Bogotá, Colombia — Violence against people defending land, forests, and natural resources continues to escalate worldwide, with Latin America once again emerging as the deadliest region. According to a new report by Global Witness, at least 146 environmental and land defenders were killed or disappeared in 2024, with 120 of those cases concentrated in Latin American countries.
Colombia remained at the epicenter of this crisis, recording 48 killings — nearly one-third of the global total. Guatemala followed with 20 deaths, while Mexico saw 18, Brazil reported 12, and disappearances were registered in Honduras, Chile, and Mexico. The sharpest increase came in Guatemala, where defender killings rose fivefold from just four cases in 2023, making it the country with the highest per capita rate of such deaths worldwide.
Why Latin America Leads in Violence
Global Witness researchers point to deep-rooted conflicts over natural resources as the driving force behind these killings. Countries across the region face competing pressures from industries such as mining, logging, oil extraction, and large-scale agriculture. Communities attempting to protect their territories or demand accountability from governments and companies often find themselves in direct conflict with powerful interests.
“These nations have vast land and resource wealth, which attracts industries and illicit economies alike,” said report lead researcher Laura Furones. “When local communities resist destructive projects or claim their rights, they are met with threats, intimidation, and, too often, lethal violence.”
The data underscores a persistent trend: since 2012, Global Witness has documented more than 2,250 murders and disappearances of environmental defenders worldwide. Nearly three-quarters of these cases occurred in Latin America, with close to 1,000 recorded since 2018, the year the Escazú Agreement was signed.
The Escazú Agreement — a regional treaty designed to protect environmental defenders and guarantee public access to environmental decision-making — has been hailed as a critical instrument for safeguarding vulnerable communities. However, implementation has lagged. “The agreement provides a crucial framework,” Furones stressed, “but without adequate resources and political will, governments are failing to prevent attacks or deliver justice.”
Indigenous Peoples Carry the Heaviest Burden
One of the report’s most alarming findings is the disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities. Although they make up only about 6% of the world’s population, Indigenous peoples accounted for nearly one-third of all lethal attacks in 2024. In Latin America, they were overwhelmingly targeted — 94% of all attacks on Indigenous defenders occurred in the region.
In Colombia’s southwestern Cauca department, where Indigenous communities have faced decades of conflict and land pressures, young leaders are preparing to step into the struggle. Through grassroots “semilleros” (seedbeds), children and teenagers are trained in environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and defense of ancestral territories.
“We are defenders because our lives and territories are under threat,” said 17-year-old Yeing Aníbal Secué from the town of Toribio. “This is not a choice for us; it is about survival.”
Beyond Indigenous communities, small-scale farmers were also heavily affected, comprising around 35% of the victims across Latin America. Many attacks stemmed from local land disputes connected to agribusiness, illegal logging, or extractive projects. Organized crime groups played a major role, with at least 42 cases linked to their activities, followed closely by hired gunmen and private security forces protecting industrial interests.
Colombia: A Dangerous Battleground for Defenders
The situation in Colombia illustrates how multiple threats converge to make land defense one of the most dangerous pursuits in the world. The Amazonian department of Putumayo, rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage, also lies along key trafficking routes used by armed groups to move cocaine, timber, and minerals across borders into Ecuador and Brazil.
An environmental activist from Putumayo, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, described the perilous reality: “Defending rights here means living under permanent threat. We face pressure from illegal mining, oil projects linked to armed groups, deforestation, and coca cultivation. Anyone who speaks out is seen as a target.”
The report warns that transnational criminal networks are increasingly powerful players in this violence. Andrew Miller, director at the nonprofit Amazon Watch, emphasized how the convergence of illegal economies is worsening conditions for defenders. “Drug, gold, and timber trafficking networks have entrenched themselves in the Amazon,” he explained. “They are now one of the biggest forces driving threats and deadly attacks against community leaders.”
A Global Crisis with Regional Roots
Although the report highlights Latin America as the most affected region, it stresses that the crisis is global in scope. From Asia to Africa, defenders continue to face risks for protecting forests, rivers, and farmlands. But the scale and concentration of violence in Latin America set it apart.
Experts argue that governments in the region must urgently strengthen protections for communities and enforce accountability for crimes against defenders. Without such measures, the cycle of violence is likely to continue, particularly as global demand for natural resources intensifies.
“The situation is urgent, but not irreversible,” Furones concluded. “If governments fully implement agreements like Escazú, support grassroots initiatives, and hold perpetrators accountable, we can begin to change the conditions that make defending the planet so deadly.”
Leave a comment