Washington, D.C. – The government of Brazil refused to attend a closed hearing convened by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States today, taking a stance that threatens to set a chilling precedent for human rights and sustainable development throughout the Americas.
All: 2011
Bolivian Indigenous March a Success
President Morales cancels road through TIPNIS reserve
Yesterday, President Evo Morales cancelled a planned road project that would have cut through the heart of the TIPNIS indigenous reserve in the Bolivian Amazon.
Bolivia's Morales Abandons Amazon Jungle Highway
Associated Press | La Paz, Bolivia – President Evo Morales said Friday that he was scrapping plans to build a highway through a nature reserve in Bolivia's jungle lowlands, bowing to public pressure after a two-month protest march by Amazon Indians.
Chevron "Dirty Tricks" Operative Could Face Criminal Liability, Lawyer Concedes
Borja Claimed Chevron Tried to Corrupt Process That Led to $18 Billion Judgment Against Oil Giant
San Francisco, CA – Chevron's self-proclaimed "dirty tricks" operative Diego Borja – accused of trying to orchestrate a bribe to an Ecuador judge to undermine the environmental lawsuit against Chevron – could face potential criminal liability in the U.S. for his actions, according to an unusual admission in federal court made...
OAS Requests Immediate Suspension of Belo Monte Dam in the Brazilian Amazon
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights confirmed that indigenous peoples must be consulted before dam construction begins
Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), part of the Organization of American States (OAS), has officially requested the Brazilian Government to immediately suspend the Belo Monte Dam Complex in the Amazonian state of Para, citing the project's potential harm to the rights of traditional communities living...
Amazon Watch is building on more than 25 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Malibu's "Erin Brockovich of the Amazon" Makes Legal History
The Malibu Times | The organization Amazon Watch, founded by Malibu resident Atossa Soltani, spearheaded a recent legal victory in which for the first time an American energy company has been found legally liable in a foreign court for environmental crimes committed abroad.
"The Amazon is Life"
Q&A with Sheyla Juruna, Indigenous woman warrior from the Brazilian Amazon
Earth Island Journal | If you've heard of the Belo Monte Dam, you've probably seen a picture of Sheyla Juruna, Indigenous woman warrior from the Xingu River Basin of the Brazilian Amazon.
The Unconquered: Must-Read Book Hits the Shelves
New Book about Uncontacted Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon
Back in 2003, I read a National Geographic article that dealt with an expedition, deep into the farthest reaches of the Amazon, to look for but explicitly not contact an indigenous tribe.
Chevron May Rethink Ecuador Strategy after US Court Move on Shell: Analyst
Platts | New York, NY – Chevron likely wants a resolution in the ongoing legal dispute over the former Texaco assets in Ecuador, Oppenheimer analyst Fadel Gheit said Tuesday, adding that Monday's US Supreme Court agreeing to hear a case charging Shell for human rights violations in Nigeria could hold implications for Chevron.
Judge Calls License in Controversial Amazon Dam Project Illegal
Brazilian federal judge votes for indigenous rights; argues Belo Monte Dam violates Constitution and international conventions
Brasília, Brazil – In a landmark decision on Monday, a federal judge in Brazil voted that the environmental licensing of the controversial Belo Monte Dam is illegal given the lack of consultations with affected indigenous communities.
The Privilege of Working with Indigenous Rainforest Guardians (III)
Part III
Today, I want to tell you about the work Amazon Watch is doing to steer Bolivia and the REDD movement in a wiser, more humane and more effective direction.
The Privilege of Working with Indigenous Rainforest Guardians (II)
Part II
An important example of Amazonian indigenous leadership with respect to the environment is its contribution to the Rights of Nature movement.
Investor's Eye on the Amazon - October 2011
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.
Investor's Eye on the Amazon - May 2011
This is the second edition of our Investor's Eye on the Amazon quarterly email newsletter, featuring a new report entitled "An Analysis of the Operational Risks to Chevron Corporation from Aguinda v. ChevronTexaco."
Investor's Eye on the Amazon - February 2011
This is the first issue of our Investor's Eye on the Amazon quarterly newsletter, an initiative that seeks to provide institutional investors, industry analysts and researchers with an informative and sophisticated analysis of the most pressing issues facing the Amazon rainforest.
The Privilege of Working with Indigenous Rainforest Guardians (I)
Part I
In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, I'd like to tell you about the real rainforest guardians – the indigenous peoples who call the Amazon their home.
Amazon Watch's 2011 Annual Luncheon
This year's luncheon was a celebration of fifteen years of achievements for the people and rainforests of the Amazon and the launch of new initiatives.
Stop the Colombia FTA!
Is it ironic or supremely appropriate that this Columbus Day the U.S. Congress will vote on a free trade agreement that has been called "a serious threat against the indigenous peoples that inhabit Colombian territory"?
Bad Oil: The Amazon's Toxic Mess
Sunday Night Show | When I first visited the area contaminated by Chevron in the Ecuadorian Amazon in my role as Amazon Watch Ambassador, I was not prepared to witness such destruction and contamination of the entire forest ecosystem.
The Amazon's Toxic Mess
Zoë Tryon highlights the plight of Ecuadorian natives after decades of oil drilling
Sunday Night Show | Zoë Tryon highlights the plight of Ecuadorian natives after decades of oil drilling in this powerful investigation by Mike Munro.
The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon's Last Uncontacted Tribes
Amazon Watch recommends this new book by Scott Wallace
Amazon Watch recommends The Unconquered, a new book by Scott Wallace that tells the extraordinary tale of a journey deep into the Amazon to track one of the planet's last uncontacted indigenous tribes.
Activists Hail Order to Halt Huge Brazilian Dam
AFP | Environmentalists and activists for Brazil's indigenous peoples on Thursday cheered a federal court order halting construction at the controversial $11 billion Belo Monte hydroelectric dam.
High Hopes for Peru Consultation Law, Few Promises
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.
Brazilian Judge Halts Belo Monte Dam Construction
Judge rules controversial project risks damaging fish stocks on Xingu River
Altamira, Brazil – Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric dam project on the Xingu River in the Amazon suffered two major setbacks this week when a judge ruled in favor of fisheries groups and placed limits on its construction, and the mayor's office of Altamira issued a cautionary statement requesting the project be suspended until her...
Update on the Situation in Bolivia
Over 3,000 people have already sent letters of concern to the Bolivian authorities over repression carried out by the police against TIPNIS protesters while they were marching to La Paz.
"The Xingu needs support. Can I count on you?"
With passion in her voice and love in her heart, Sheyla Juruna expressed the urgency to stop the Belo Monte Dam for the future of her children, our children and all future generations.
Brazilian Judge Orders Construction of Amazon Dam to Stop
Belo Monte hydroelectric dam project halted after ruling that it risked damaging fish stocks on Xingu river
The Guardian | A Brazilian judge has ordered construction to be suspended on a controversial hydroelectric dam in the Amazon. The injunction is the latest development in a decades-long battle against the Belo Monte dam.
Brazil Judge Halts Work on Belo Monte Amazon Dam
BBC News | A judge in Brazil has ordered a halt to construction of a multi-billion-dollar dam project in the Amazon region
Photos from Our 2011 Annual Luncheon
This year's luncheon was a celebration of fifteen years of achievements for the people and rainforests of the Amazon.
