Global Witness: Colombia and Brazil deadliest for environmental defenders in 2025

Global Witness has reported that at least 124 land and environmental defenders were killed in 2025, with Colombia and Brazil recording the highest tolls.

• Global Witness documented 124 killings of land and environmental defenders in 2025, with 39 in Colombia and 26 in Brazil.
• The report said 85% of killings occurred in Latin America, and organized crime groups were implicated in more than a third of cases.
• Communities have established self-defence units, including Peru's Kakataibo Indigenous Guard, which has grown to more than 150 volunteers.
• Jacob Guachetá Zambrano, a member of an indigenous guard in Colombia's Cauca region, was found tortured and killed last week.