# Forest defenders form militias as murder rate soars

> One land protector killed every three days in 2025 as organized crime pushes deeper into indigenous territories.
- Title: Forest defenders form militias as murder rate soars | Shortify
- Summary: One land protector killed every three days in 2025 as organized crime pushes deeper into indigenous territories. Indigenous communities are forming…
- Keywords: land defenders, indigenous peoples, organized crime, latin america, colombia, brazil, peru, global witness, narco-trafficking, amazon rainforest, asháninka, kakataibo indigenous guard
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/16/nature-land-defenders-self-defence-murder-organised-crime
- Published: 2026-09-16T05:00:10+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: land defenders, indigenous peoples, organized crime, latin america, colombia, brazil, peru, global witness, narco-trafficking, amazon rainforest, asháninka, kakataibo indigenous guard
## One defender killed every three days
124 land and nature defenders were murdered in 2025. Organized crime groups or professional killers were behind more than a third of the deaths.
## Latin America accounts for most deaths
85% of killings happened in Latin America. Colombia had 39 deaths, Brazil 26, and Honduras 12.
## 2,375 dead since 2012
Global Witness has documented deaths and disappearances on par with a small-scale war since it began tracking in 2012.
## Trump cuts leave defenders exposed
The dismantling of USAID removed support for indigenous land stewardship programs. Communities now face organized crime with less international help.

> The dismantling of USAID, which previously supported initiatives for Indigenous peoples to steward their own land, has had particularly serious implications
## Communities form their own guards
The Kakataibo Indigenous Guard in Peru grew from a few dozen recruits in 2022 to over 150 volunteers across 10 bases after six leaders were killed since 2020.

> Defending our territory is important to us as a community and as a people, and we're proud to support the climate that we all depend on.
## Self-defense units face deadly risk
At least a dozen Peruvian communities have organized defense units. Seven indigenous guards were murdered last year, at least five linked to organized crime.
## Masked gunmen raid Asháninka homes
In July, armed men entered Asháninka homes on the Brazil-Peru border, apparently searching for assassination targets. Leaders petitioned the government for help.
## Coca production drives gang expansion
A 600% increase in coca production in Peru's Ucayali basin between 2019 and 2023 is pushing gangs to open illegal roads through forests and indigenous lands.
## Military crackdowns push gangs deeper
Rightwing governments are pursuing military operations against drug traffickers. This is forcing narco-gangs further into remote indigenous territories.
## Defenders are the world's eyes
Global Witness urges governments to work with defenders, not against them. They're the ones who alert us when ecosystems are being destroyed.

> Defenders are the world's eyes and ears on the ground. It's thanks to them that we know when ecosystems are being destroyed
## Key takeaway

Indigenous communities are forming self-defense units to protect their land as narco-trafficking gangs move into forests and governments offer less support.