As climate denial gained renewed political traction and governments moved to restrict civic space, Indigenous peoples and grassroots movements across the Amazon advanced bold, collective visions for the future.
Defend Earth Defenders
The Amazon and its Indigenous communities face a collective threat of land invasions, extractive industries, and mega infrastructure projects that often translate into death threats and violent attacks against those who resist. In order to protect the rights, territories, and environment of Amazonian Earth Defenders, we must fight for legal recognition and enforcement of ancestral territorial rights, implementation of free, prior, and informed consent for megaprojects imposed on Indigenous lands, addressing illegal economies and corruption, among others.
From Self-Government to Climate Leadership: The Wampis Nation’s Story
“For us, the Wampis, autonomy means living in freedom and peace as we have inherited our territory. It means being free from pollution and deciding our own future, for ourselves, but also for all of humanity”.
“It’s Not Safe to Live Here.”
Colombia is deadliest country for environmental defenders
Associated Press | “We have to continue defending the future, and we need more and more people to join this cause.”
Standing With the Kakataibo
Resilience amid Peru’s crisis of corruption and organized crime
The Kakataibo have made it clear to us: they will not give up. Their fight to reclaim and defend their ancestral lands has lasted more than two decades, and this is simply another chapter in a long struggle for survival and justice.
Defending the Amazon Against Illegal Economies
The Wampís Nation’s fight to defend their territory against an invasion of illegal mining
The Wampís’ fight is not just local, it’s global. Defending the Amazon means defending the planet.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Over 130 International Organizations Denounce Escalating State Violence in Ecuador and Call for Global Action to Protect Human Rights
"Peace cannot be imposed by force; it is built on truth, justice, and dialogue."
Defending Mocoa in Southern Colombia
Art, culture, and children’s resistance against Giant Copper mining threat
“Mocoa is the most conserved territory, where the mountains hold the winds of the ancestors, which descend to embrace the Amazon.”
The Money Trail
Behind fossil fuel expansion in Latin American and the Caribbean
This report shines a spotlight on companies that are exploring and developing new fossil fuel reserves or building new fossil infrastructure, and it reveals which banks and investors are backing the expansion of this dirty and dangerous industry across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Stop the Criminalization of Defenders and the Dismantling of Democratic Guarantees in Ecuador
Defending land, water, and life is a legitimate and protected right. It must never trigger reprisals or restrictions.
Ecuador’s Amazon Oil Plans Face Indigenous and Global Opposition
Seven Indigenous nations denounce oil auctions amid state of emergency, as Amazon Watch warns of oil expansion plans and human rights risks during Climate Week in New York
“Indigenous resistance, civil society mobilization, and growing international pressure will continue to expose these projects as illegitimate, unlawful, and unfinanceable.”
International Organizations Call for Judicial Independence and Respect for Fundamental Rights in Ecuador
The international human rights and civil society organizations that subscribe to this statement express our deep concern about the climate of harassment and pressure currently facing the Constitutional Court of Ecuador.
Defending the Defenders: Indigenous Peoples vs. Organized Crime in the Amazon
Organized crime is not just a threat to public safety. It is now one of the main drivers of Amazon deforestation and Indigenous displacement.
California Senate Passes SR 51, Responding to Indigenous Call to End Amazon Crude Imports
“This is the first step in ending California’s addiction to Amazon crude. Consuming oil from the Amazon is incompatible with climate leadership."
Security at the Amazon’s Breaking Point: Tri-Border Report Spurs Concrete Actions After ATCO Summit
“The tri-border must be the test case: protect defenders, dismantle illicit economies, and pair enforcement with peacebuilding and restoration.”
Indigenous Nations of Ecuador and Peru Reject Cross-Border Oil Deal
“This deal has no consent, no legitimacy, and will face legal and social resistance every step of the way.”
A Historic Alliance for the Amazon
“This deal has no consent, no legitimacy, and will face legal and social resistance every step of the way.”
This united front builds on a track record of resistance: in more than 25 years, no new oil well has been drilled in Ecuador’s southeastern Amazon.
New Report Released: In the Shadows of the State
Illicit Economies and Armed Control in the Triple Border Region of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
"Peace and security in the Amazon are impossible without Indigenous peoples at the heart of the solution."
Wampís Territorial Guards Attacked While Defending Their Lands
Peruvian government fails to deliver on anti-mining commitments
"The Wampis have to confront illegal gold miners alone, despite the Peruvian government's supposed offensive against organized crime promoting gold exploitation."
2024-2025 Annual Report
In a world increasingly in denial about the consequences of climate change and fossil fuel extraction, Amazon Watch is doubling down on our grassroots partnerships.
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.
Amazon in Peril: New Report Exposes Drug Trade Threat to 270+ Indigenous Communities
"We, the Indigenous defenders, face threats from drug traffickers when we speak out. We are calling for real change in how this crisis is addressed. Our territories and self-protection systems need global government support."
Drug Trafficking in Indigenous Territories of the Peruvian Amazon
Routes, Impacts, and Failed Policies
In Peru, drug trafficking is one of the main threats to the Amazon and Indigenous peoples. This report presents concrete proposals to reposition Indigenous peoples not only as victims, but as political actors who can help shape solutions.
The Amazon vs. Big Oil: Why Petroperú’s Latest Defeat Matters Globally
This Indigenous-led victory to keep 55 million barrels of crude in the ground in Peru's Amazon is a blueprint for resisting oil expansion worldwide
"Petroperú’s decision to cancel the tender for Block 64 is a great relief. However, we remain vigilant, knowing that it will likely continue seeking investors to exploit this block."
Indigenous Peoples Denounce Criminal Expansion in the Amazon at the U.N.
“The Permanent Forum must formally recognize that organized crime and illegal economies such as drug trafficking and illegal mining are an existential threat to our peoples."
Indigenous Leader Shot While Hunting as Violence Escalates in Shipibo Territory
The Shipibo community of Flor de Ucayali continues to face death threats and land invasions from drug traffickers
This attack is yet another example of the growing violence against Indigenous communities as criminal economies expand across the Amazon.
Truth, Justice, and Reparations: Traveling into the Heart of the Colombian Amazon
Thanks to the courageous leadership of Indigenous women like Yarley and Lucila, and the continued pressure from Colombian and international allies, Lower Remanso is advancing its vision of justice and self-determination. But the path remains difficult.
The Wisdom That Panduro Took With Him
Three years after the army perpetrated the Alto Remanso massacre, in which several civilians were killed, a community that almost disappeared is trying to recover from the absence of the leader who healed them and taught them their language
Voragine | Pablo Panduro was killed on March 28, 2022 during an army operation in which 11 people were killed, and which was carried out against the Border Command, a FARC dissident group that controls most of Putumayo.
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.
Big Oil’s “Lawfare” Attacks on Advocacy and Accountability
This is not justice. Greenpeace will appeal, and they need all of us to mobilize in a massive international movement in support of their efforts to expose this sham trial.
