As I write this letter, South America’s bio-culturally diverse ecosystems – including the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal – are on fire, threatening biodiversity and climate stability. These fires endanger Indigenous and local communities on the front lines defending land rights across these interconnected biomes. For 28 years, Amazon Watch has worked tirelessly to defend the Amazon rainforest in solidarity with Indigenous peoples. Reflecting on the past year, I am deeply moved by the courage of our Indigenous partners, and I am profoundly honored by the trust they continue to place in Amazon Watch.
In Peru, the Wampis, Chapra, and Achuar peoples continue to resist state oil company Petroperú’s attempts to expand extraction in their territories. Amazon Watch accompanied a delegation of leaders to the United States to confront the banks that were considering funding Petroperú, including Citibank and Goldman Sachs. These actions are part of our End Amazon Crude campaign, which so far has kept oil block 64 in Northern Peru, which overlaps Wampis, Chapra, and Achuar territory, free from major drilling operations for over two decades!
In Ecuador, we saw the incredible power of Indigenous peoples and civil society organizations working to achieve a momentous victory. Nearly 60% of voters approved a referendum to halt oil drilling in Block 43 of Yasuní National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. This was the first time that a civil society effort achieved a vote to protect nature from fossil fuel development – a precedent setting win for the rainforest, the climate, and Indigenous peoples who live in and around Yasuní.
In Brazil, the Indigenous movement is mobilizing to defend their territories, confronting the powerful mining and agribusiness interests causing rainforest destruction. Amazon Watch amplified the work of Earth Defenders by accompanying women leaders, supporting training for Indigenous communicators, and mobilizing funds for the Free Land Camp (ATL), Brazil’s largest annual gathering of Indigenous peoples. While the current government has made progress towards demarcating and legally titling Indigenous lands, we will not stop until Indigenous Peoples have title to their ancestral lands!
Across the Amazon, we saw major progress in our work to curtail financial investment in extractive oil and mining projects. This includes some $1.5 billion influenced away from Petroperú. Our exposure of rights violations by Canadian mining companies Solaris (operating in Ecuador) and Belo Sun (pursuing the largest open pit gold mine in Brazil) had a devastating impact on their stock value – causing shareholders to flee.
At the same time, we witnessed an alarming increase in attacks on Earth Defenders, particularly in Colombia and Peru. Indigenous defenders are threatened and often killed for protecting their territories. Through our Amazon Defenders Fund (for more details, please view page 20 of this report), we provided accompaniment and immediate protection for defenders at risk, when our partners needed it the most.
The struggle to secure Indigenous land rights and defend the Amazon rainforest continues. As we look ahead to the 2025 UN Climate Conference (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, we need your solidarity more than ever to ensure Indigenous participation, leadership, solutions, and to demand real action to protect the Amazon and our global climate. Thank you for supporting us at this critical time!
For the Amazon
Leila Salazar-López
Executive Director
