Amazon Watch

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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.

Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.

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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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

The Shuar Arutam People Continue Their Resistance Against Mining

The movement against mining in Ecuador is gaining momentum

This is an important moment for celebration. It is monumental that the PSHA ratified its resistance to mining activity in its territory because the community has faced divide-and-conquer strategies from the mining industry and the Ecuadorian government.

From the Rainforest to the Interamerican Commission: Protecting the Brazilian Amazon

How Amazon Watch and allies bring Indigenous leadership and demands to international decision-makers

In the last couple of years, we have grown our work in international advocacy and legal strategies to denounce the threats the Brazilian government tries to pose to the environment and Indigenous peoples by pushing for a set of bill of laws known as the “Destruction Package.”

Peruvian Indigenous Movement Achieves a Victory, Though Threats Remain

The oil industry, illegal miners, and land traffickers continue their attacks in lockstep with the Peruvian Congress through a dangerous set of bills

It is essential that we recognize this pattern and be ready to mobilize in solidarity with the Peruvian Indigenous movement in the struggles to come over the next few months.

Peruvian Congress Places Isolated Indigenous Peoples Under Threat

The Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force founding member state, California, could use its influence to protect them and defend the “PIACI” law

Peru’s regional governments, as well as extractive companies trying to greenwash their image in front of the world, must know that we will not allow them to continue. The GCF Task Force must denounce this contradiction.

Rights at Risk as Ecuador’s President Dissolves Congress

A wave of uncertainty and concern has gripped Ecuador after right-wing President Lasso invoked Article 148, known as the “muerte cruzada” clause in the country’s constitution, dissolving congress and convening new elections. 

10th Annual Global Anti-Chevron Day

From Australia to Argentina, Richmond to Ecuador, the Anti-Chevron community remains united

Anti-Chevron Day is not just about drawing attention to Chevron’s misdeeds, but also pointing out how many affected communities and their allies continue to support one another in resistance.

New Video: Protecting the Right to Protest and Defeating Corporate Bullies

Corporations like Resolute and Chevron continue to use legal bullying to attack Earth Defenders and the climate justice movement

“We formed this task force to protect our rights – and yours – to speak out, criticize, and protest peacefully. From SLAPP suits to surveillance, we are here to defend your protest. Because democracy needs dissent.”

Demarcation Now! Brazil’s Indigenous Movement Secures Land Recognition Victories

Munduruku land Sawré Muybu, home to 2023 Goldman Prize Winner Alessandra Munduruku, is one of the territories heading into the final steps of the demarcation process

"Lula promised to resume land demarcation. We believe in him, but let's not fool ourselves that now the fight will be easy. We will not solve 523 years of destruction in four years, but we will push on!"

Brazilian Indigenous Leader Alessandra Munduruku Awarded Goldman Prize

We celebrate and honor the life and journey of resistance by the great Indigenous leader Alessandra Munduruku. May her example serve as a source of inspiration and strength to continue our work in defense of the Amazon in solidarity with all Indigenous peoples.

The Right to Decide: U’wa Bring Case to Court After 25 Years

“As the U’wa Nation, we have a special mission for the Blue Planet, our Mother Earth, which is to defend her, protect her, safeguard her. Not just for the U’wa but for the whole world. This is the essence of the U’wa struggle from time immemorial.”

How We Leverage “Shareholder Season” for the Amazon

This April and May, the biggest financial backers of corporations that induce climate change and disregard rights will convene for their Annual General Meetings. We hope to push them to vote yes on important climate and Indigenous rights resolutions.

Women Must Be Protagonists in Solving the Climate Crisis

As the most vulnerable population, particularly those at the intersection of the environment and Indigeneity, women should take part in the development of global climate solutions

"We will all be affected by climate change." The truth is that some will face the impacts of this process much more than others. And it is women and girls who are the most vulnerable, with Black and Indigenous women being even more exposed.

Women Defenders for Territories Free of Mining!

Celebrate International Women's Day by meeting defenders on the front lines of the Mining Out of the Amazon movement

Across the Amazon Basin, women are organizing in defense of life, rights, and territories, and are a critical part of the front lines movement resisting increasing threats such as mining.

