News & Multimedia from 2021

New Report by Human Rights Coalition in Ecuador Exposes Mounting Threats Against Rights Defenders

Research reveals government and industry complicity in systemic rights violations against defenders and provides recommendations for urgent action

Quito, Ecuador – Today, Ecuador's Alliance for Human Rights delivered a hard-hitting new report to government authorities and the Ombudsman's Office on the critical situation of rights defenders in the country. The report, entitled "Rights Defenders Under Threat in Ecuador: How Government Protection is Insufficient and Favors Industry Interests," reveals the intensifying dangers that rights defenders face as part of their struggles to protect and defend their territories, autonomy, and identity, and puts the spotlight on government and industry complicity to undermine their vital work.

Civil Society to the United Nations Development Programme: Sever Ties to the Oil Industry

UNDP Executive Board must exclude all fossil fuels from current and future alliances to protect Indigenous and traditional communities, the environment, and our climate

New York, NY – Prompted by the recent alliance in Colombia between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and GeoPark, an oil company credibly accused of human rights and environmental malfeasance in the Amazon rainforest, an international group of more than forty organizations wrote to the UNDP Executive Board on Friday, June 4. The letter called on it to sever all ties with the fossil fuel industry and to use this week's annual meeting to stop any ongoing and future collaboration with the fossil fuel industry.

BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street Invested $46 Billion in Amazon Oil Companies Tied to Indigenous Rights Violations and Rainforest Destruction

New report by environmental and human rights organization, Amazon Watch, highlights case studies on billions in amazon oil investments by the "Big Three" asset managers

"As long as the world's largest investors choose to place profits over people by continuing to pour money into the fossil fuel industry in the Amazon, our entire planet is at risk. BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard must end their complicity in Indigenous rights abuses, forest destruction, and climate chaos," said Moira Birss, Climate and Finance Director at Amazon Watch.

Garimpeiros ilegais atacam e incendeiam aldeia Munduruku na Amazônia brasileira

Jacareacanga, Brasil – Em 26 de maio, durante extensa operação da Polícia Federal para a remoção de garimpeiros ilegais do Território Indígena Munduruku, no estado do Pará, invasores armados atacaram uma aldeia Munduruku, atirando contra importantes lideranças contrárias à mineração ilegal em suas terras. Durante o ataque, duas casas foram incendiadas, entre elas a casa de Maria Leusa Kaba, coordenadora da Associação de Mulheres Wakoborum, e a residência do chefe da aldeia, de acordo com um comunicado do Movimento Munduruku Ipereg Ayu.

Communities Demand Accountability and an End to Chevron's Pollution

During the 8th annual Anti-Chevron Day, affected frontline communities from around the world continue the fight to secure justice and freedom from Chevron's pollution 

Oakland, CA – "Anti-Chevron Day" is a global day of action, every year on May 21, to remind the world of the impacts caused by the oil company in places such as the Ecuadorian Amazon, Myanmar, and the Bay Area. For the eighth consecutive year, a diverse coalition of groups calls upon the international community before Chevron's Annual General Meeting on May 26 so that together, in this global fight, we can combat impunity by corporations and secure recognition of the human rights violations against affected communities.

Amazon Watch Statement Denouncing Latest Attacks on the Yanomami by Illegal Miners

"The escalation of violence within the Yanomami Territory without any concrete action by the Brazilian government is unconscionable. For eight days, illegal miners have attacked the Palimiú village with gunshots and are using tear gas to disperse the people. Women and children are being targeted and killed. As a result of the first attack, two Yanomami children drowned from panic."

Armed Conflict With Illegal Miners and Indigenous People Signals Risk of Imminent Massacre, According to Yanomami

Brasilia, Brazil – Illegal miners in seven boats with weapons of different calibers attacked the Palimiú village within the Yanomami Indigenous Land, the largest in Brazil, yesterday in Roraima. The Yanomami struck back with arrows and shotguns. The actual number of injuries and possible deaths is not yet known.

The Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Leader Sonia Guajajara Once Again Face Persecution by Bolsonaro

"Amazon Watch expresses complete support for our partner, a leader, and an example of the struggle for the rights of Indigenous peoples: Sonia Guajajara. We also extend our solidarity and support to APIB who tirelessly defend fundamental rights and democracy in Brazil against a government that today is known for its relentless attacks on Indigenous peoples and the destruction of the Amazon rainforest," said Ana Paula Vargas, Brazil Program Director of Amazon Watch.

