At least 18 land defenders were killed and one disappeared in Mexico in 2024, making it the third deadliest country for those fighting against land dispossession, environmental devastation, and community breakdown, according to the report “Roots of Resistance” by the organization Global Witness.
According to the report, the deadliest country for the third consecutive year was Colombia, with 48 defenders killed, while Guatemala ranked second, with 20 victims in 2024. After Mexico, Brazil had 12 defenders killed during the year, while the Philippines recorded seven cases, and Honduras and Indonesia had five each.
In terms of disappearances, the organization reported that at least four defenders were victims of crime, one in Chile, one in the Philippines, one in Honduras, and one in Mexico.
The report documents that a total of 117 people were killed in Latin America, representing 82 percent of all crimes committed against land defenders. In addition, “once again, the victims of nearly a third of the fatal attacks were indigenous people, even though they make up only about 6 percent of the world’s population,” Global Witness noted.
The organization’s data indicate that globally, 29 of the 146 people killed or disappeared in 2024 were fighting against mining and extractive projects, eight against logging, and four against agribusiness. Furthermore, more than 62 percent of the cases were linked to the defense of territories and access to land.
Among the main perpetrators of attacks against defenders are organized crime, private military services, and hitmen, the report noted.
In addition to the murders and disappearances, Global Witness senior campaign advisor Rachel Cox recalled that governments around the world use their legal systems “as a tool to silence those who speak out in defense of our planet,” while failing to punish attacks against defenders, “which perpetuates killings without consequences.”
“Fighting injustice should never be a death sentence. Governments and companies must reverse the course of events to uphold the rights of defenders and protect them, rather than persecute them. We desperately need them to preserve our planet. And if we turn our backs on them, we will jeopardize our future,” said Laura Furones, lead author of the new Global Witness report.
Original text published in Desinformémonos on September 19, 2025.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.