Environmental activists suffered the largest share of lethal attacks in Colombia and Brazil in 2025, Global Witness says, with 65 of at least 124 recorded killings worldwide occurring in those two countries. Colombia recorded 39 deaths and Brazil 26, together accounting for 52% of the documented murders.
The campaign group found Latin America remained by far the deadliest region, responsible for 85% of killings in 2025, a pattern the report says has held every year since the organisation began publishing in 2012. Many of the incidents that Global Witness documented were linked to disputes over land, and several were carried out by hired gunmen or members of organised crime groups.
Colombia has topped the list of countries with the most murdered land and environmental defenders for the past four years. Almost half of those killed in Colombia were indigenous people, and many of the others were small-scale farmers. Indigenous communities have established unarmed local patrols to protect territory, but members of those patrols are frequently targeted by illegal armed actors seeking to expand areas for coca cultivation or illicit mining.
The report cites the recent discovery of Jacob Guachetá Zambrano in Colombia's Cauca region, who was found killed after being tortured, and says an investigation and a search for his killer are ongoing. Indigenous leaders in the area told researchers that killings, threats and forced disappearances are common as armed groups contest control of territory.
Global Witness also reports a sharp rise in Brazil, saying killings of environmental defenders doubled in 2025 compared with 2024. Outside Latin America, Asia accounted for 12% of the documented murders, led by the Philippines with 12 recorded deaths.
The group further noted a fall in its global tally from 146 recorded killings in 2024 to 128 in 2025, while warning its totals are likely underestimates because many cases go unreported. Global Witness urged attention to the links between land conflict, organised crime and lethal violence against those defending land and the environment.
