"What did the government do in response to our peaceful protest? They sent in shock troops, threw pepper spray in the bathrooms, and cut power to the building. But we remain here in resistance, all for the right to education.”
Brazil
Bracing Ourselves for the Fight Ahead: Trump’s Potential Impact on the Amazon
The road ahead will be extremely difficult on multiple fronts, yet Amazonian Indigenous peoples will be undeterred in their indefatigable effort to protect their ancestral territories and livelihoods.
The Climate Crises in Los Angeles and the Amazon Rainforest Are Inextricably Linked
The Sacramento Bee | To address the root cause of these interconnected crises, we must unite our calls to keep oil in the ground, from California to the Amazon.
Amazon’s Advocates Fear Trump’s Return Means Little U.S. Help to Protect Rainforest
Associated Press | “Trump 2.0 will offer Amazonian governments a permission structure to ignore or walk back climate commitments, precisely at the moment when protection of the rainforest demands greater ambition and regional coordination.”
We Will Not Back Down: Affirming Our Commitment to Global Climate Justice
Now is the time to channel our collective energy toward the people-powered struggles advancing climate justice worldwide.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Grounding in Our Collective Power: Victories for the Amazon from 2024
Through bold campaigns, strategic advocacy, and unwavering solidarity with our Indigenous and local community partners, we achieved groundbreaking victories in 2024.
Munduruku People Rejoice in Celebration of Landmark Win for the Brazilian Amazon
Munduruku ancestral territory Sawré Muybu advanced to the final stage of demarcation, a crucial step in a decades-long struggle.
Major Victory to Halt Mining in the Heart of the Brazilian Amazon
Brazilian judge annuls Belo Sun's land rights contract, delivering a major blow to the company's plans to build Brazil's largest open-pit gold mine
This recent federal court decision annulling Belo Sun and INCRA’s contract is a crucial step toward justice, underscoring the resilience of the communities of the Volta Grande do Xingu.
Brazilian Justice Voids Belo Sun Mining’s Concession
In a major victory for the communities of the Amazon’s Volta Grande do Xingu, a judge’s ruling annulled the Canadian mining company’s contract with Brazil’s Land Reform Institute
A Brazilian federal court issued a major setback to Belo Sun, declaring the contract that granted the company its land concession null and void.
Protest at COP29 Demands Cancellation of Brazil’s Ferrogrão Mega-railway
Action in the climate summit’s Blue Zone denounces the Brazilian government’s contradictions and calls for climate justice in the Amazon
"There's no point in the government talking about climate change while it approves mining, carbon credits, and projects like Ferrogrão, which destroy our lands and cultures."
Ancestral Outcry: The Battle to Save the Tapajós River from Ferrogrão
In a spirited direct action, hundreds of Indigenous people and allies blocked commodity shipping on a major Amazonian river for six hours to protest mounting agribusiness-driven threats
Dozens of canoes lined with signs denouncing Ferrogrão formed a barrier blocking the traffic of barges transporting soy and other commodities.
Biden’s Amazon Legacy: Bold Promises Demand Bold Actions Amid Looming Threats to the Rainforest’s Survival
As the Amazon approaches a catastrophic tipping point of ecological collapse, we welcome President Biden’s statements and increased commitment, but we are disappointed that this support comes in the final days of Biden’s administration.
Brazilian Activists Block Tapajós River to Oppose Ferrogrão Mega-railway
Indigenous-led action temporarily halts commodity shipping on major Amazonian river to protest mounting agribusiness-driven threats
“Our action today is meant to send a message to Brazil’s federal government: Ferrogrão’s destruction would jump its tracks, deeply affecting the Tapajós River and beyond.”
Indigenous Guardians of Global Biodiversity and Climate at COP16
“Right now the Amazonian peoples are fighting back against organized crime and protecting our common future."
A Fossil-Free Amazon Has a Powerful New Ally
A powerful new configuration of Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Future joined forces with Indigenous leaders at COP16 to usher in a new era of climate justice in the Amazon.