Josefina Tunki Delivers Testimony at the UN on Behalf of the Shuar Arutam People

Josefina joined communities affected by Chinese business operations in Latin America to testify at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva

“The Shuar Arutam People have already decided and have declared forcefully that we do not want mining or consultation in our territory.”

The Transformative Power of Reciprocity and Gratitude

“Gratitude is so much more than a polite thank you. It is the thread that connects us in a deep relationship. Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency for a giving economy or regenerative economy.”

Movement Against Belo Sun Gains Momentum in Canada

With allies in power, including Environmental Minister Marina Silva and Indigenous Peoples' Minister Sonia Guajajara, what opportunities are now available to halt mining in the Amazon?

We count on the positive energy and mobilization of our supporters so that, together with our partners on the ground in Canada and our allies in the new Brazilian government, we can evaluate and expose the climatic risks of destroying an ecosystem as critical as that of the Volta Grande do Xingu, still threatened by Canadian mining company Belo...

The U.S. ambassador to Peru shakes hands with PM Alberto Otárola

The Massacre in Peru Must Be Stopped!

The violence unleashed by the government of Dina Boluarte is aimed primarily at Indigenous peoples and campesinos in the south of the country and has already claimed over 40 lives

Over the last few weeks, Peru has been going through an unprecedented political and social conflict that has already resulted in more than 40 deaths.

How We’re Ending Amazon Crude in 2023!

Indigenous movements are gaining political, judicial, and legislative victories setting the stage for keeping oil in the ground this year

There are several reasons to be optimistic about building momentum to further restrict plans to expand oil extraction in its Amazon and keep fossil fuels permanently in the ground, and Ecuador is a great example.

Brazil at a Turning Point: “Never Again Without Us!”

Brazil's Indigenous peoples take back the right to decide over their lives and territories under the Lula government

For the first time, a government has put Indigenous peoples at the center, recognizing their ancestral right to decide over their lives and territories.

Amazon Watch at COP15 in Defense of Biodiversity and Indigenous Rights!

Canadian mining company Belo Sun’s stock took a major hit as our new report exposed major risks to investors during COP

Indigenous communities are uniquely qualified to speak on the intersections between mining and biodiversity: Indigenous lands make up around 20% of the Earth’s territory, containing 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity, requiring Indigenous peoples to be at the forefront of all decision-making regarding any global climate commitments.

A Powerful Beacon of Hope in the Colombian Amazon

The Siona of Buenavista are a beacon of resistance against incursions of oil companies like GeoPark into their territories. Solidarity from Colombian and international allies can be crucial to their success.

Reflections on Human Rights and Hope from COP27

After two weeks in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt for the Climate COP27 (The United Nations Conference of Parties on Climate Change), I’m reflecting on our purpose in attending and the outcomes.

Weaving a Tapestry of Direct Actions Toward New Horizons

The activist-led Amazon Defenders Fund (ADF) forges a bond of solidarity between Amazon Watch and our Amazonian partners and allies, and contributes to the woven tapestry of direct actions in their territories.

Many Ways You Can Support Amazon Watch

When you make a U.S. tax-deductible donation to Amazon Watch, you can count on your gift being put to work effectively and immediately to uplift Indigenous visions and solutions for the Amazon.

Executives Refuse to Address Vanguard’s Complicity in Amazon Destruction

A Peruvian delegation of Indigenous and fishing community leaders came to the U.S. to share their first-hand account of Petroperú's impacts on their livelihoods

A Peruvian delegation of Indigenous leaders and fishing communities is in the United States right now, confronting investors on their rights to live free from the devastation caused by the oil company the investors are bankrolling, Petroperú.

Bolsonaro Loses Presidency in Win for the Amazon!

The world is celebrating Brazilians’ close election for Lula, in a victory for the Amazon, Indigenous peoples, and democratic values

"This is a victory of love, of hope, of truth, of freedom, and of our fragile democracy that is now being strengthened," said Sonia Guajajara, Congresswoman-elect.

