Folha de S.Paulo | “We will not allow the interests of large corporations, such as Cargill and Bunge, to destroy our rivers and forests."
Brazil
Ferrogrão Is a Shortcut to Collapse
The railway is being sold as a logistical solution, but in practice it means more deforestation, land invasions, and poison
O Globo | Ferrogrão is the backbone of a corridor that transforms the Amazon into a commodity export route and condemns Brazil to a subservient role.
“Mining Mafia” Scandal Threatens Brazil’s COP30 Credibility as Police Uncover Massive Fraud
On the eve of the COP30 climate summit, a corruption scandal in Brazil exposes how mining operates outside the law, putting communities and the climate at risk
"These false authorizations not only legalize the advance of destruction, but also put our water, our health, and our food security at risk."
Amazon Fires and the Urgency of Indigenous Rights
Scientific research confirms that Indigenous-managed lands are the most effective barriers against deforestation and fire. Where Indigenous rights are secured and enforced, forests thrive – and so does our global climate.
Interview With Chief Raoni: “Congressmen Only Think About Destruction, Not About Future Generations”
Indigenous leader says he is skeptical about the practical effects of COP30 and laments that, under the Lula administration, projects such as Marco Temporal and the Destruction Bill are moving forward
O Globo | On the eve of COP30, Raoni is also skeptical about the environmental meeting to be held in Belém.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Amazon Watch Welcomes Historic Conviction of Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro for Coup Plot
"His arrest offers a welcome reprieve for the Amazon and its peoples by weakening the chance that his destructive agenda will return to the region,”
An Important People-Powered Win in Brazil, but the Fight Isn’t Over
A partial veto protects key environmental safeguards, but dangerous loopholes still put the Amazon at risk
With COP30 in Belém just months away, Brazil had a chance to send the world a bold message about its commitment to climate justice. Instead, it delivered a mixed one.
Brazil’s Partial Veto of “Devastation Bill” Stops Some Setbacks, but Critical Loopholes Remain
Amazon Watch warns that preserved provisions still threaten Indigenous land rights and environmental protections ahead of COP30
“This soy doesn’t feed our people. We don’t eat soy – it’s for export and corporate profit. Meanwhile, pesticides contaminate our water, our soil, and even the rain. It’s poisoning all of us, not just Indigenous peoples."
Indigenous Women March Against Ferrogrão Railway and “Devastation Bill” in Brazil
Over 5,000 women march in Brazil’s capital to defend their territories and the Amazon ahead of COP30
“This soy doesn’t feed our people. We don’t eat soy – it’s for export and corporate profit. Meanwhile, pesticides contaminate our water, our soil, and even the rain. It’s poisoning all of us, not just Indigenous peoples."
Lula, the World Is Watching: Veto the Devastation Bill Now!
International pressure grows in support of Brazil's civil society's call
“Our future will be condemned if President Lula doesn’t veto the Devastation Bill.”
From Climate Talks To Climate Backlash: Global Citizen NOW Becomes Platform To Oppose Brazil’s Anti-Environment Bill
Indigenous and environmental leaders call on President Lula to veto Bill 2.159/2021 during international event at COP30 host city
"Approving this bill would plunge the planet deeper into climate crisis. President Lula must veto it entirely – as an urgent act of leadership, of climate responsibility, and of defense for life and national sovereignty."
You Can’t Kill a River
Why the Volta Grande still lives – and how the peoples of the Xingu continue to oppose mining company Belo Sun
In the Volta Grande do Xingu, the river still runs. Even with turbines and licenses strangling it, the Xingu endures because the peoples who protect it refuse to disappear.
Protesters Bring “Planet in Crisis” to COP30 Headquarters in Belém
Demonstration marks the release of a political declaration by the “Mutirão dos Povos,” a coalition of Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and social movements from across the Amazon
“There is no Amazon without its peoples. The territories protected by our communities are the last strongholds against destruction.”
Soy Dictates the Path: How Ferrogrão is Reshaping Life in the Amazon
Folha de S.Paulo | "Soy farming will increase a lot. When it rains, the pesticides flow into the river. We have no wells to rely on. There’s nowhere to run, and all our children get sick."
Amazon Crime Crisis: U.N. Backs Indigenous Demands
U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: governments and UNODC must include Indigenous Peoples in anti-crime and environmental policies
Amazonian Indigenous leaders delivered a clear and urgent message: organized crime and illegal economies are devastating the Amazon and threatening the survival of Indigenous Peoples.
