Colombia and Brazil Lead Global Killings of Environmental Activists

Colombia and Brazil have been identified as the countries with the highest number of killings of land and environmental activists for 2025, according to an annual report by campaign group Global Witness. In 2025, at least 124 activists were killed globally, with 39 in Colombia and 26 in Brazil.

Latin America accounted for 85% of these documented killings, marking it as the deadliest region for activists every year since Global Witness began publishing its reports in 2012.

The majority of the recorded murders were linked to land disputes and were often carried out by organized crime groups or hitmen. Colombia has now topped the list for four consecutive years. Within Colombia, nearly half of those killed were members of indigenous groups, with small-scale farmers also frequently targeted.

Indigenous communities in Colombia have established unarmed protection networks known as indigenous guards to patrol their territories. However, these guards are often targeted by illegal armed groups involved in activities such as coca cultivation and illegal mining. Recently, Jacob Guachetá Zambrano, a member of the indigenous guard in Colombia's Cauca region, was found murdered after being subjected to torture. While the motive is under investigation, indigenous leaders report that murders, threats, and forced disappearances are common in the region due to conflicts over territory among illegal armed groups.

Global Witness also noted a doubling of killings of environmental defenders in Brazil in 2025 compared to the previous year. Similar to Colombia, land conflicts were the primary driver for most documented cases in Brazil.

Outside of Latin America, Asia saw 12% of the murders, with the Philippines recording 12 documented killings. The report's authors warned that the total number of documented killings globally, which decreased from 146 in 2024 to 128 in 2025, is likely an underestimate due to unreported cases.