Brazil was the second country with the highest number of environmentalists killed in 2022

Last year, one in five murders of environmental defenders occurred in the Amazon rainforest, according to a report released on Wednesday (13) by Global Witness.

Worldwide, 177 land defenders were killed in 2022, one every two days. Of these crimes, nearly nine out of every ten murders recorded here occurred in Latin America. More than a third, or 60 murders, occurred in Colombia.

Other most dangerous countries for ecologists include: Brazil, in second place, with 34 homicides; followed by Mexico, 31;

Among the deaths in Brazil were the deaths of British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous man Bruno Pereira, in June last year.

According to Gabriella Bianchini, senior advisor at Global Witness, the research found that indigenous communities account for more than a third (34%) of global homicides, despite making up 5% of the world’s population.

The report also notes that companies in the UK, EU and US are linked to abuses against indigenous communities. An example of this is gold illegally extracted from Kayapo lands, in Pará state, which, according to the report, is found in the Italian Chimet refinery and the English mining company Serape Gold. According to Gabriella Bianchini, all economic actors involved are responsible for the problem.

According to Global Witness, the total number of murders targeting environmentalists may be higher, given restrictions on freedom of the press and lack of independent monitoring, especially in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.