Colombia has again been identified as the country with the highest number of killings of land and environmental activists, according to an annual report by campaign group Global Witness. Out of at least 124 activists murdered globally in 2025, 39 were killed in Colombia, with Brazil following with 26.
The report states that 85% of the documented killings occurred in Latin America, which has been the deadliest region every year since Global Witness began publishing its reports in 2012. Most of these killings were linked to land disputes and were often carried out by hitmen or members of organised crime gangs.
Colombia has held the top position for murders of environmental activists for the past four years. Nearly half of those killed in Colombia were members of indigenous groups, with many others being small-scale farmers. Indigenous guards, who patrol their territories unarmed, are frequently targeted by illegal armed groups seeking to expand territory for coca cultivation or illegal mining.
Brazil saw a doubling of killings of environmental defenders in 2025 compared to 2024. Similar to Colombia, the majority of cases documented in Brazil were primarily driven by conflicts over land. Outside of Latin America, 12% of the murders took place in Asia, with the Philippines recording 12 documented murders.
Global Witness noted that while the global number of documented killings decreased from 146 in 2024 to 128 in 2025, these figures are likely an underestimate due to many cases going unreported.