Samuel Lizama is president of El Salvador’s Environmental Appeals Court. His tribunal ranks as the highest environmental authority in the country’s judicial system, given its role as arbiter of questions generated by the country’s three environmental courts. When the first of El Salvador’s environmental courts was established in 2014, Lizama, then a judge with 11 years of experience, was chosen to head it. He became president of the Environmental Appeals Court in 2017. Government restrictions prompted by the Covid-19 crisis have temporarily halted the work of the environmental courts, although other tribunals have been functioning on a limited basis. For its part, the country’s lead environmental agency, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), has played a largely passive role during the crisis, drawing criticism from some. Lizama spoke with EcoAméricas correspondent Gerardo Arbaiza recently about the challenges posed by the pandemic and other issues. [Log in to read more]

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