"For many years, we have stood alert and resisted every attempt by the Peruvian government and Petroperú to encroach on our territory."
Indigenous Rights
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."
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."
Investor Nuns and Baptists Condemn Big Banks For Violating Indigenous Peoples' Rights
"Pope Francis called us to stand in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples impacted by destructive and extraction industries on their lands. We are grateful to Olivia Bisa from the Chapra Nation for presenting our proposal today at the AGM."
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.”
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
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."
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.
Built to Spill: Ecuador’s Pipeline Disaster and the Fight to Stop the Next One
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.
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.
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.
Guardians of the Amazon: Inga Women Lead the Fight for Their Land
Inga women are at the forefront of resistance, confronting extractive industries to protect their cultural heritage.
IACHR Condemns Ecuador for Violating Rights of Tagaeri-Taromenane People
Landmark ruling calls for concrete measures to guarantee their survival
“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."
Religious Investors Win SEC Fight Over Indigenous Rights Resolution at Banks
“We, the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon, have lived through ecological devastation, witnessed decades of pollution, and faced repeated threats to our self-determination due to spills caused by oil companies like Petroperú and their financiers, such as Citi."
Olivia Bisa Tirko’s Fight for Land and Culture
By highlighting the importance of women’s leadership and the passing of ancestral knowledge to future generations, Olivia is ensuring the survival of her people and the protection of the Amazon.
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.
Silencing Standing Rock: How 14 States Are Protecting Big Oil
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.
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.
Ecuador: A Decisive Election for the Amazon
Amid rampant violence and the failure to implement the Yasuní referendum, Indigenous and frontline organizing will only intensify.
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.
Indigenous Leaders Occupy Pará State Education Headquarters
Peaceful protest met with violent government response including rubber bullets and tear gas
"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.”
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.
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.
Yasuní: A Global Climate Victory at Risk
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.
In the Face of Crisis, a Moment to Celebrate Leonard Peltier’s Freedom
Yesterday, we learned the monumental news that Leonard Peltier, member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and the longest-serving Native political prisoner in U.S. history, has been granted presidential clemency by President Joe Biden.
Inspired by the Amazon Pearl
Amidst threats against community leaders, Amazon Watch returned to the Colombian Amazon as a show of solidarity with courageous environmental defenders like Jani Silva
“This accompaniment has allowed our process to continue. Believe me, when the violent actors see that our processes are accompanied, they respect us a little more.”
