Organized crime is not just a threat to public safety. It is now one of the main drivers of Amazon deforestation and Indigenous displacement.
Peru
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 Groups Demand Action from South American Leaders at Amazon Summit
Associated Press | “There is no solution to any of the threats the Amazon is facing without its communities.”
When Criminals Rule the Amazon Jungle and Time Runs Out
The crisis of public security, environmental crime, and human rights must be on the agenda of the Summit of Amazonian Countries
El País | Without coordinated action and meaningful inclusion of local voices, the region faces escalating violence and irreversible damage to one of the world’s most critical ecosystems.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
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."
In the Shadows of the State
Illicit Economies and Armed Control in the Triple Border Region of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
This report calls for a regional strategy centered on environmental protection, state-building, and community governance.
Peru and Ecuador’s Crude Gamble Faces Indigenous Wall of Resistance
Indigenous nations reject Boluarte’s announcement on binational oil pipeline between Petroperú and Petroecuador
“Without our consent, this project has no legitimacy. Investors must be warned: any deal built on rights violations is built on quicksand.”
The Achuar Reject Petroperú’s Oil Expansion – Yet Again
Amid mounting debt and political pressure, Petroperú scrambles to revive Block 64, but Indigenous nations expose sham consultations and defend their territories from fossil fuel expansion
“These informal meetings and all publicity surrounding them have no validity as a mechanism for Indigenous peoples' participation. The truth cannot be hidden."
Indigenous Wampis Are Ambushed in Peru After Government Backs Out of Anti-mining Joint Patrol
Associated Press | Indigenous leaders say the incident highlights the growing risks faced by land defenders and the government’s failure to uphold its promises.
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."
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."
Amazonian Communities in Peru Rejoice as Plan for Oil Drilling on Ancestral Land Stalls
Peru’s state-run oil company failed to attract any bids to develop an oil field that overlaps ancestral territories of several Indigenous groups
Associated Press | “Local communities and their allies will remain alert to this zombie project which has been killed multiple times but always attempts to return from the dead.”
Petroperú’s Oil Gamble Fails: Block 64 Auction Flops Amid Indigenous Opposition
"For many years, we have stood alert and resisted every attempt by the Peruvian government and Petroperú to encroach on our territory."
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
Foreign Investors in Peru’s State Oil Company Risk Nation’s Turbulent Politics
In a region notorious for political instability, the South American country presents an extreme case
Financial Times | “This debt crisis drives Petroperú’s renewed plans to expedite new domestic oil production in highly contested reserves.”