U.S. Representatives to DOJ: Intervene in Case Against Donziger, Lawyer Who Helped Win Historic $9.5 Billion Judgment Against Chevron

U.S. congresspeople express deep concern that corporations are aiding the criminalization of attorneys working to secure justice for human rights violations and the environment 

"Too often Indigenous and frontline communities are denied the justice they deserve after racist fossil fuel pollution and corporate violence put their lives and livelihoods at risk," said Congresswoman Cori Bush. "Steven Donziger's successful lawsuit on behalf of Indigenous communities in Ecuador was a remarkable exception. His bravery and brilliance will inspire others to fight back against corporate power. Chevron's subsequent attacks on him are a threat to safety, justice, and accountability."

United Nations Development Programme in Colombia Announces Agreement with Oil Company GeoPark

"Partnerships between UN agencies and oil companies seriously undermine the United Nations’ moral authority on climate and environmental issues. But UNDP Colombia isn’t just partnering with your run-of-the-mill oil company polluting the Amazon Rainforest. In Colombia, the UNDP is working with GeoPark which local communities have consistently accused of collaborating with the Comando de la Frontera paramilitary group that is threatening their leaders – including Amnesty International priority case Jani Silva – with assassination."

Statement on Bolsonaro's Speech at the Leaders Summit on Climate

Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director of Amazon Watch made the following statement about Bolsonaro's speech: "Bolsonaro once again lied to the international community. He said he strengthened regulatory bodies to protect the environment, when in fact, he weakened them. Bolsonaro boasted about increasing the budget of these regulatory bodies when in fact, Ibama (Brazil's environmental agency) and FUNAI (the country's national Indigenous agency) were strangled financially by the Bolsonaro administration and prevented from taking action to stop deforestation and other threats to the Amazon rainforest.”

Request for Urgent Action for the Murder of Indigenous Governor Sandra Liliana Peña Choqué

Organizations call for justice following the murder of Indigenous Governor Sandra Liliana Peña Choqué and the lack of guarantees for the protection of human rights defenders and the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia

On April 20th, Sandra Liliana Peña Choqué, governor of the La Laguna Reserve in Siberia of the Caldono municipality in the department of Cauca, was cowardly murdered in her home. Sandra Liliana emphatically led the assemblies and traditional authorities determined to self govern her ancestral territory which was gravely attacked by regular and irregular armed actors that attempted to gain control through strategies of displacement and other methods.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Katy Perry, Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, Rosario Dawson, Alyssa Milano, Joaquin Phoenix, Misha Collins, Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil Among Celebrities Demanding Biden Not Broker Any Deals with Bolsonaro on the Amazon Rainforest

The letter from artists to President Biden comes days before Earth Day Leader's Climate Summit, following rumors of a planned announcement on deal with Brazil's president

Washington, D.C. – Leonardo DiCaprio, Katy Perry, Uzo Aduba, Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, Rosario Dawson, Alyssa Milano, Orlando Bloom, Joaquin Phoenix, Sigourney Weaver, Misha Collins, Sônia Braga, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Alice Braga, Wagner Moura, and Fernando Meirelles are among a growing list of international artists supporting demands from Brazil and the U.S. calling on Biden to choose: the Amazon rainforest or Bolsonaro.

Statement on Natixis Policy to Halt Trade Financing of Ecuadorian Amazon Crude Oil by April 2022

Natixis joins growing list of banks that have made Amazon exclusions and specific decisions impacting Ecuador oil and gas following groundbreaking report by Stand.earth and Amazon Watch exposing $10 billion in trade financing by European banks

French corporate and investment bank Natixis published a commitment to end trade financing in Ecuadorian crude oil. While joining a growing list of banks making Amazon statements this year, the announcement marks Natixis as the only bank to update its policy to officially include all Ecuadorian oil and gas in its list of exclusions, after a groundbreaking report by Stand.earth and Amazon Watch in 2020 exposed $10 billion USD in trade financing by European banks.

"Narcos Are Looking for Me": Deadly Threats to Peru's Indigenous Leaders

Communities call for protection after string of killings linked to rush for land to grow coca, under cover of the pandemic

Indigenous communities in Peru’s central Amazon are experiencing an increase in violence, threats and harassment as drug gangs target their land to grow coca, the plant used to make cocaine. COVID-19 restrictions have made the remote region even more vulnerable by slowing state efforts to protect land and eradicate illegal coca cultivation.

Deal with Bolsonaro Would Condone Brazil’s Tragedy, NGOs Tell Biden

Nearly 200 Brazilian organizations warn U.S. president about risks of a closed-door negotiation with the Brazilian president

Brasilia, Brazil – A group of 199 Brazilian civil society organizations released today a letter to the U.S. government warning that a forthcoming cooperation deal between the United States and the Bolsonaro administration could bring risks for the environment, human rights, and democracy.

