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.
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.
“California is complicit in violating our rights by continuing to consume crude that our courts and voters have said must stay in the ground."
“This isn’t just their story – it’s humanity’s final crossroads between ancient wisdom and corporate greed. When the last defender falls, we all lose something irreplaceable.”
Associated Press | “Being here with our brothers and sisters, with the local communities also fighting – in the end, we feel that the struggle is the same.”
“California is complicit in violating our rights by continuing to consume crude that our courts and voters have said must stay in the ground. We are calling on California to take action to phase out its imports of oil that has come at a high price for our forests, our peoples, and our climate.”
The Amazon is rapidly becoming a new frontier for oil production. This coincides with the Amazon biome reaching an existential tipping point. Amazon crude from Ecuador is a major contributor to this dangerous cycle.
A delegation of Indigenous leaders from Ecuador’s Amazon will visit Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area the week of June 16, 2025, to raise alarm over a looming oil expansion threat and deepen ties with California frontline and policy communities.
“Chevron came in, extracted oil, poisoned the land and water, and then walked away."
“Shareholders need to understand they’re receiving dirty money – profits that are ill-gotten gains. This isn’t clean money generated by legitimate business practices. It comes from the suffering of people impacted by Chevron’s wrongdoing."
"Chevron is the only multinational oil company with a global day of protest held annually against its abuses – and for good reason. It has contributed more to global greenhouse gas emissions than any other investor-owned oil company in history."
“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."
Coastal communities in Ecuador are still reeling from a devastating oil spill on March 13, which dumped over 25,000 barrels of crude oil into rivers and protected areas in the northwestern province of Esmeraldas.
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.
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.
“This judgment of the Inter-American Court is the result of many years of struggle and is a guarantee of the rights to territory for peoples in isolation, so that they can live without the threat of oil, mining, and other threats."
“This is a blatant miscarriage of justice that threatens anyone who speaks out against unchecked corporate power, human rights abuses, and environmental destruction. It’s corporate power weaponized through the legal system."
The Amazon is at a tipping point, but our collective victories show us a powerful pathway forward.
Mongabay | Raphael Hoetmer, director of Amazon Watch's Western Amazon Program, spoke with Mongabay Latam about the advance of mining in the Amazonian territory of Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
Rather than addressing the real dangers posed by DAPL and ET’s track record of environmental violations, these states have chosen to weaponize the courts against the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
Amid rampant violence and the failure to implement the Yasuní referendum, Indigenous and frontline organizing will only intensify.
This lawsuit is more than just a legal battle – it is a pivotal test of free speech and corporate accountability.
The freeze on U.S. foreign assistance, implemented by the Trump administration, is already causing severe harm to vulnerable communities in 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 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.
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.”
Now is the time to channel our collective energy toward the people-powered struggles advancing climate justice worldwide.
The people of Ecuador overwhelmingly voted to keep one of its largest oil reserves in the ground. It was a vote for hope, for the future, and for the protection of biodiversity and Indigenous rights.
Through bold campaigns, strategic advocacy, and unwavering solidarity with our Indigenous and local community partners, we achieved groundbreaking victories in 2024.
Amazon Allies is our incredible community of monthly sustainers. A monthly gift to Amazon Watch is a powerful way to be part of the Indigenous-led movement for the Amazon!
