Guatemala becomes world’s deadliest country for environmental defenders as killings surge 400% in 2024

Guatemala has emerged as the world’s most dangerous place for environmental activists, with killings of land and environmental defenders skyrocketing from four in 2023 to at least 20 in 2024 – a staggering 400% increase, according to a new report by advocacy organization Global Witness.

The Central American nation now ranks second globally in absolute numbers of environmental defender deaths, trailing only Colombia, but leads the world when adjusted for population size. Of the 20 defenders killed in 2024, at least half were Indigenous people or campesinos (rural farmers) who were protecting their ancestral lands or opposing natural resource extraction projects. Since 2012, Global Witness has documented 106 killings and disappearances of environmental defenders in Guatemala, with Indigenous people representing half of all victims.

The surge in violence stems from Guatemala’s deeply rooted land inequality, where a small elite has historically controlled vast territories, often at the expense of Indigenous communities. Activists and report authors point to three key factors driving the bloodshed: a colonial-era land distribution system that continues to benefit wealthy elites, persistent violations of Indigenous land rights, and the growing influence of organized crime groups who often work hand-in-hand with extractive industries.

Despite hopes that President Bernardo Arévalo’s administration, which took office in January 2024 with strong Indigenous support, would improve protections for environmental defenders, the dramatic increase in killings suggests the new government has yet to address the systemic issues fueling this crisis.