The freeze on U.S. foreign assistance, implemented by the Trump administration, is already causing severe harm to vulnerable communities in the Amazon.
All Press Releases
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Indigenous Leaders Occupy Pará State Education Headquarters
Peaceful protest met with violent government response including rubber bullets and tear gas
"What did the government do in response to our peaceful protest? They sent in shock troops, threw pepper spray in the bathrooms, and cut power to the building. But we remain here in resistance, all for the right to education.”
We Will Not Back Down: Affirming Our Commitment to Global Climate Justice
Now is the time to channel our collective energy toward the people-powered struggles advancing climate justice worldwide.
Reaction to Inter-American Court of Human Rights Sentence in U’wa Case
Statement by U.S.-based human rights organization Amazon Watch, which has accompanied the U'wa people since 1997
Today, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights issued a decisive and favorable sentence to the U’wa Indigenous people of Colombia
Led by Rep. Jim McGovern, 34 Congressional Leaders Urge President Biden: Pardon Environmental Lawyer Steven Donziger
Environmental attorney who fought Chevron for Amazon communities spent almost three years detained on a contempt charge; He is backed by 68 Nobel Laureates, legal expert
“Pardoning Mr. Donziger would send a powerful message to the world that billion-dollar corporations cannot act with impunity against lawyers and their clients who defend the public interest.”
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Brazilian Justice Voids Belo Sun Mining’s Concession
In a major victory for the communities of the Amazon’s Volta Grande do Xingu, a judge’s ruling annulled the Canadian mining company’s contract with Brazil’s Land Reform Institute
A Brazilian federal court issued a major setback to Belo Sun, declaring the contract that granted the company its land concession null and void.
Protest at COP29 Demands Cancellation of Brazil’s Ferrogrão Mega-railway
Action in the climate summit’s Blue Zone denounces the Brazilian government’s contradictions and calls for climate justice in the Amazon
"There's no point in the government talking about climate change while it approves mining, carbon credits, and projects like Ferrogrão, which destroy our lands and cultures."
Biden’s Amazon Legacy: Bold Promises Demand Bold Actions Amid Looming Threats to the Rainforest’s Survival
As the Amazon approaches a catastrophic tipping point of ecological collapse, we welcome President Biden’s statements and increased commitment, but we are disappointed that this support comes in the final days of Biden’s administration.
Brazilian Activists Block Tapajós River to Oppose Ferrogrão Mega-railway
Indigenous-led action temporarily halts commodity shipping on major Amazonian river to protest mounting agribusiness-driven threats
“Our action today is meant to send a message to Brazil’s federal government: Ferrogrão’s destruction would jump its tracks, deeply affecting the Tapajós River and beyond.”
Amazon Watch Statement on UN Biodiversity COP16
Towards True Peace with Nature: Reflections and Urgent Actions Post-COP16
On the path to the historic COP30 in 2025, it is imperative that the demands and vision of the global climate movement are front and center in negotiations to address the global climate crisis.
Indigenous Peoples on the Front Lines of Criminal Economies in the Amazon Fight Back at COP16
"Paper declarations, small projects, and militaristic approaches are failing to combat illegal mining and drug trafficking"
"Prior consultation must be a key tool for implementing strategies to fight drug trafficking in the Amazon. Enough with empty declarations. We need real combined efforts between governments and our organizations if we want to defeat criminal economies."
US Billionaires Called on to End Forest Destruction in Mega Mural by Famous Brazilian “Artivist”
Cargill-MacMillian family linked to environmental devastation in South America
"I see this painting as a call to end the destruction that companies like Cargill continue to cause around the world."
Defending Global Biodiversity: Amazonian Leaders Push for Indigenous Land Rights at COP16
A delegation of Indigenous Amazonian leaders from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru will be in Cali, Colombia for the Convention on Biological Diversity COP16 to advocate for the protection of Indigenous land rights as a key strategy to safeguard remaining global biodiversity
Indigenous land defenders are delivering a clear message to world leaders in Colombia: Indigenous land rights must be protected to safeguard remaining global biodiversity and our collective future.
Murder of Peruvian Indigenous Earth Defender Underscores the Importance of Indigenous Land Rights
The discovery of murdered Peruvian Indigenous leader Gerardo Keimari Enrique underscores the need to center land titling and Indigenous rights as key strategies to protect the Amazon and Indigenous peoples
"This tragic incident is yet another case of an Indigenous leader who was targeted while advocating for a full land title for his community's territory in a contested area of the Peruvian Amazon."