The Ongoing Persecution of Steven Donziger

The environmentalist lawyer marks 600 days under house arrest — with no end in sight

Chevron's strategy could be backfiring. Over the past few months, a global movement has grown to defend Donziger and his Ecuadorean clients. Some 55 Nobel Prize winners signed a letter defending Donziger; 475 lawyers and human rights defenders released a similar appeal. A blue-ribbon legal Monitoring Committee is closely following Donziger's case; the group includes Nadine Strossen, the former head of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Michael Tigar, the distinguished defense attorney and human rights activist.

U.S. Representatives to Biden Administration: Speak Up for Indigenous Rights in the Brazilian Amazon

U.S. congresspeople express their deep concern for the dangerous situation facing Brazill’s Munduruku Indigenous people and encourage the Biden Administration to add its voice

Washington, DC – The Biden Administration should express concern to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro about the explosive situation facing the Munduruku Indigenous people in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, 12 members of the U.S. House of Representatives said today in a letter to U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Todd Chapman, led by Rep Raúl Grijalva (Arizona).

Attack on Brazilian Indigenous Women's Association Signals Dangerous Escalation

Jacareacanga, Pará, Brazil – The Munduruku people of the Amazon's upper Tapajós valley are facing escalating threats by armed illegal "wildcat" miners, known as garimpeiros. Yesterday, the Wakoborun Association office in Jacareacanga, Pará state, was attacked, burned, and defaced. The violence occurred shortly after a protest organized by garimpeiros, who also made death threats to Indigenous women who are opposed to mining.

Indigenous Leaders and Goldman Prize Recipients Send Open Letter Demanding BlackRock Act on Deforestation and Human Rights

BlackRock has yet to produce concrete policy addressing land rights, deforestation, and human rights abuses in its portfolios

San Francisco, CA – Today, over 80 renowned Indigenous and frontline activists from around the world issued a public letter criticizing BlackRock's role in violating the land rights and human rights of Indigenous peoples and other traditional communities. The signatories, including several recipients of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, point to BlackRock's continued large-scale investments in fossil fuel and deforestation-linked companies that violate human rights, and demand that the asset manager cease these investments.

Statement on Monitoring Illegal Mining Activities in Our Baunilha Stream

We urgently demand that government agencies comply with their constitutional duties. If something happens to our people, we blame the Brazilian government. Even after receiving numerous reports of invasions and destruction of our territory in the middle of a pandemic, it fails to act and allows our people to be killed at the hands of a heavily armed criminal gang, associated with a few Indigenous individuals involved in mining activities.

BlackRock Must Commit to Indigenous Rights – Not Just Climate Change

"In Brazil the operations of corporations like the ones we mention above, into which BlackRock directs substantial investments on behalf of clients, have profound negative impacts on our communities, our forests, and the climate," APIB wrote. "You therefore have a responsibility for our future. And if the Amazon is destroyed, the future of the entire planet is at risk."

"I've Been Targeted With Probably the Most Vicious Corporate Counterattack in American History"

Steven Donziger has been under house arrest for over 580 days, awaiting trial on a misdemeanor charge. It's all, he says, because he beat a multinational energy corporation in court.

Donziger is a human rights lawyer who, for more than 27 years, has represented the Indigenous peoples and rural farmers of Ecuador against Texaco – since acquired by Chevron – which was accused of dumping at least 16 billion gallons of toxic waste into the area of the Amazon rainforest in which they live. Cancer is now highly prevalent in the local population. Some have called it the "Amazon Chernobyl." They first filed suit in New York in 1993, but Texaco lobbied, successfully, to move the proceedings to Ecuador. In 2011, the team of Ecuadorian lawyers Donziger worked with won the case, and Chevron was ultimately ordered to pay $9.8 billion.

A Community-Centered Response to Violence Against Asian American Communities

On March 16, eight people were killed at three different spas in North Georgia including six Asian women. We are heartbroken by these murders, which come at a time when Asian American communities are already grappling with the traumatic violence against Asian Americans nationwide, fueled by the United States’ long history of white supremacy, systemic racism, and gender-based violence.

BlackRock to Press Companies on Human Rights and Nature

Environmental group Amazon Watch welcomed BlackRock's moves but said they didn't go far enough. BlackRock failed to identify transparent expectations, time lines and consequences for company inaction on these issues, according to Moira Birss, Amazon Watch's Climate and Finance Director. "BlackRock should adopt a definitive no-deforestation and human rights policy with clear accountability mechanisms that result in concrete improvements for communities, ecosystems, and the planet," Birss said.

