“California is complicit in violating our rights by continuing to consume crude that our courts and voters have said must stay in the ground."
All Posts from Our Blog
Mura People Rise Against Mining Invasion in Brazil
A powerful new alliance emerges to confront extractivism on Indigenous lands
“What happened at this large meeting was not just a gathering of the Mura most directly affected by the Brazil Potash project. Rather, the significance of this event lies in the fact that this struggle has become, first and foremost, the struggle of all Indigenous peoples.”
Chevron’s Toxic Empire on Trial
Gross polluter and corporate criminal slammed at 2025 AGM as global protests mount
“Chevron came in, extracted oil, poisoned the land and water, and then walked away."
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."
As COP30 Nears, the Real Action Is in the Streets
Powerful grassroots mobilization in Brazil points the way to the future we need
As the world prepares for COP30 – the United Nations’ next major climate summit – all eyes are on the Brazilian Amazon, where the conference will take place for the first time.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
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."
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
Grounding in Our Collective Power: Victories for the Amazon from 2024
Through bold campaigns, strategic advocacy, and unwavering solidarity with our Indigenous and local community partners, we achieved groundbreaking victories in 2024.
The Kakataibo’s Fight for Survival Against Corruption and Amazon Crime
A new, groundbreaking multimedia report exposes the perpetrators of land dispossession in the ancestral homelands of the last Kakataibo Indigenous peoples of Peru
New multimedia report exposes the complex web of deforestation, drug trafficking, and state complicity threatening the ancestral homelands of the last Kakataibo Indigenous peoples of Peru.
Munduruku People Rejoice in Celebration of Landmark Win for the Brazilian Amazon
Munduruku ancestral territory Sawré Muybu advanced to the final stage of demarcation, a crucial step in a decades-long struggle.
Major Victory to Halt Mining in the Heart of the Brazilian Amazon
Brazilian judge annuls Belo Sun's land rights contract, delivering a major blow to the company's plans to build Brazil's largest open-pit gold mine
This recent federal court decision annulling Belo Sun and INCRA’s contract is a crucial step toward justice, underscoring the resilience of the communities of the Volta Grande do Xingu.
Ancestral Outcry: The Battle to Save the Tapajós River from Ferrogrão
In a spirited direct action, hundreds of Indigenous people and allies blocked commodity shipping on a major Amazonian river for six hours to protest mounting agribusiness-driven threats
Dozens of canoes lined with signs denouncing Ferrogrão formed a barrier blocking the traffic of barges transporting soy and other commodities.
Indigenous Guardians of Global Biodiversity and Climate at COP16
“Right now the Amazonian peoples are fighting back against organized crime and protecting our common future."
A Fossil-Free Amazon Has a Powerful New Ally
A powerful new configuration of Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Future joined forces with Indigenous leaders at COP16 to usher in a new era of climate justice in the Amazon.
“A Luta Continua!” Brazil's Indigenous Peoples Resist Attacks on Their Rights
Two days of protest force the the Brazilian Senate to delay a vote on PEC 48, a constitutional amendment that would significantly limit Indigenous land rights
“We know that if the constitution changes, it will only facilitate more invasions of our territories. We have already lived long enough with these invasions."
Indigenous Leaders Confront Criminal Economies at the U.N.
As transnational criminal economies increasingly threaten the Amazon rainforest, Indigenous rights, and our global climate, Peruvian Indigenous leaders Miguel Guimaraes and Herlín Odicio traveled to Vienna to make one thing clear: the world must act now
“Indigenous leaders who protect the Amazon are being assassinated or live under constant threat. Criminal actors pollute our rivers, dispossess our territories, recruit our children, violate our peoples, and even threaten the survival of those in voluntary isolation.”
Oil Over Life: The Cost of Petroperú's Environmental Catastrophe
New oil spill from the North Peruvian Pipeline devastates frontline Indigenous communities amid talks of restructuring state-run oil company Petroperú
Last week, the notorious North Peruvian Pipeline leaked at least 6,000 liters of oil, directly threatening the lives and livelihoods of the Indigenous Quechua and Achuar peoples of the north Peruvian Amazon.
Indigenous Leadership at Climate Week: Amplifying Voices for Global Action
At New York's Climate Week, Indigenous leaders from across the Amazon demanded urgent solutions to the climate crisis, highlighting the destruction of the rainforest and calling for an end to fossil fuel extraction
The global shift in climate policy that we need will only happen if leaders listen to the voices of Indigenous and frontline communities, and if we collectively push for action.
