From Peru to the Philippines, defending the land comes at a deadly cost

Environmental defender Leijin Dugay stands beside a barricade erected by residents to block access to a proposed mining project in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, in the northern Philippines, on 15 September 2026. © Kired for RFI

People defending their land, forests and communities continue to face killings, arrests and intimidation around the world – with Latin America by far the most dangerous region, the environmental campaign group Global Witness has found. In the Philippines, one community resisting a mining project has told RFI of arrests, injuries and legal action against residents trying to stop work on their land.

At least 124 environmental defenders were killed worldwide in 2025, Global Witness figures show, as communities from Peru to the Philippines organise against threats ranging from drug trafficking to mining.