Report: Latin America Remains Deadliest Region for Environmental Defenders

Global Witness recorded 146 land and environmental defenders murdered or disappeared in 2024, with 82% of the cases taking place in Latin America, the organization said in a report released Thursday. The figure is lower than the 196 cases documented in the group’s previous report covering 2023, but researchers warned the decline does not necessarily indicate improved safety for defenders because of persistent underreporting and verification challenges.

The report found that 62% of cases were linked to disputes over land or land reform and identified extractive industries as a major driver of violence: 29 killings were connected to mining and extractives, eight to logging and four to agribusiness. Colombia was the deadliest country recorded, with 48 lethal attacks—about one-third of the global total—while Mexico and Brazil had 18 and 12 reported cases, respectively. Guatemala saw a fivefold increase, rising from four reported killings in 2023 to 20 in 2024.

Global Witness said the true toll may be higher because many attacks go unreported and because legal and logistical barriers can prevent verification. The group also warned that non-lethal tactics of repression appear to be increasing worldwide: abductions, criminalization, and other measures intended to silence defenders were more frequently recorded alongside killings and disappearances.

"States across the world are weaponizing their legal systems to silence those speaking out in defence of our planet," Rachel Cox, senior campaigner at Global Witness, said in a statement accompanying the report. The report’s lead author, Laura Furones, urged governments and companies to do more to protect defenders, saying, "Standing up to injustice should never be a death sentence. It is critical that governments and companies turn the tide to uphold defenders’ rights and protect them rather than persecute them."

Global Witness has tracked killings and disappearances of environmental defenders annually since 2012. The organization compiles incidents from online reporting, tips and documentation provided by civil society organizations, and works with local groups to verify cases when possible. The group said verification remains difficult in many jurisdictions and that some governments and companies have failed to hold perpetrators to account, a factor it said helps perpetuate cycles of violence.

The report places this violence in a broader political context, noting that spikes in attacks often follow major political shifts. It cited past increases in violence in Colombia and the Philippines after the election of presidents whose administrations were associated with tougher security measures and weakened protections for civic space. In Guatemala the surge in reported killings came amid political changes following the election of President Bernardo Arévalo, who pledged to address corruption, inequality and discrimination against Indigenous peoples.

The report was published amid broader global debates over environmental and human rights policy, which have included changes to international engagement and regulatory approaches in recent years. Global Witness said that weakening protections and diminished accountability at national and international levels can leave defenders more exposed to threats.

Researchers and rights groups called on states to investigate attacks, prosecute those responsible, and address the underlying drivers of conflict over land and resources. They also urged companies operating in high-risk sectors to adopt stronger safeguards and to engage proactively with communities and rights defenders to prevent violence.

The Global Witness findings underscore persistent risks faced by people who challenge powerful economic interests to protect land, forests and other ecosystems, and they add to a growing body of evidence that environmental defenders confront both lethal and non-lethal repression as part of wider struggles over natural resources and governance.