A Reprieve Among the Flames as a Munduruku Territory Advances
Brazil’s Justice Minister’s declaration of Sawré Muybu territory in the eastern Amazon moves an endangered land and its communities closer to federal protection
While the Amazon continued to burn and suffer a historic drought, the news demonstrated how the determined struggle for ancestral land offers a key solution to today’s crisis.
Attacks on Indigenous Rights in Brazil Are Fueling Amazon Fires and Climate Change
A brazen new institutional assault on Indigenous rights by a Supreme Court Justice is underway, threatening to undo fundamental constitutional protections of Brazil’s Indigenous communities
As Brazil stands at a critical crossroads, the support and vigilance of the international community are essential to ensuring that Indigenous rights are upheld and the Amazon rainforest is preserved for future generations.
From Crisis to Catastrophe: The Man-Made Inferno Devouring the Amazon
The Amazon’s crippling drought and explosive fires are the result of human-induced climate change, with drastic implications for us all
One commonality between Brazil and neighboring countries suffering from a scourge of drought and fires is a propensity to treat the symptom and not the illness.
Deforestation Declines, but Fires Rage On in the Amazon
Why Peru's Amazon faces new fire patterns, and the urgent need to protect Indigenous lands for long-term survival
This is how climate change operates: the warming climate is causing more frequent droughts, which dry out the forest, leading to deeper and more widespread fires – further intensifying climate change. It’s a destructive feedback loop.
¡Sí a la Vida! Yes to Yasuní!
The Waorani hold a historic summit to ensure oil stays in the ground as Ecuador misses deadline to decommission drilling in Yasuni
Ecuador’s citizens made history by voting to keep fossil fuels in the ground in Yasuní. But the government’s failure to implement the referendum sets a dangerous precedent.
Alliance Against Ferrogrão Calls Out CEO's Hypocrisy
It’s no surprise that Cargill would destroy the Amazon and the Cerrado. What is surprising is the involvement of someone at a foundation that should be committed to protecting nature and Indigenous rights.
Terror and Cocaine in the Peruvian Jungle
A new VICE documentary “Terror & Cocaine in the Peruvian Jungle” tells the story of Indigenous resistance to illegal economies in the Amazon. #AmazonUnderworld
Rainforest Reckoning: Almost a Year After Historic Yasuní Vote, Ecuador Has Done Little
The country's Indigenous peoples and environmental movement are mobilizing to hold the government to account
The 2023 vote was heralded as the first time that any county chose to leave significant oil reserves in the ground by popular referendum, with over 60% voting in favor.
Solaris Stock Price Plummets As Indigenous Resistance Mounts
Solaris Resources hit its lowest stock price this week as Indigenous organizations once again initiated multiple actions to reject its flagship copper-gold Warintza project in Ecuador.
Indigenous Rights Under Siege: Brazil’s New Battle for the Amazon and Cultural Survival
Despite a Supreme Court victory, new legislative and judicial attacks threaten the future of Indigenous lands and environmental protection
As Brazil stands at a crossroads, the international community's support and vigilance are crucial in ensuring that Indigenous rights are upheld and the Amazon rainforest is preserved for future generations.
Kakataibo Indigenous Leaders Mobilize Against Coca Growers
"Kakataibo organizations have intensified their territorial control and protection operations. This included seizures of illegal timber, destruction of clandestine laboratories, burning of coca fields, control of roads, community patrols, and reconnaissance overflights."
Coming Together to Demand the Amazon as a No-Go Zone at FOSPA
Amazon Watch participation in the 11th Pan-Amazonian Social Forum strengthened a regional coalition for an Amazon free of mining
"Their money will run out, but our territory will remain here. We're not going to sell ourselves or our land to be destroyed."
Indigenous Women Denounce Violence and Call for Gender Justice in the Peruvian Amazon
Peruvian authorities initially tried to minimize revelations of violence and sexual abuse at Indigenous public schools, but activists and civil society are not letting them cover it up
In recent weeks, the Awajún and Wampís Women's Council made a shocking public denunciation of 524 cases of rape and abuse of children who attended public schools since 2010.