Indigenous “Headdress Caucus” Headed to Brazil’s Congress in Crucial and Precarious Election

Brazilian Indigenous leaders Sonia Guajajara and Célia Xakriabá were elected to the lower house of Congress while former president Lula da Silva won 48% of the vote, forcing a runoff with President Bolsonaro at the end of the month

While Brazil's presidential contest forced a runoff vote scheduled for the end of October, the election saw the historic victory of members of Brazil’s Indigenous "headdress" caucus in São Paulo and the state of Minas Gerais, in a momentous advance for Indigenous representation in the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil.

Victory: Corporations Behind Climate Week Exposed for Ties to Amazon Destruction

Thousands of Indigenous, frontline, and community activists gathered at NYC Climate Week demanding climate justice

After years of virtual events, Climate Week 2022 coincided with the gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, bringing thousands to New York City to hold leaders accountable for the escalating climate crisis and making the presence of Indigenous peoples more important than ever.

Ecuador Declares Temporary Moratorium on New Oil and Mining Concessions

Ecuador’s Indigenous movement and the government of Guillermo Lasso have agreed to a temporary moratorium on all new oil and mining concessions. This major development puts the country’s plans to double oil production and significantly boost mining investment in question.

Vanguard Funds Indigenous Rights Violations in Peru’s Amazon

Asset manager Vanguard must stop investing in Indigenous rights violations and environmental destruction

The Achuar and Wampis have good reason to oppose further oil extraction: The Northern Peruvian Oil Pipeline, which runs through their territories, has repeatedly ruptured, causing countless spills and constant threats to the environment and safety of their communities.

Sarayaku’s Kawsak Sacha Is What the World Needs Now!

The Kawsak Sacha proposal aims to sustainably preserve and conserve territorial spaces, the material and spiritual relationship established there by native peoples with the living forest and the beings that inhabit it.

Oil in the Peruvian Amazon: Obscene Profits Through Immoral Strategies

Legal attacks against the protections for isolated Indigenous peoples and Peru’s FPIC law are examples of how the oil lobby keeps the current legal framework – the product of years of struggle by Indigenous movements and civil society – under constant siege.

Set Ablaze Again, the Amazon Cannot Survive Another Bolsonaro Term

Since 2019, the Brazilian Amazon has seen record-breaking levels of fires and destruction. Under the Bolsonaro administration, the levels of destruction have skyrocketed and continue to worsen each year as his rhetoric and policies encourage land grabbing, destruction, and violence against Indigenous peoples. This crisis is not only a threat to...

Indigenous Lawyer from the Brazilian Amazon Builds Solidarity and Support in DC

Following increased violence and the murders of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira in Brazil, attorney Eliesio Marubo travels to the U.S. to demand justice

“The problems in our region are not new but the violence has escalated to unprecedented levels because under Bolsonaro, illegal operations have gone unpunished.”

From Local to Global: Peruvian Earth Defenders Confront Deutsche Bank in Germany

Delegation of Indigenous leaders from the Amazon built networks of support and solidarity in the movement against oil expansion in the Amazon

The Wampis and Achuar nations will not permit oil production on Block 64, and they have launched an international campaign to make it clear to anyone who still thinks it might be a good investment to attempt to extract oil from their territories.

Is Vanguard Sinking the Climate Ship?

Asset manager Vanguard is a major investor in some of the mining and oil companies that are causing irreparable harm to the Amazon rainforest and to Indigenous peoples. Vanguard is not only financing destruction and rights violations in the Amazon, but it is financing climate catastrophe throughout the world.

“Coloring” Brazil’s Indigenous Movement

Indigenous LGBTQ+ community in Brazil claims their space at this year’s Free Land Camp

Visibility as a means towards empowerment. That is one of the goals that the Indigenous LGBTQ+ movement in Brazil strives for as they brought their agenda to the center stage of the Free Land Camp this year.

Ecuadorian Indigenous Movement Secures Victories, Ending National Strike

Indigenous leaders and the Ecuadorian government reached an agreement including a repeal of Executive Decree 95 on oil and gas and reform of decree 151 affecting the mining sector, among other demands. Both decrees had authorized the government to expand the extractive frontier into Indigenous territories and important conservation and forest...

