Across Latin America, those who stand between the natural world and its exploitation are dying at a rate the world has largely chosen not to see — one every three days, with Colombia and Brazil bearing the heaviest toll. In 2025, the region accounted for 85 percent of all environmental defender killings globally, a figure that reflects not random violence but a systematic effort to remove human obstacles from the path of extraction. When governments fail to protect those who protect the land, the defenders have begun protecting themselves, forming collective security structures as a last resor
Colombia, Brazil Lead World in Environmental Activist Killings
Environmental defenders are being murdered at a rate of one every three days globally, with Colombia and Brazil experiencing the highest death tolls among activists protecting nature and land.