and food sovereignty central to this vision? What is the Nicaraguan government advocating internationally to promote climate justice?

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author.