Colombia and Brazil were the world's deadliest countries for land and environmental activists in 2025, according to a new report by campaign group Global Witness. The findings underline that Latin America remains by far the most dangerous region for people defending land, indigenous territory and the environment, a pattern the group has recorded every year since it began publishing its reports in 2012, with most killings linked to land disputes and carried out by hitmen or organised crime members.

Of at least 124 activists killed worldwide in 2025, 39 died in Colombia and 26 in Brazil, together accounting for the bulk of the 85% of cases recorded in Latin America; Colombia has now topped the list for four consecutive years, with almost half of victims there from indigenous communities, many others small-scale farmers, often killed amid conflict with armed groups over coca cultivation or illegal mining. Brazil's toll doubled compared with 2024. Outside the region, the Philippines recorded the most killings (12), with Asia accounting for 12% of cases overall. The global total fell from 146 in 2024 to 128 in 2025, though Global Witness cautioned this likely understates the true scale given widespread underreporting.