An urgent message is traveling from the Amazon to the United Nations. This week, Amazon Watch will accompany a delegation of Indigenous leaders from Peru and Ecuador to New York for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).
All Posts from Our Blog
The Trump Doctrine in Latin America: Carry a Big Stick and Speak of “Total Extermination”
The Administration designated a dozen Latin American criminal cartels as terrorist organizations and launched Operation Southern Spear in September.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
“The rainforest speaks with the voice of a woman.”
Ecuador’s Indigenous Women March Against Oil
On International Women's Day, Indigenous women from across the Ecuadorian Amazon traveled by foot, car, and canoe to Puyo with a single, unified demand: No more oil in the Amazon.
Bringing Down a Decree: Inside the Indigenous Victory on the Tapajós River
On January 30, I witnessed the inauguration of the Munduruku people’s Pariri Association headquarters at the Praia do Mangue Indigenous Reserve.
Amazon Watch Turns 30
What began as a commitment to support frontline communities has grown into a global movement for rainforest protection, Indigenous rights, and climate justice.
Justice for Indigenous Girls in the Peruvian Amazon
More than 800 cases of sexual abuse against Indigenous girls and boys remain unresolved in Condorcanqui. A growing health emergency compounds the crisis.
When Criminal Networks Invade the Amazon, Indigenous Autonomy Resists
More than 60 Indigenous leaders from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru gathered in the Peruvian Amazon to confront a rapidly growing threat.
How Indigenous Women Forced Peru to Reverse a Dangerous Rollback of Justice
Awajún and Wampis women have transformed grief into organized power, compelling the state to reverse a dangerous rollback of justice services for survivors of sexual violence.
Pushing Back Against the “Donroe Doctrine”
When Petro met Trump on February 3rd, the stakes were high. The Trump Administration had decertified Colombia from receiving security assistance on grounds that it was not adequately addressing drug trafficking.
From Pandora to the Amazon, Indigenous Leadership Is Protecting Life on Earth
More than a decade after Avatar brought global attention to the destruction of Indigenous lands, Amazon Watch has released a new short video.
2026: A Year of Decision for the Amazon
The Amazon has reached an ecological tipping point. What happens in 2026 will help determine whether climate justice remains possible or becomes an empty slogan.
Hope Is a Practice: 30 Years Walking With the U’wa People
In a time of repression and daily outrage, where do we find hope? For nearly 30 years, the U’wa people of Colombia have shown the world what spiritual, cultural, and political resistance looks like. Their struggle continues, and so does our commitment.
Indigenous Leadership and Collective Power in 2025
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.
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”.
Ecuador Rejects Militarization and Backs Call for Accountability
President Noboa's defeat in the national referendum comes after weeks of mobilization and repression
By rejecting Noboa’s militarized reforms, Ecuadorians chose solutions that protect life and dignity instead of policies based on repression.
This Is What True Climate Leadership Looks Like
Indigenous women and the grassroots Amazonian movement carried COP30 on their shoulders
“We’re very happy that our lands advanced in the demarcation process, but there are so many lands that still need to be recognized and demarcated in Brazil.”
Ecuadorians Vote Down Noboa’s Extractive Agenda
The results of a recent national referendum delivered a major victory for the Amazon
This victory belongs to the people of Ecuador. It is a reminder that democratic power still matters, even in times of crisis. But it is also a beginning, not an end.
The Answer Caravan Brings the Amazon’s Voice to COP30
“The forest lives because we are here. If they remove the people, the forest will die with them."
Exposing The Money Trail Behind Fossil Fuels in Latin America and the Caribbean
Investigation exposes financiers driving oil expansion in Latin America and the Amazon – and sheds light on ongoing Indigenous resistance stopping it in its tracks
In a few days the 30th United Nations Climate Conference will take place – in the Amazon!
COP30 at the Crossroads: Indigenous Sovereignty or Climate Collapse
In a few days the 30th United Nations Climate Conference will take place – in the Amazon!
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.
A River of Resistance: Witnessing the Launch of the Yaku Mama Amazon Flotilla
“We set out not to conquer, but to connect; so that the world, finally, will listen to the voices of the Amazon.”
The Rainforest Spoke. Amazonian Legislators Listened.
The Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Amazon call for a moratorium on new oil and mining projects – starting with Indigenous territories.
In the face of inaction and paralysis of countries in making significant progress to address the climate crisis and its principal driver – fossil fuels – a worldwide coalition of legislative leaders has taken matters into their own hands, demonstrating what true climate leadership can look like.
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.”
Global Outcry and Indigenous Opposition Challenge Ecuador’s Amazon Oil Agenda
“Ecuador’s new oil auction is a direct threat to our territories. After 60 years of extraction, we’ve seen only death and destruction, not development.”
Amazon Fires and the Urgency of Indigenous Rights
Scientific research confirms that Indigenous-managed lands are the most effective barriers against deforestation and fire. Where Indigenous rights are secured and enforced, forests thrive – and so does our global climate.
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.
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.
An Important People-Powered Win in Brazil, but the Fight Isn’t Over
A partial veto protects key environmental safeguards, but dangerous loopholes still put the Amazon at risk
With COP30 in Belém just months away, Brazil had a chance to send the world a bold message about its commitment to climate justice. Instead, it delivered a mixed one.
Lula, the World Is Watching: Veto the Devastation Bill Now!
International pressure grows in support of Brazil's civil society's call
“Our future will be condemned if President Lula doesn’t veto the Devastation Bill.”