U.S. Lawyer Steven Donziger Speaks from House Arrest in NYC After Suing Chevron for Amazon Oil Spills

Decades of reckless oil drilling by Chevron have destroyed 1,700 square miles of land in the Ecuadorian Amazon, but the company has refused to pay for the damage or clean up the land despite losing a lawsuit ten years ago.

Brazilian Government Authorizes In-person Meeting Between Mining Company Belo Sun and Indigenous Peoples Impacted by Its Proposed Project

Brazil's National Indigenous Foundation approved the in-person meeting due to alleged lack of internet connection and by claiming complete vaccination of Indigenous people, however only 77% have received the first vaccine in the region, and only 34% the second dose

Pará, Brazil – In a white paper published on February 10, 2021, the Brazilian National Indigenous Foundation provided details on "health protocols" so that Canadian mining company, Belo Sun, can hold meetings to present and validate its Environmental Impact Study to Indigenous residents from the Indigenous Lands located in Pará state – Arara da Volta Grande do Xingu and Paquiçamba – in-person and virtually.

A Mistake or Cunning Strategy? We Demand Answers from Anglo American!

Anglo American is once again evading explanations for its intentions to mine on Indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon. On November 20, 2020, Anglo American stated that it had given up all applications for mining exploration inside Indigenous lands in Brazil. Following the release of the Complicity in Destruction III report by the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples and Amazon Watch, the company said it would contact the Brazilian Mining Agency (ANM) to update its applications.

Ecuador Court Orders End to Gas Flaring by Oil Industry in Amazon

In the Ecuadoran Amazon, at least 447 flares have been burning gas for decades. Local communities say these flares are responsible for the high cancer rates in the area.

"I'm very happy because, finally, justice has been served. We're going to restore nature, for all the sick children, for the people, for the parents who have fought to stay healthy, for the families that have also kept fighting if only to grow a few crops, for the families who live under the flares and have had to abandon their land," says 10-year-old Leonela Moncayo.

Statement on Monitoring Illegal Mining Activities Along Our Baunilha Stream: "We Are Not Standing Idly by!"

We are fighting as our ancestors fought for the demarcation of our land – they walked without tiring, and so we will fight tirelessly. This stream belongs to us. This territory belongs to us. The pariwat say that the Munduruku have no spirits any longer – they only have traders. Only we do have the spirits of our ancestors with us, and we are resisting because our ancestors also resisted – this is how we will preserve our future generations.

International Organizations Demand DOJ Review Chevron's Retaliatory Litigation Against Human Rights Attorney Steven Donziger

Thirteen international human rights and environmental watchdog organizations sent an open letter to the U.S. Department of Justice asking it to launch a high-level review of the retaliatory "SLAPP" lawsuits Chevron brought against the lawyer who helped 30,000 Indigenous peoples and farmer communities in Ecuador win a landmark $9.5 billion judgment against the company for massive oil pollution.

Mining Company Anglo American States It Does Not Rule Out Mining on Indigenous Lands in the Brazilian Amazon

The mining giant clarified this decision in response to a letter by the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB) and Amazon Watch, in support of the Munduruku people demanding Anglo American immediately withdraw applications for copper exploration on Sawré Muybu land

British mining company Anglo American responded to the open letter from the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB) and Amazon Watch, in which the organizations demanded that the mining company make a public commitment not to carry out mining activities on Indigenous lands in Brazil, regardless of changes to Brazilian legislation. In its response, Anglo American states: "We cannot make a commitment to rule out any mining activities on Indigenous Lands in Brazil."

Indigenous Organizations and Human Rights Organizations Respond to PetroEcuador Statement on End to Trade Financing of Oil from the Ecuadorian Amazon by European Banks

Quito, Ecuador – Indigenous Organizations and Human Rights Organizations celebrate the decision of the four European banks to exclude Ecuadorian oil trade from their financing portfolios. This crude is extracted from the Amazon and primarily destined for refineries in the U.S. These decisions recognize that in Ecuador, oil companies and the government fail to comply with international environmental and social policies and standards and violate human rights and the rights of nature in the Amazon – one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.

Ecuadorian Court Signals End to Gas Flaring in Amazon Oil Operations

In historic decision, judges rule in favor of lawsuit brought by youth over contamination and climate impacts of oil industry flaring in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Quito, Ecuador – Ecuadorian judges ruled this week in favor of nine girls who sued the government over rights violations from the oil industry practice of gas flaring at oil production sites in the country's Amazon region.