Brazil’s Justice Minister Clears Munduruku Territory for Formal Titling
The “declaration” of Sawré Muybu territory upholds embattled Indigenous land rights in an endangered Amazonian region
“This is an enormous triumph for the Munduruku people, and for all of us who fight for Indigenous rights, for the forest, and for climate justice. It is proof that, even in the most ruthless of contexts, it is possible to achieve remarkable victories."
Immediate Global Action Needed to Contain Amazon Fires Emergency
Amazon Fire Response Fund established for immediate relief
Amazon Watch stands with affected Indigenous peoples and traditional communities in calling on the governments of Amazon nations and the international community to take immediate action to address this crisis.
Amazon Fire Response Fund: Indigenous-Led Solutions for a Burning Rainforest
The newly-launched Amazon Fire Response fund will respond directly to the crisis across the Amazon by supporting critical short- and long-term solutions.
Human Rights Crisis in Ecuador
The role of the United States and multilateral organizations in security strategies and combating organized crime
A delegation from Ecuador presented the results of a mission aimed at providing firsthand information on the serious setbacks in human rights and the impacts of illegal economies on Indigenous and peasant communities.
Daniel Noboa’s Calls for Renewable Energy Investments in Ecuador at Extreme Odds With Divisive Copper-Gold Project in Amazon
“Instead of appealing to foreign investors about renewables in Ecuador, the Noboa administration must first confront the alarming consequences of expanding mining into the Amazon."
Solaris Stock Drops To an All Time Low After Misleading Statement
“The company’s rosy and clear-cut description of its Warintza model is quickly falling apart in the eyes of investors and shareholders who have been fed inaccurate information for years. The share price plummeting to rock-bottom today is a testament to that.”
AIDESEP Declares Permanent State of Emergency Following the Murder of Kakataibo Leader
"The Kakataibo people will not allow any more assassinations or invasions. Our guards are mobilized and firm. We are forming new alliances with our Asháninka brothers to face the danger."
Citi Shift on Amazon Oil Policy Will Still Allow Funding of Destruction
“This policy is a hollow promise that fails to state meaningful measures on how Citi will hold clients like Petroperú accountable for destructive Amazon oil expansion plans and contamination threatening Indigenous peoples today.”
Ecuadorian Indigenous Organizations Deny "Agreement" Announced by Solaris Resources
AGM to occur amidst financial setbacks, decreasing share prices, and social conflicts resulting from flagship mining project in the Ecuadorian Amazon
“Solaris has entered our territories illegally and without consultation, co-opting former leaders, dividing communities and families, and provoking confrontations."
50 NGOs Urge President Biden to Pardon Human Rights Lawyer Steven Donziger
Groups urge Biden to follow recommendation by the U.N. to launch an investigation into the reasons that triggered Mr. Donziger’s arbitrary detention
“A pardon for Mr. Donziger will send a clear message that corporations in the U.S. cannot misuse the judicial system to criminalize human rights defenders."
Communities From California to Ecuador Rise Up in a Month of Action Culminating at Chevron’s Annual General Meeting
CEO Mike Wirth continues misinformation and denial at AGM
“Despite Chevron’s attempts to hide its actions and community outrage from its shareholders and board of directors, this year’s AGM was a reminder that Chevron maintains the mantle as the world’s worst fossil fuel corporation."
Solaris Resources Faces Major Setback As Deal With Zijin Mining Falls Through
Project controversies, regulatory delay, and investor skepticism doom CAD$130 million deal over Ecuadorian Amazon project
Canada’s Solaris Resources announced yesterday that a CAD$130 million investment deal with Chinese firm Zijin Mining was dead, abruptly ending a much touted infusion of capital needed to advance its flagship Warintza project.
Over 30% of JPMorgan Investors Support Resolution on Indigenous Rights
Over 30% investors at the biggest U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase have backed a resolution on Indigenous rights, which was presented by a Peruvian Amazon leader facing death threats over her opposition to oil drilling.
Bay Area Gathers Against Chevron for Palestine and Communities Around the World
"Chevron is not only one of the world's most flagrant polluters, the company literally wrote the playbook on how corporations can undermine democracy and the rule of law to try to silence their critics."
Major Brazilian Mobilization Demands Indigenous Land Rights in the Face of Mounting Threats
The Indigenous Free Land Camp strives to defend embattled constitutional rights while fighting grave threats from the agribusiness and mining sectors
"Ferrogrão is the train of death, of deforestation. The railroad is not going to carry people, as they claim, but grain production of international companies that are financing this project."
