The Achuar and Shuar of Ecuador

In southeast Ecuador reaching to the border with Peru lies hundreds of thousands of acres of road-less rainforest belonging to the Achuar and Shuar, two indigenous groups that have also fought off industrial-scale, natural resource extraction and threats to their lands and way of life.More »

"To Get the Gold, They Will Have to Kill Every One of Us"

The most-storied warrior tribe in Ecuador prepares to fight as the government sells gold-laden land to China

February 10, 2013 | Salon.com

Three years after Avatar's Quito premiere, declarations of martial readiness are multiplying and gaining volume throughout the tribal territories of Ecuador's mountainous southeast. The warnings bare sharpest teeth in the Shuar country of the Cordillera del Condor, the rain forest mountain range targeted by President Rafael Correa for the introduction of mega-mining.More »

Indigenous Leaders Call for Ecuador Government to Stop Oil Leasing Plans

February 10, 2012 | Indian Country Today

Indigenous leaders from Ecuador's Amazonian lowlands are calling for the government to drop plans to auction 21 leases near the Peruvian border for oil drilling.More »

Nourish the Cause: Gourmet Gifts that Give!

December 5, 2011 | Blog Post

This holiday season, give ethically-sourced, gourmet superfoods and Essential Living Foods will give 25% of your purchase directly to Amazon Watch.More »

Investor's Eye on the Amazon - October 2011

October 2011 | Report

This third edition of our Investor's Eye on the Amazon quarterly email newsletter is jam-packed with important updates from a number of our campaigns.More »

High Hopes for Peru Consultation Law, Few Promises

September 28, 2011 | Reuters

Lima, Peru – A law that Peru's indigenous leaders fought for two years to get passed and the government says could end strife over natural resources may not resolve conflicts as hoped when it goes into effect in January.More »

Ecuador Charges Indigenous Activists with Terrorism

September 19, 2011 | DW-World

Defending sacred sites and the environment can land you in jail for being a terrorist, according to indigenous activists in Ecuador. "There are about 200 cases against indigenous activists, campesinos, mextizos and other leaders," according to Pepe Acacho, Vice President of CONAIE, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities in Ecuador.More »

Ecuador President Rafael Correa Loses Indigenous Allies

April 19, 2011 | BBC

Quito, Ecuador – When became president of Ecuador in January 2007, some of the country's indigenous leaders handed him a sceptre with colourful ribbons to show they accepted him as president. But the same indigenous leaders are now considering taking back that sceptre – a sign of how unpopular the president has become among those who helped him come to power in the first place.More »

Protesters Demand the Release of Pepe Acacho and Other Imprisoned Leaders

February 8, 2011 | Photo Gallery

Protesters in front of the court house where Shuar Indigenous leader Pepe Acacho and others are being processed demand that the charges against them be dropped.More »

Ecuadorian Indigenous Leaders Imprisoned at What Cost?

February 8, 2011 | Latin America Herald Tribune

Quito, Ecuador – One week after a Human Rights Watch report raised concerns about political and media freedoms in Ecuador, Shuar Indigenous leader Pepe Acacho, along with three others, were charged with terrorism and sabotage and arrested in a joint police-military action.More »

Entrevista con Pepe Luis Acacho desde el Penal García Moreno de Quito

February 5, 2011 | CONAIE | Campaign Update

Quito, Ecuador – Pepe Luis Acacho hablo con el equipo de Comunicación Social de la CONAIE, desde el Penal García Moreno de Quito el 5 de febrero del 2011. Sin cámaras, filmadoras ni grabadoras por que no permitieron.More »