COVID-19: Indigenous Amazonian Leaders Denounce Inequitable Access to the Vaccine and Premeditated Inaction of Governments in the Face of the New Strain of Coronavirus in Brazil

While governments and multinational corporations prepare for a virtual Davos Forum, Indigenous Amazonian peoples are abandoned to their fate and demand humanitarian aid in the face of the new Brazilian strain of COVID-19

Quito, Ecuador – Leaders of the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) denounced discriminatory policies regarding the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and accused governments in the region of not responding to the needs of Indigenous peoples in the face of the spreading Brazilian strain of the virus. COICA has issued a call for action to the international community to support raising humanitarian funds and rapidly responding to the crisis given government inaction.

BlackRock's Big Problem Responds to Larry Fink's 2021 Letters

BlackRock continues steps in the right direction, but falls short of visionary leadership needed

Oakland, CA – Today, BlackRock released CEO Larry Fink's annual letter to CEOs as well as a letter to its clients. The letters spelled out the next steps the world's largest asset manager will be taking to address the climate crisis. While today's letters indicated several steps in the right direction for the financial giant, it falls short of the visionary financial leadership that is needed to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis.

European Banks Quit Ecuador's Amazonian Oil Trade

ING, Credit Suisse announce moves to exclude Ecuadorean Amazon oil export from trading activities as more European investors turn their backs on fossil fuels

"The banks identified in our report faced serious allegations of double standards for making climate pledges while continuing to finance the trade of Amazon oil," said Moira Birss, climate and finance director at Amazon Watch.

Ecuadorian Amazon: Three European Banks Stop Funding Trade of Oil

BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse and ING have announced plans to exclude the problematic export from their trading activities in response to environmental criticisms

Marlon Vargas, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon, believes "the decision of these banks to stop financing trade of Amazon crude from our territories is a major milestone in our effort to protect our lands, our lives, and our cultures. For too long, the oil industry has wreaked havoc on our peoples, violated our rights, felled our forests, taken our territories, and created climate chaos."

BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, ING to Exclude Exports of Ecuadorian Amazon Oil from Trading Activities

Commitments come in response to Amazon Watch, Stand.earth report that exposed how European banks provide $10 billion USD in oil trade financing from Amazon to U.S.

Geneva, Switzerland – European banks BNP Paribas Group, Credit Suisse, and ING – collectively responsible for financing the trade of $5.5 billion USD in Amazon oil to the U.S. since 2009 – have committed to the immediate exclusion of new Ecuadorian Amazon oil from their trading activities, in emails sent to environmental organizations Stand.earth and Amazon Watch. The banks are expected to roll out binding policies in the coming months, with BNP Paribas already posting its commitment on its website.

In "Dire" Plea, Brazil's Amazonas State Appeals for Global COVID Assistance

"[W]e ask for your support in the midst of this emergency fight against COVID-19 in our state. The situation is dire, and our fear is that the same situation we are seeing in the capital Manaus will reach the inland of Amazonas, the traditional and indigenous populations that are in situation of greater vulnerability because of the distance and logistics involved in deploying rapid responses during this crisis."

The U.S. Rejoining the Paris Agreement Must Be Accompanied by the Protection of the Rights of Indigenous Earth Defenders

"The Biden-Harris Administration's decision that the United States will re-join the Paris Agreement is an encouraging first step toward the fulfillment of its commitment to address the climate crisis. Among many urgent domestic and international actions to rapidly confront climate change, a multi-pronged policy for protecting the Amazon rainforest should be a high priority."

Brazilian Indigenous Leaders Issue Call for BlackRock to Adopt a Forests and Indigenous Rights Policy

The Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples sent an open letter to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, calling on the asset management firm to adopt a comprehensive Forests and Indigenous Rights policy. The letter comes days before the expected release of Fink's annual letter, in which he often announces policy changes at the companies BlackRock invests in and will announce a recent pledge from BlackRock to further clarify its approach to deforestation.

Defend Democracy! Denounce White Supremacy!

Amazon Watch Statement regarding the coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021

At Amazon Watch, we are deeply disturbed by the violence that threatened democracy and the peaceful transfer of power in the United States of America yesterday. As an international human rights and environmental organization based in the U.S., Amazon Watch denounces the white supremacist violence and attempted coup at the United States Capitol, incited by the President and some of his supporters in Congress. We support calls for urgent and immediate action, including the removal of President Trump from office.