More About Sarayaku

Sarayaku: People of the Zenith

As in other parts of the Amazon, the Ecuadorian government imposed oil concession blocks in Sarayaku territory without their permission. They only learned that their land had been opened for oil exploration when the helicopters arrived, followed by the men with guns. But instead of becoming another story of pollution and devastation, the story of Sarayaku has been one of resistance. More

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COVID, Crude, and Climate: Crisis and Opportunity in the Ecuadorian Amazon

"In this time of multiple crises, we are invisible, yet again. But they're planning to open up our territories the second this is over. And we won't let that happen."

April 30, 2020

Ecuador is grappling with a trifecta of tragedy never before seen despite its tumultuous history. The country not only has one of the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases in the world, but it is also facing a pipeline rupture that has contaminated Amazon rivers and historic flooding that has devastated local communities and left hundreds of families without homes or crops.

Amazonian Women Mobilize in Quito to Demand Justice and Support for Earth Defenders

The Amazonian women joined the march with the goal of amplifying their voices of resistance against extractivism

March 19, 2020

Over 100 Amazonian women, representing multiple Indigenous nations across Ecuador, came together to march for the dignity of their peoples, to reclaim their songs and wisdom, to re-ignite their fight against extractivism, and to address social inequality and the rampant impunity for those who attack defenders of nature.

Thousands of Indigenous People in the Ecuadorian Amazon in Urgent Need After Extreme Floods

"This has everything to do with climate change."

March 18, 2020

As Indigenous peoples prepare for COVID-19, historic storms in the Ecuadorian Amazon have caused rivers to rise and have flooded communities including Sarayaku, Pacayaku, and Teresa Mama on the Bobonaza River. This has led to the collapse of bridges and destruction of homes, schools, and gardens to grow food and medicine.

Amazon Defenders Make Their Voices Heard at Climate Week

October 5, 2019

As fires continue to rage in the Amazon rainforest, millions of people have taken to the streets around the world to demand radical, systemic change to the way humanity is handling the climate catastrophe. At New York's Climate Week, Indigenous leaders from the Amazon, pro-democracy activists from Brazil, and members of Amazon Watch's team arrived to make our voices heard.

Chevron CEO Confronted by Human Rights and Environmental Movement and Shareholders at Annual Meeting

Five shareholder resolutions call on company to end its environmental destruction and rights abuses

May 29th, 2019

"We will continue to denounce the crime that Chevron committed until it takes responsibility for the environmental damage for which Texaco – which merged with Chevron in 2001 – is wholly responsible. We want you to understand that we – the affected Indigenous and campesino communities will not falter until we have achieved our goal that your company pay for its crime and remediates our Amazon rainforest."

Amazon Watch Statement Regarding the Decision to Delay Licensing of Ecuadorian Oil Blocks 86 and 87

May 10th, 2019

"The decision to put a hold on auctioning blocks 86 and 87 shows that the advocacy made by Shiwiar, Sapara, and Kichwa Indigenous peoples to protect their territories, that are part of the best preserved tropical forests in the country, has been successful. While we celebrate this victory, we know that the next step must not be further 'socializations.' It must instead be the permanent cancellation of these oil blocks, which communities have already roundly rejected."

Respect Rights and Traditional Knowledge to Protect Mother Earth

May 2, 2019

Once a year, the United Nations Headquarters in New York welcomes hundreds of Indigenous leaders and representatives from around the world for the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Amazon Watch spent the week accompanying and amplifying the voices and solutions of Amazonian leaders from Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil.

Amazon in Focus 2019 / 2017-2018 Annual Report

Spring 2019

Protecting and restoring the Amazon, Indigenous rights, and the climate, requires greater unity across movements. Accomplishing the required transition from fossil fuels and protection of Indigenous stewards of vital forests is the most urgent task we face today. We hope that you will join us in partnership this year and for many years to come.

Defending Rights, Building Unity, and Protecting the Amazon Sacred Headwaters

February 12, 2019

In the remote, roadless rainforest territories along the border between Ecuador and Peru, over a dozen Indigenous nationalities have launched an initiative to permanently protect about 60 million acres from industrial extraction and stop the drivers of deforestation. Dubbed the Amazon Sacred Headwaters, the initiative seeks to present a united front against the pressures on these Indigenous territories and address climate change by keeping forests standing and fossil fuels in the ground.

Ecuador's Corruption Hangover

January 10, 2019

Despite efforts to curb corruption, President Moreno is following the same oil-stained playbook that helped get Ecuador into a cycle of debt and dependency. He has green-lighted new drilling in Yasuní National Park and plans to open up areas in the country's roadless southern rainforest, still hoping that Ecuador can drill its way to prosperity.