Colombia has maintained its position as the country with the highest number of murders targeting land and environmental activists, according to findings released by Global Witness. The campaign group documented at least 124 killings of such defenders worldwide in 2025, with Colombia accounting for 39 deaths and Brazil following with 26.
Latin America continues to be the deadliest region for environmental activists, representing 85% of all documented killings since Global Witness began tracking these statistics in 2012. Colombia has held the top position for the past four years. The majority of these deaths stem from land disputes, frequently involving contract killers and members of organized crime syndicates seeking to control territory for illegal activities including coca cultivation and mining operations.
In Colombia, nearly half of those killed were indigenous group members, with the remainder largely consisting of small-scale farmers. Many indigenous communities have established unarmed protection networks called indigenous guards to monitor their territories, though members of these groups face particular danger from illegal armed factions. The recent killing of Jacob Guachetá Zambrano, an indigenous guard in the Cauca region, exemplified this pattern, with local leaders noting that murders, threats, and forced disappearances are commonplace in areas where criminal groups compete for territorial control.
Brazil experienced a significant escalation, with killings of environmental defenders doubling in 2025 compared to the previous year. Like Colombia, most documented cases in Brazil were primarily motivated by land conflicts. Outside Latin America, Asia accounted for 12% of murders, with the Philippines recording 12 documented deaths.
Global Witness cautioned that while overall documented killings decreased from 146 in 2024 to 128 in 2025, the figures likely underrepresent the actual toll, as many cases remain unreported.
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