Colombia has once again recorded the highest number of murders against land and environmental activists worldwide, according to a new annual report by the campaign group Global Witness. The data indicates that at least 39 defenders were killed in Colombia in 2025, while Brazil reported 26 deaths out of a global total of 124 documented killings.
Latin America continues to be the most perilous region for those protecting the environment, accounting for 85% of all recorded murders. This trend has persisted every year since Global Witness began publishing its reports in 2012.
The organization noted that most of these killings are rooted in land disputes and are frequently carried out by organized crime gangs or hired hitmen. Colombia has held the top spot for four consecutive years. The report highlights that nearly half of the victims in Colombia belonged to indigenous communities, with the remainder largely comprising small-scale farmers.
Indigenous groups in Colombia have established unarmed protection networks known as indigenous guards to patrol their territories. However, members of these groups are frequently targeted by illegal armed factions seeking to expand their land holdings for coca cultivation and illicit mining operations. Just last week, Jacob Guachetá Zambrano, an indigenous guard from the Cauca region, was found tortured and killed. While investigations into his murder are ongoing, local leaders described threats and forced disappearances as common occurrences due to territorial conflicts among armed groups.
In Brazil, Global Witness warned that killings of environmental defenders doubled in 2025 compared to the previous year. Similar to Colombia, the primary driver for violence in Brazil is conflict over land ownership.
Outside of Latin America, Asia accounted for 12% of the murders, with the Philippines reporting the highest number at 12 cases. Although the global tally of documented killings decreased from 146 in 2024 to 128 in 2025, Global Witness cautioned that the actual figures are likely higher, as many incidents go unreported.
Indigenous guards are heroes, yet they remain unarmed against well-armed cartels. That needs to change immediately.
Why does Colombia hold the top spot for four years running? The government must be doing something fundamentally wrong.
Heartbreaking that numbers keep climbing. Brazil’s doubling of killings is a stark warning we can no longer ignore.