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.
Climate Change
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.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Indigenous Leaders Confront Criminal Economies at the U.N.
As transnational criminal economies increasingly threaten the Amazon rainforest, Indigenous rights, and our global climate, Peruvian Indigenous leaders Miguel Guimaraes and Herlín Odicio traveled to Vienna to make one thing clear: the world must act now
“Indigenous leaders who protect the Amazon are being assassinated or live under constant threat. Criminal actors pollute our rivers, dispossess our territories, recruit our children, violate our peoples, and even threaten the survival of those in voluntary isolation.”
Defending Global Biodiversity: Amazonian Leaders Push for Indigenous Land Rights at COP16
A delegation of Indigenous Amazonian leaders from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru will be in Cali, Colombia for the Convention on Biological Diversity COP16 to advocate for the protection of Indigenous land rights as a key strategy to safeguard remaining global biodiversity
Indigenous land defenders are delivering a clear message to world leaders in Colombia: Indigenous land rights must be protected to safeguard remaining global biodiversity and our collective future.
Environmental Delegates Gather in Colombia for a Conference on Dwindling Global Biodiversity
Associated Press | In the Amazon rainforest, threats to biodiversity include the expansion of the agricultural frontier and road networks, deforestation, forest fires, and drought, says Andrew Miller, advocacy director at Amazon Watch.
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.
Staring Down the Barrel: What Peruvian Oil Company’s Crisis Means for the Public
Fate of cash-strapped Petroperú holds major implications for national economy, Indigenous groups and the climate
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism | “In the long term, PetroPerú has a big problem: it is billions of dollars in debt, its core business is oil – and the world is decarbonizing”
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.”
Deforestation Declines, but Fires Rage On in the Amazon
Why Peru's Amazon faces new fire patterns, and the urgent need to protect Indigenous lands for long-term survival
This is how climate change operates: the warming climate is causing more frequent droughts, which dry out the forest, leading to deeper and more widespread fires – further intensifying climate change. It’s a destructive feedback loop.
¡Sí a la Vida! Yes to Yasuní!
The Waorani hold a historic summit to ensure oil stays in the ground as Ecuador misses deadline to decommission drilling in Yasuni
Ecuador’s citizens made history by voting to keep fossil fuels in the ground in Yasuní. But the government’s failure to implement the referendum sets a dangerous precedent.
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.
Rainforest Reckoning: Almost a Year After Historic Yasuní Vote, Ecuador Has Done Little
The country's Indigenous peoples and environmental movement are mobilizing to hold the government to account
The 2023 vote was heralded as the first time that any county chose to leave significant oil reserves in the ground by popular referendum, with over 60% voting in favor.
2022-2023 Annual Report
For 26 years, Amazon Watch has worked in solidarity with Indigenous peoples to advance their territorial land rights in the Amazon Basin, defending this extraordinary biome from a range of threats.
50 NGOs Urge President Biden to Pardon Human Rights Lawyer Steven Donziger
Groups urge Biden to follow recommendation by the U.N. to launch an investigation into the reasons that triggered Mr. Donziger’s arbitrary detention
“A pardon for Mr. Donziger will send a clear message that corporations in the U.S. cannot misuse the judicial system to criminalize human rights defenders."
Communities From California to Ecuador Rise Up in a Month of Action Culminating at Chevron’s Annual General Meeting
CEO Mike Wirth continues misinformation and denial at AGM
“Despite Chevron’s attempts to hide its actions and community outrage from its shareholders and board of directors, this year’s AGM was a reminder that Chevron maintains the mantle as the world’s worst fossil fuel corporation."
Bay Area Gathers Against Chevron for Palestine and Communities Around the World
"Chevron is not only one of the world's most flagrant polluters, the company literally wrote the playbook on how corporations can undermine democracy and the rule of law to try to silence their critics."
Oil Debt: Financing Amazon Destruction
A new documentary highlights the efforts of the Achuar, Wampís, and Chapra nations from the Peruvian Amazon against state-run oil company Petroperú and its financiers
The 2024 Banking on Climate Chaos report is the most comprehensive analysis of the financial institutions backing the fossil fuel industry and the policies of the world’s 60 largest banks enabling this financing.
Delegation Travels from Peru to Confront U.S. Bank Executives Directly
The delegation made it crystal clear to bank executives and the international stage: “We will not permit new oil extraction. Ever.”
Brazil’s Indigenous Free Land Camp: 20 Years of Struggle for Rights
Thousands of Indigenous people and their allies came together to form the 20th Free Land Camp, a major annual mobilization that strives to amplify the voices and resistance of Indigenous peoples.
Mounting Resistance to the Ferrogrão Railway in the Brazilian Amazon
An unprecedented popular alliance is fighting to prevent the progress of a disastrous Amazonian mega-project
As the world turns its eyes to Brazil for next year’s critical COP30 climate summit, the future of the Amazon and its peoples stand at a dangerous crossroads as Brazilian agribusiness and global commodity traders attempt to drive a mega-railway through it.
Unity and Resilience: Pioneering Indigenous Self-Governance in the Peruvian Amazon
This movement isn’t just about reclaiming territory; it’s a profound statement of identity, culture, and the inextricable link between Indigenous rights and the health of our planet.
Award-winning Film “We Are Guardians” Brings the Fight of Indigenous Peoples for the Amazon Rainforest to the Bay Area
Weaving together politics, history, economics, and science, “We Are Guardians” provides an in-depth exploration of the incredibly complex and critical situation, and it is a story of hope and resilience amidst an unfolding crisis.
Indigenous Rights Battle Resumes in Brazilian Supreme Court
The continuing struggle against “Marco Temporal” and escalating anti-Indigenous politics
The Supreme Court’s rejection of the Marco Temporal thesis was arguably the most significant victory of the Indigenous movement in the 21st century. It marked the culmination of years of grassroots organizing, legal struggles, and mobilization.