A Journey of Trust and Resolve: Supporting the Chapra’s Fight for Their Land
Chapra assembly unites to demand land titling and reparation for oil spills
Amazon Watch was honored to participate in the Third Shaniishinshi of the Chapra Nation. No other organization had ever attended an assembly like this one before.
A Message of Thanks from Indigenous Earth Defender Miguel Guimaraes!
"It’s a joy for me that so many people from around the world know about the situation we are facing in the Peruvian Amazon. Thank you so much for all the support!”
In 2024, Anti-Chevron Day Has Become Anti-Chevron Month
With too many human rights violations to recognize in just one day, Chevron faces ever-growing opposition on the eve of its annual meeting
On any list of worst corporate actors concerning human rights, the environment, accountability, transparency, and governance, Chevron consistently ranks at or near the top.
Oil Debt: Financing Amazon Destruction
A new documentary highlights the efforts of the Achuar, Wampís, and Chapra nations from the Peruvian Amazon against state-run oil company Petroperú and its financiers
The 2024 Banking on Climate Chaos report is the most comprehensive analysis of the financial institutions backing the fossil fuel industry and the policies of the world’s 60 largest banks enabling this financing.
Delegation Travels from Peru to Confront U.S. Bank Executives Directly
The delegation made it crystal clear to bank executives and the international stage: “We will not permit new oil extraction. Ever.”
Brazil’s Indigenous Free Land Camp: 20 Years of Struggle for Rights
Thousands of Indigenous people and their allies came together to form the 20th Free Land Camp, a major annual mobilization that strives to amplify the voices and resistance of Indigenous peoples.
Ecuadorians Vote to Strengthen Security and Reject Neoliberal Economic Reforms
Ballot measures proposing a return to international arbitration mechanisms and that weaken labor laws lose by wide margin
Ecuadorian voters sent a clear message to President Daniel Noboa on Sunday, in the country’s second referendum vote in under a year: they want security, but they saw through his attempt to sneak through right-wing economic reforms.
Mounting Resistance to the Ferrogrão Railway in the Brazilian Amazon
An unprecedented popular alliance is fighting to prevent the progress of a disastrous Amazonian mega-project
As the world turns its eyes to Brazil for next year’s critical COP30 climate summit, the future of the Amazon and its peoples stand at a dangerous crossroads as Brazilian agribusiness and global commodity traders attempt to drive a mega-railway through it.
28 Months Later: Aftermath of a Massacre in the Colombian Amazon
Following the government killing of a Kichwa Indigenous leader, his successor organizes for justice and reparations for their community
Deep in the Colombian Amazon, the Indigenous community of Lower Remanso is fighting for truth, justice, and reparations. Two years ago, their leader was one of several civilians killed by the Colombian army.
Indigenous Women Embody Leadership, Resistance, and Resilience
We are honored to partner with inspiring Indigenous women leaders and draw attention to their visionary work.
Unity and Resilience: Pioneering Indigenous Self-Governance in the Peruvian Amazon
This movement isn’t just about reclaiming territory; it’s a profound statement of identity, culture, and the inextricable link between Indigenous rights and the health of our planet.
Shuar Arutam People Notch Major Wins Against Amazon Mining in March
In a span of only three weeks, the PSHA launch a series of successful actions at a local, national, and international level to reaffirm their opposition against Solaris Resources’ Warintza project
The past month saw significant victories for the Shuar, turning the tide against Canadian mining company Solaris Resources.
Strength in Unity: MarAmazonía Alliance Takes on Petroperú at Its Largest Refinery
A campaigner’s account of the groundbreaking MarAmazonía alliance meeting
“Welcome to the oil capital of Perú." It turns out that the city of Talara was where one of the first oil wells was drilled in all of South America, dating back to 1863. The toxic legacy of oil was evident.
Activists Crash Canadian Mining Conference to Denounce Amazon Destruction
Amazon Watch needed to show up at PDAC because another narrative is needed - one that doesn’t accept the destruction of the world’s largest forest as a necessary byproduct of advancing modern society.
Chevron’s Environmental Crimes: 13 Years of Evasion and Escalation
On the 13th anniversary of the historic $9.5 billion judgment against Chevron, Ecuador's current government could betray its own people in favor of big oil interests
Thirteen years ago today, Indigenous peoples and other Amazonian inhabitants made climate justice history in Ecuador when, after 18 years of legal battles, they won a $9.5 billion judgment against Chevron Corporation.
