Global Witness, a non-governmental organization (NGO), revealed that at least 142 environmental activists were killed around the world in 2024, while four others went missing.
According to a report released by the organization today, the majority of victims were indigenous people or small-scale farmers, many of whom were targeted for their activism against mining, logging, agriculture, poaching, and energy projects.
The report confirmed that attacks are often carried out by criminal groups, and in some cases by government security forces. However, most murders remain unsolved.
The report indicated that Colombia remains one of the world’s deadliest countries for land and environmental defenders, with 48 reported killings.
The death toll represents nearly one third of the total amount of environmental activist killed in 2024, compared to 79 in 2023, due to the activity of criminal groups, paramilitaries, and rebels.
Guatemala ranked second in terms of risk, with 20 victims, followed by Mexico with 18, and Brazil with 12. Latin America accounted for 82% of all homicides, bringing the total number of deaths in the region since 2012 to 2,253.
Although the number of victims worldwide decreased by 28% compared to 2023, which recorded 196 cases, the report warned that the actual number may be higher, given that many cases go unreported.
In Guatemala, killing saw a five-fold increase to 20 last year, giving the country the highest per capita killing rate among environmental activists.
Global Witness was founded in 1993 and headquartered in London. It works to expose and combat corruption and abuses related to natural resources and to protect environmental human rights.
The NGO also monitors suspicious financial flows from companies and governments to promote transparency and accountability. It also focuses on protecting environmental activists by documenting violations and attacks against them and publishing annual reports that influence decision-makers to develop fair and sustainable policies.