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest Falls to Lowest Since 2015
Reuters | President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office nearly two years ago on a promise to step up enforcement of environmental laws to rein in deforestation.
2023-2024 Annual Report
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 us.
“A Luta Continua!” Brazil's Indigenous Peoples Resist Attacks on Their Rights
Two days of protest force the the Brazilian Senate to delay a vote on PEC 48, a constitutional amendment that would significantly limit Indigenous land rights
“We know that if the constitution changes, it will only facilitate more invasions of our territories. We have already lived long enough with these invasions."
US Billionaires Called on to End Forest Destruction in Mega Mural by Famous Brazilian “Artivist”
Cargill-MacMillian family linked to environmental devastation in South America
"I see this painting as a call to end the destruction that companies like Cargill continue to cause around the world."
Indigenous Leadership at Climate Week: Amplifying Voices for Global Action
At New York's Climate Week, Indigenous leaders from across the Amazon demanded urgent solutions to the climate crisis, highlighting the destruction of the rainforest and calling for an end to fossil fuel extraction
The global shift in climate policy that we need will only happen if leaders listen to the voices of Indigenous and frontline communities, and if we collectively push for action.
A Reprieve Among the Flames as a Munduruku Territory Advances
Brazil’s Justice Minister’s declaration of Sawré Muybu territory in the eastern Amazon moves an endangered land and its communities closer to federal protection
While the Amazon continued to burn and suffer a historic drought, the news demonstrated how the determined struggle for ancestral land offers a key solution to today’s crisis.
Brazil’s Justice Minister Clears Munduruku Territory for Formal Titling
The “declaration” of Sawré Muybu territory upholds embattled Indigenous land rights in an endangered Amazonian region
“This is an enormous triumph for the Munduruku people, and for all of us who fight for Indigenous rights, for the forest, and for climate justice. It is proof that, even in the most ruthless of contexts, it is possible to achieve remarkable victories."
Attacks on Indigenous Rights in Brazil Are Fueling Amazon Fires and Climate Change
A brazen new institutional assault on Indigenous rights by a Supreme Court Justice is underway, threatening to undo fundamental constitutional protections of Brazil’s Indigenous communities
As Brazil stands at a critical crossroads, the support and vigilance of the international community are essential to ensuring that Indigenous rights are upheld and the Amazon rainforest is preserved for future generations.
Immediate Global Action Needed to Contain Amazon Fires Emergency
Amazon Fire Response Fund established for immediate relief
Amazon Watch stands with affected Indigenous peoples and traditional communities in calling on the governments of Amazon nations and the international community to take immediate action to address this crisis.
Amazon Fire Response Fund: Indigenous-Led Solutions for a Burning Rainforest
The newly-launched Amazon Fire Response fund will respond directly to the crisis across the Amazon by supporting critical short- and long-term solutions.
From Crisis to Catastrophe: The Man-Made Inferno Devouring the Amazon
The Amazon’s crippling drought and explosive fires are the result of human-induced climate change, with drastic implications for us all
One commonality between Brazil and neighboring countries suffering from a scourge of drought and fires is a propensity to treat the symptom and not the illness.
Amazon Fires Are Soaring Again – but Forest Loss Is Down. What’s Going on?
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism | “There are ongoing investigations by Brazilian authorities into whether farmers yet again organized a ‘fire day’ this year.”
Alliance Against Ferrogrão Calls Out CEO's Hypocrisy
It’s no surprise that Cargill would destroy the Amazon and the Cerrado. What is surprising is the involvement of someone at a foundation that should be committed to protecting nature and Indigenous rights.
Can Mining Override Agrarian Reform and Food Sovereignty in the Amazon?
Brazil’s Institute of Agrarian and Colonization Reform refuses to repeal a Bolsonaro-era rule authorizing mining and other industrial projects on protected lands in the Amazon
We recommend that INCRA immediately suspend IN 112 and replace it with a policy that better regulates the historical uneven relationship between large private enterprises and small farmers in rural settlements.
