Latin America sees most environmental defender killings
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In 2025, 124 land and environmental defenders were killed worldwide, with Latin America accounting for 85 percent of those deaths.
The report by Global Witness found that conflicts over land and resources put Indigenous people and small-scale farmers at the greatest risk. Colombia experienced the highest number of killings for the fourth year in a row, with 39, while Brazil followed with 26, more than double the number recorded the previous year.
These defenders work to protect land, natural resources, and communities from damaging activities like mining and logging, often by documenting harm or organizing local people. Vicente Fernandes Vilhalva, a member of Brazil’s Guarani Kaiowa people, was among those killed last year during an attack on his community, which is fighting to reclaim ancestral lands.
The report noted a decrease in the overall number of killings for the second consecutive year, but cautioned that this does not necessarily indicate increased safety for defenders. Killings remain underreported, and land disputes are increasingly linked to organized crime and competition for resources. Since 2012, Global Witness has documented 2,375 killings and disappearances of land and environmental defenders through its work with over 30 organizations.
More than three-quarters of those killed in 2025 were Indigenous people, small-scale farmers, or Afro-descendants. Land disputes were a factor in over half of all killings globally. In Colombia, the department of Cauca saw the highest concentration of deaths, with 13 killings including members of Indigenous Guard groups who patrol territories.
