Sep 10 (V7N) – In 2023, nearly 200 environmental activists and land defenders worldwide were killed, according to a report released by watchdog Global Witness on Tuesday. Colombia emerged as the deadliest country for these individuals.

Latin America remained the most perilous region for environmentalists, with 85% of the 196 reported killings occurring there. Colombia alone recorded 79 murders of environmental activists in 2023, marking the highest number for any country since Global Witness began its annual reviews in 2012. Brazil, Honduras, and Mexico followed in terms of reported deaths.

The report also noted a troubling trend of increased repression of environmental defenders in the UK, Europe, and the US, where legal measures are being increasingly used against them.

Colombia, which experienced the highest number of environmentalist killings for the second consecutive year, is set to host this year's COP16 meeting on the Convention on Biological Diversity. The majority of these murders occurred in the southwestern regions of the country.

In response to the report, the Colombian government described the situation as "dishonorable" and acknowledged the severe issues linked to socio-ecological conflicts, drug trafficking, and armed conflicts. Astrid Torres from Somos Defensores, a Colombian human rights group, stressed the need for state institutions to protect both the environment and its defenders.

The report highlighted Central America, particularly Honduras, as one of the most dangerous regions for defenders, with the highest per capita rate of killings. Laura Furones, Lead Author at Global Witness, urged governments to take decisive action to protect these individuals and address the root causes of violence against them.

Besides fatal attacks, the report detailed other forms of repression, including enforced disappearances, abductions, and criminalization of activists, particularly in the Philippines and Mexico. The report also mentioned increased surveillance and punitive measures against activists in the UK and the US.

In Africa, the report documented four deaths but suggested this number is likely an underestimation due to challenges in data collection.

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