Civil Society Warns of Rising Violence Against Environmental Human Rights Defenders in Latin America

New international and regional reports confirm a worrying increase in attacks against those defending the environment, land, and human rights.

Environmental human rights defenders continue to face growing violence, criminalization, and impunity. Recent reports published by civil society organizations show that Latin America remains one of the world's most dangerous regions for people defending land, natural resources, and the rights of local communities.

At the global level, Global Witness reported that 146 people were killed or disappeared in 2025 for defending their territories or advocating for the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre documented 790 attacks against human rights defenders across 80 countries, noting that nearly one-third of the victims were Indigenous Peoples. Meanwhile, Front Line Defenders recorded the killing of 357 human rights defenders in 27 countries during the same year.

In Latin America, the situation remains particularly alarming. During the Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement, the International Land Coalition launched its Land Defenders Monitor, documenting 581 cases of attacks between 2020 and 2025 across seven countries in the region. The findings highlight conflicts related to water protection, the energy transition, and the disproportionate impact on Indigenous Peoples and ancestral territories.

National reports paint an equally concerning picture. In Guatemala, 5,238 attacks against human rights defenders and organizations were documented in 2025. In Mexico, CEMDA recorded 314 attacks, including killings and disappearances, with a significant increase in violence against women environmental defenders. In Colombia, the Somos Defensores Programme reported the killing of 165 social leaders and human rights defenders, equivalent to approximately three murders every week.

These findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen prevention and protection mechanisms, ensure access to justice, and combat impunity. They also reinforce the importance of fully implementing the Escazú Agreement, promoting international cooperation, and recognizing the essential role environmental defenders play in protecting biodiversity, democracy, and human rights.

At RIDHE, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening civil society capacities, promoting human rights-based public policies, and fostering international partnerships that contribute to creating safer environments for those who defend nature, territories, and communities.

‍Protecting environmental human rights defenders is not only a State obligation—it is a prerequisite for sustainable development, democratic governance, and a more just future for all.