124 Land Defenders Killed; Colombia Deadliest Again
124 Land Defenders Killed; Colombia Deadliest Again
The News
At least 124 land and environmental defenders were killed around the world in 2025, and Latin America accounted for 85% of those deaths, according to an annual report from the watchdog group Global Witness released Wednesday.
Colombia was the deadliest country for the fourth year running, with 39 killings. Brazil recorded 26 — more than double its 12 in 2024.
The report ties the violence to conflicts over land and natural resources that put indigenous people and small-scale farmers in the path of mining, logging and agribusiness.
The Numbers
Global Witness counted 84 killings linked to land disputes and said organized crime was suspected in more than a third of the cases. Forty-four of the victims were indigenous and 47 were small-scale farmers. More than three-quarters were indigenous people, small-scale farmers or Afro-descendants.
Timeline
Global Witness begins tracking killings and disappearances of land and environmental defenders. It has documented 2,375 cases since.
Brazil records 12 killings of defenders.
At least 124 defenders are killed worldwide. Colombia leads with 39, Brazil jumps to 26, and Latin America accounts for 85% of the global total.
Global Witness publishes its annual report on the 2025 toll.
Reactions
Global Witness says the killings remain significantly underreported, meaning the real toll is likely higher than the 124 cases it was able to verify.
Brazil's government says it has demarcated indigenous lands and removed outsiders from 12 territories.
What's Next
Hundreds of Brazilian land titling applications remain pending despite commitments made around COP30, leaving open whether the country's sharp 2025 increase carries into 2026.
Because Global Witness concedes its own count is incomplete, the number of unverified cases from 2025 may keep climbing after publication.
Poll
What is driving most of the violence against land defenders?
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