Colombia and Brazil Lead Global Killings of Environmental Defenders
A recent report highlights Colombia and Brazil as the deadliest countries for environmental activists, with Colombia accounting for 39 of the 124 global killings in 2025. Alarmingly, these murders occurred at a rate of one every three days, predominantly affecting Latin America.
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Colombia has once again been reported as the country with the highest number of killings of land and environmental activists, with 39 out of at least 124 activists killed globally in 2025; Brazil follows with 26 killings. The annual report by Global Witness indicates that 85% of these documented murders occurred in Latin America, highlighting the region as the deadliest for activists since 2012, and most killings were linked to land disputes involving organized crime. The report also notes a doubling of environmental defender killings in Brazil in 2025 compared to 2024, while outside Latin America, 12% of murders were reported in Asia, mainly in the Philippines.
In 2025, defenders of nature and land were murdered at a rate of one every three days, with 124 reported killings, 85% of which occurred in Latin America, notably with Colombia leading at 39 deaths. The increase in organized crime, particularly related to narco-trafficking and environmental crimes, has necessitated the formation of self-defence units in many communities, such as the Kakataibo Indigenous Guard in Peru, which has grown to over 150 volunteers since 2022. Despite a slight overall decline in deaths over the past two years, the estimate remains high, with 2,375 deaths and disappearances recorded since 2012, while threats to defenders have increased due to diminished support from the international community and rising levels of organized crime.