Colombia and Brazil lead 2025 killings of land activists

Colombia recorded 39 killings of land and environmental activists in 2025, the highest number of any country, followed by Brazil with 26, according to the annual report published by the campaign group Global Witness. The group documented at least 124 such killings worldwide, 85% of them in Latin America.

How many environmental defenders were killed?

Global Witness documented at least 124 killings of land and environmental activists globally in 2025, with 85% of the cases it recorded in Latin America. The report states that Latin America has been the deadliest region for activists every year since the group began publishing its reports in 2012. Documented killings worldwide fell from 146 in 2024 to 128 in 2025, the report says.

Why do Colombia and Brazil record the most killings?

Colombia has recorded the highest number of murders of environmental activists for four consecutive years. Almost half of those killed in the country were members of indigenous groups, and many of the others were small-scale farmers, according to the report. In Brazil, Global Witness said killings of environmental defenders doubled in 2025 compared with 2024. Most of the cases the group documented in both countries were driven primarily by conflict over land.

The report states that most of the killings formed part of land disputes and that in many cases they were carried out by hitmen or members of organised crime gangs. Organised crime and drug trafficking have also featured in related cases in the region, such as the US money laundering case in which Maduro ally Alex Saab pleaded guilty.

Who was Jacob Guachetá Zambrano?

Jacob Guachetá Zambrano, a member of an indigenous guard in Colombia’s Cauca region, was found tortured and killed in the week before the report was published. The possible motive is under investigation and the search for the perpetrator is ongoing, according to the report. Indigenous leaders said murders, threats and forced disappearances were common in the area, where illegal armed groups battle for territory. Colombian prosecutors have pursued other high-profile cases, including charges against former minister Laura Sarabia over a nanny’s polygraph test.

Many indigenous groups in Colombia have created their own protection networks, known as indigenous guards, which patrol their territory but are unarmed. Global Witness said members of these guards are often targeted by illegal armed groups looking to expand their territory to plant coca, the raw material used to make cocaine, or to engage in illegal mining.

Where else were activists killed?

Outside Latin America, 12% of the documented murders occurred in Asia, with the Philippines recording the highest number in that region at 12. Global Witness warned that its figures were probably an underestimate because many cases go unreported.

Frequently asked questions

Which country had the most killings of environmental activists in 2025?

Colombia, with 39 documented killings of land and environmental activists, according to Global Witness. Brazil was second with 26, out of at least 124 recorded worldwide.

What is Global Witness?

Global Witness is a campaign group that publishes annual reports on killings of land and environmental defenders. It has been publishing these reports since 2012.

Why are land and environmental activists targeted in Colombia?

Global Witness says most of the documented killings formed part of land disputes and that in many cases they were carried out by hitmen or members of organised crime gangs, including groups seeking territory for coca planting or illegal mining.

What are Colombia’s indigenous guards?

They are unarmed protection networks created by many indigenous groups in Colombia that patrol their own territory. Global Witness says their members are often targeted by illegal armed groups.

With reporting from BBC News.

Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — FOCA Stock / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)