Indigenous Peoples Refuse to Be Ignored

The Amazon and Indigenous rights were amplified, not ignored, at the Summit of the Americas

"Oil drilling in our Amazon has brought contamination, disease, deforestation, destruction of our cultures, and the colonization of our territories. It is an existential threat for us and violates our fundamental rights as Indigenous peoples."

The Anti-Chevron Movement Gains New Allies

Activists, workers, and shareholders push company to act on climate and human rights during Annual General Meeting season

Chevron’s reputation as a price gouger, gross polluter, environmental racist, and greedy corporate behemoth with an army of unscrupulous lawyers and greenwashing PR firms grows worse by the day.

Hope and Danger in the Colombian Amazon

Amazon Watch and a high-level diplomatic delegation traveled to southern Colombia in early May to the “Amazon Pearl” to learn about and support local struggles against armed groups and extractive industries

The vision for the Amazon Pearl, created by the hundreds of families that live there, is beautiful: Live off the land in a sustainable way, while creating a professional future for youth through environmental education.

Illegal Miners Terrorize Brazil’s Yanomami Communities

The Bolsonaro regime stands by despite murder and sexual assault

The Yanomami’s Hutukara Association has declared a humanitarian crisis in the wake of the reported rape and killing of a 12-year-old Yanomami girl by miners, the disappearance of a 3-year-old child, and attacks on the Yanomami’s Aracaçá village that have placed the Amazonian community “on the verge of disappearance” because of violence caused by...

Peru Commits to Expel Narcotraffickers and Return Indigenous Lands

While attacks continue, the Kakataibo people are reaching new agreements with the government to get their land back

While Peru is in an ongoing political crisis, the Indigenous movement clamors for justice. The demands are clear: prevent the killings of threatened Earth defenders, pursue legal actions against the murderers, and guarantee Indigenous territorial integrity.

Four Ways Wall Street’s Annual General Meetings Impact the Amazon

During AGM season, consumers and shareholders can pressure corporations to change policies to respond to the climate and guarantee respect for human rights

We’re in the middle of the AGM season, which means corporations and financial institutions – including many complicit in Amazon destruction – will gather investors to discuss key business strategies and annual performance. Amazon Watch has historically strategized around these meetings to pressure them and demand accountability.

Massive Belo Sun Gold Mine Project Blocked in Brazil

Indigenous and traditional communities celebrate as courts hand big loss to the Canadian mining company

The ruling is the result of sustained efforts by civil society and institutional allies to prevent the installation of Belo Sun's massive gold mine and to seek redress for the illegal acts committed in the course of the project's environmental licensing process.

Steven Donziger Is Finally Free. Onward Toward Justice for the People of Ecuador!

Today, human rights lawyer Steven Donziger woke up free, marking the closure of the latest chapter in Chevron’s scheme to evade justice for its toxic dumping in Ecuador. Now all eyes turn back to the true crime – Chevron’s contamination from 1964-1992 in Ecuador and the company’s efforts to escape accountability.

Annual Indigenous Free Land Camp Occupies Brasília

“The demarcation of lands of all Indigenous peoples in Brazil continues to be our main goal. But to guarantee the demarcation, the protection of our lands, we must also 'Indigenize politics' with the presence of diversity, of women occupying the positions of power and decision-making positions.”

Celebrate Earth Day with Amazon Watch!

This Earth Day is perhaps the most important in human history. If we hope to avert the worst of the climate crisis, we must act now. With the Amazon at a tipping point, we must permanently protect the rainforest and make this moment a turning point for the future of our planet.

Petroperú’s Ongoing Threat to the Amazon

Intense market and supply chain conditions – due in part to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – have led to increasing inflation around the world, and Peru has been no exception. Today, the controversial Talara oil refinery will be inaugurated and touted by the government as a solution to the current energy crisis. It is not.

Protect the Amazon, Protect the Planet!

Last year, the International Energy Agency released the most comprehensive and groundbreaking study yet, outlining requirements to meet the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 1.5°C. It argued that if we are to meet those goals, there can be no development of new oil and gas fields and no new coal-fired power stations or coal...