LONDON

More than 2,100 environmental activists were killed worldwide between 2012 and 2023, with Latin America holding the highest percentage globally, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) said Tuesday.

The new report by Global Witness said an estimated 196 land and environmental defenders were killed around the world in 2023 alone.

The report found that Colombia was found to be the deadliest country in the world for environmental activists, with 79 deaths in total last year.

Other deadly countries last year in the region included Brazil, with 25 killings, and Mexico and Honduras with 18 each, it said.

Once again, Latin America had the highest number of recorded killings worldwide, with 166 killings overall, including 54 across Mexico and Central America and 112 in South America.

Laura Furones, senior advisor to the Land and Environmental Defenders Campaign at Global Witness, said that the number of killings remains "alarmingly high, and simply unacceptable."

"As the climate crisis accelerates, those who use their voice to courageously defend our planet are met with violence, intimidation, and murder," said Furones, who is also lead author of the report.

She urged governments to take decisive action to protect defenders and to address the underlying drivers of violence against them.