“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.”
All Posts from Our Blog
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.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
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.
Standing with Indigenous Earth Defenders in the Amazon
In the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, Olivia Bisa, the first female president of the Chapra Nation, stands as a beacon of courage and resilience.
Guardians Unite: Defending the Xingu Against Belo Sun’s Threat
The Gathering was a key moment to reaffirm our collective resistance and understand the realities of communities grappling not only with the disastrous Belo Monte hydroelectric dam but also the looming threat of Belo Sun’s proposed mine.
Belo Sun Mining Seeks to Criminalize Amazon Defenders
The Canadian gold mining company’s criminal lawsuit attempts to silence and intimidate defenders of the Volta Grande do Xingú, including community leaders, Amazon Watch, and other environmental and human rights activists
In a blatant effort to intimidate and silence its critics, Belo Sun Mining has filed a criminal lawsuit targeting more than 30 people – most of them small-scale farmers – as well as community leaders, environmental defenders, researchers, and representatives of Brazilian and international organizations.
Despite Victory in a Historic Referendum, Yasuní National Park Is Again at Risk
Ecuador's president announces plans to ignore the popular vote and continue drilling for oil in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, home to Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation
The government seeks to upend the will of voters and continue drilling in Yasuní under the pretense of funding the country’s escalating conflict with organized crime.
Petroperú Is Desperate for Cash, But We’re Going to End Amazon Crude!
The company is now in talks with Citi and JPMorgan Chase, and Indigenous nations tell them again: no new financing for Petroperú!
Joining forces with our partners, Amazon Watch is gearing up to launch a series of campaign actions in 2024. Our mission: to ensure financiers, including commercial banks, investors, and insurers, fully grasp the perils of financially supporting Petroperú.
Internal Conflict in Ecuador Brings Significant Risks for Indigenous Peoples
Ecuador has captured international attention with the recent declaration of an “internal armed conflict" in response to elevated violence. This declaration entails significant risks for human rights and Indigenous territories.
Indigenous Rights Battle Resumes in Brazilian Supreme Court
The continuing struggle against “Marco Temporal” and escalating anti-Indigenous politics
The Supreme Court’s rejection of the Marco Temporal thesis was arguably the most significant victory of the Indigenous movement in the 21st century. It marked the culmination of years of grassroots organizing, legal struggles, and mobilization.
Solidarity, Advocacy, and Resistance in the Amazon and Beyond
This solidarity grantmaking is built upon a multi-decade track record as a trusted partner among Indigenous nations and local organizations and guided by the principles and cosmology of Indigenous peoples.
Achievements in 2023 Could Signify the Turning Point for the Amazon in 2024
As 2023 closes, it’s time to look back over the many inspiring achievements of the year. Hope and progress for the future of the Amazon and climate have been restored.
2024 Could Be the Endgame for Indigenous Land Rights in Brazil
"I will not feel defeated. Defeated are those who are sitting on their hands. We will continue to fight for the demarcation of Indigenous lands. Because those who have territory have a place to go back to, and those who have a place to go back to, have a mother, a lap, and a cure."
Indigenous Women Leaders Took Center Stage at COP28
Hope for the path to COP30 as Indigenous women demonstrate effective advocacy, leadership, and solidarity
“There are reasons to be hopeful. Lula delivered what he promised as far as deforestation and has promised zero deforestation by 2030. And he is very focused on climate justice – bringing those most vulnerable to the table.”
Autonomous Indigenous Nations Fight to Stop the Flow of Money to Petroperú
As Petroperú ramps up efforts to exploit oil in Block 64, Indigenous nations, in partnership with Amazon Watch and the Sacred Headwaters Initiative, launch a public campaign to pressure commercial banks to commit to no new Petroperú financing
Their efforts effectively put the multimillion dollar deal at a stalemate, and prevented Petroperú from attaining new long-term financing for the Talara Refinery in the past six months.
The Growing Threat of Organized Crime in the Amazon
Supporting Indigenous rights and territories is an essential element of any strategy
Organized crime has been present in the region for many years, and it has recently become a major threat to the Amazon and Indigenous rights and territories.
Indigenous Women Reforesting Hearts and Minds to Heal Mother Earth
“The struggle for Mother Earth is the mother of all struggles!”
“We are here to say that we are the healing of the Earth, we are the ancestral voice of the Earth speaking to us. It is not possible to think about valuing human rights if you kill the Earth."
“False Positives” in the Colombian Amazon
Indigenous peoples and others are struggling to protect their ancestral lands, livelihoods, and lives. In doing so, they run afoul of the men with guns who don’t hesitate to threaten and kill.
Indigenous Territories Are Key to Stopping Droughts in the Amazon
To stop catastrophic climate change, to protect Indigenous cultures, to prevent the next drought and keep the Amazon’s river dolphins and other species thriving, Indigenous rights are the key.
Seven Challenges for the New Ecuadorian Government
Ecuador’s powerful business class is in power yet again following the election of Daniel Noboa
We question whether he will prioritize the protection of nature and the rights of Indigenous peoples as he promised during his campaign or – more likely – carry on with the extractivist agenda of prior administrations and continue to disregard Indigenous rights.
Taking on Cargill Alongside the Munduruku People
"We defend our lands not just for our people but for all of humanity. Your company is harming our collective future. We have lived here in the heart of the Amazon for over 4,000 years. But now our world hangs by a thread."
Impunity for Loggers Behind Brutal Murders of Four Indigenous Earth Defenders
The abrupt annulment of the 28-year sentences that took families seven years of legal battles to achieve highlights the profound injustice and judicial discrimination they face in Peru
This decision is a strong affront to justice, memory, and the dignity of the victims and their families, who face yet another chapter of legal strife and uncertainty.
Uniting for Climate Justice: Amazon Watch at New York Climate Week
The urgency of this year's Climate Week cannot be overstated. The Amazon is at a tipping point, and the effects of climate change are not some distant future threat – they are here, and they are now.
Brazil's Indigenous Lands at Stake Before Marco Temporal Decision
Amid an impending Supreme Court decision, our latest report dives into the risks of this legal thesis, potentially jeopardizing Indigenous territories for the benefit of powerful mining companies
We stand on the edge of a decision that will significantly impact Indigenous peoples’ lands, their lives, and our collective future. If approved, it's not just a win for mining magnates like Vale, Bunge, and Anglo American. It's an irreversible loss for Indigenous rights, the Amazon rainforest, and for 77 yet-to-be-recognized Indigenous...
Canada Emerges As Key Culprit in Amazon Destruction
Despite its “climate forward” image, Canada is linked to corporate abuses and rights violations across mining and oil extractive projects in the Amazon
The rights violations discovered in the operations of Canadian companies in the Amazon rainforest are deeply troubling, particularly considering Canada's efforts to present itself as a human rights leader in the world.
Yasuní Victory Shows Us the Way to End Amazon Crude
In a historic vote, Ecuadorians have shown the world what true climate leadership looks like. Their vote is a step toward a fossil fuel-free future that protects biodiversity and the rights of isolated Indigenous peoples.