Mura People Rise Against Mining Invasion in Brazil
A powerful new alliance emerges to confront extractivism on Indigenous lands
“What happened at this large meeting was not just a gathering of the Mura most directly affected by the Brazil Potash project. Rather, the significance of this event lies in the fact that this struggle has become, first and foremost, the struggle of all Indigenous peoples.”
“We Will Not Retreat:” Mura Take Land Defense to Global Stage at COP30
Indigenous leaders mobilize internationally following court decisions greenlighting potash mining on their ancestral territory
“They want to divide us so they can silence us. But what’s at stake is the future of our land, our water, and the life of our people. And we will not stand by in silence.”
As COP30 Nears, the Real Action Is in the Streets
Powerful grassroots mobilization in Brazil points the way to the future we need
As the world prepares for COP30 – the United Nations’ next major climate summit – all eyes are on the Brazilian Amazon, where the conference will take place for the first time.
Canadian Mining Company’s SLAPP Lawsuit Against Amazon Defenders Dismissed in Brazil
Court exposes Belo Sun’s attempt to silence critics of its gold mine project in the heart of the Amazon rainforest
"The court's decision to reject the legal complaint represents a victory for forest protection movements, reining in a company that appears to believe it is above the law."
Munduruku Nonviolent Protest for Indigenous Land Rights Reaches Brazil’s Supreme Court
“It was a struggle to get to this meeting. We spent days and nights under the sun and rain, blocking cargo transport on the highway. We had to hit agribusiness in the pocket to be heard by the Supreme Court.”
Growth from the Grassroots: Brazil’s 21st Indigenous Free Land Camp
Indigenous people and community organizers from across Brazil and the world gathered in the country’s capital, Brasília, to consolidate demands ahead of COP30
“How are we going to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030 with a project that demands more deforestation, legal or not? It's not possible to talk about being a leader against climate change with a project to destroy the Amazon."
2023-2024 Amazon Defenders Fund Report
Stories of Solidarity
The Amazon Defenders Fund (ADF) is an activist-led solidarity fund built upon Amazon Watch’s multi-decade track record as a trusted partner to Indigenous nations and local organizations.
Brazilian Indigenous Leaders Blockade Key Amazon Highway Demanding the Repeal of Law
Amid violence and injuries, the Munduruku people maintain their eighth day of peaceful protest and occupation of the BR-230 Trans-Amazon highway, demanding the repeal of a law that fundamentally slashes Indigenous land rights
“The righteous occupation of the BR-230 led by the Munduruku and the government’s failure to protect them from violence demonstrates the ongoing neglect and harm their home state of Pará – host of COP30 this year – is inflicting.”
Militant Mothers of the Movement: Meet Maria Leusa Munduruku
Maria Leusa Munduruku has emerged as a powerful defender of Munduruku territory in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon against a conflux of extractive megaprojects such as dams, mining, illegal logging, and the Ferrogrão mega-railway.
Raúl Grijalva: Rest in Power
We at Amazon Watch express our heartfelt condolences to Rep. Grijalva’s family, community, and constituents. He wasn’t just a passive ally of Amazonian peoples but a proactive champion – dedicating time and resources to listen to grassroots leaders and using his influence to stand in solidarity at crucial moments.
Stand with Defenders: Vote Today for Indigenous Rights and Thriving Rainforests
Amazon Watch is one of CREDO Mobile’s March grantees, which means that voters like you can help direct funds to sustain Indigenous-led solutions for the Amazon
The Amazon is at a tipping point, but our collective victories show us a powerful pathway forward.
Rivers of Resistance: Black and Indigenous Solidarity
From the Tapajós to Standing Rock, Black and Indigenous struggles for land, life, and liberation are essential to our collective survival in the face of the climate crisis.
Blood Gold in the Amazon: Belo Sun’s Mega-Mine Threatens People, Land, and Climate
An infusion of new financing and lax regulation has rekindled the company’s aggressive efforts to greenlight its disastrous open-pit gold mine
A recent cash infusion from Luxembourg-based investor La Mancha Resource Capital, combined with a shocking court ruling, has given the Canadian company new momentum to push forward with one of the most destructive mining projects the Amazon has ever faced.
Amazon Watch Condemns Trump Administration’s Reckless Attack on USAID
The freeze on U.S. foreign assistance, implemented by the Trump administration, is already causing severe harm to vulnerable communities in the Amazon.
