A report from the non-governmental organization Global Witness indicates that at least 177 environmental activists lost their lives worldwide in the past year.

Colombia, where 60 of these tragic incidents occurred, emerged as the most perilous nation for those advocating for environmental causes.

Global Witness points out that very few of the individuals responsible for these killings are ever held accountable. The advocacy group asserts that the prevailing impunity for these murderers is contributing to further acts of violence.

In 2022, the number of deadly attacks against environmental defenders in Colombia nearly doubled. According to the report, the cumulative count of such fatalities in the country, dating back to 2012 when they began tracking these attacks, has reached a minimum of 382, making it the country with the highest number of environmental activist murders globally.

Nevertheless, other countries in Latin America also recorded distressing figures, with Brazil documenting 34 fatalities, Mexico 31, and Honduras 11.

In the Amazon region, 39 individuals were killed, with a significant portion of the victims belonging to indigenous communities.

The report underscores that these people face various threats stemming from activities such as gold mining and logging. Moreover, it highlights the alleged involvement of several companies based in the UK, the EU, and the US in human rights violations related to these activities.

Global Witness senior adviser Laura Furones emphasized the vital role played by Indigenous peoples in safeguarding forests, emphasizing that research consistently demonstrates their pivotal role in mitigating the climate crisis.

"Yet they are under siege in countries like Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela for doing precisely that. We hear of new attacks every day."

Aside from Latin America, 11 environmental activists were killed in the Philippines.

Global witnesses said the full scale of the killings was unknown, with a lack of independent monitoring and restrictions on free press in many countries leading to an underreporting of cases.

They have called on governments around the world to urgently address the issue, adding that defenders were also increasingly being subjected to legal efforts to silence them.

That is very shocking indeed how will the citizens cope

Too bad