"We, the Indigenous defenders, face threats from drug traffickers when we speak out. We are calling for real change in how this crisis is addressed. Our territories and self-protection systems need global government support."
All Press Releases
For press inquiries or interview requests, please contact [email protected] or +1.510.281.9020.
Toxic Empire on Trial: Chevron Faces Global Rejection from Shareholders
Decades of damage spark a groundswell of resistance – from courtrooms to boardrooms
“Shareholders need to understand they’re receiving dirty money – profits that are ill-gotten gains. This isn’t clean money generated by legitimate business practices. It comes from the suffering of people impacted by Chevron’s wrongdoing."
Coordinated Actions Highlight Chevron Destruction Ahead of Annual Shareholders Meeting
"Chevron is the only multinational oil company with a global day of protest held annually against its abuses – and for good reason. It has contributed more to global greenhouse gas emissions than any other investor-owned oil company in history."
Petroperú’s Oil Gamble Fails: Block 64 Auction Flops Amid Indigenous Opposition
"For many years, we have stood alert and resisted every attempt by the Peruvian government and Petroperú to encroach on our territory."
Canadian Mining Company’s SLAPP Lawsuit Against Amazon Defenders Dismissed in Brazil
Court exposes Belo Sun’s attempt to silence critics of its gold mine project in the heart of the Amazon rainforest
"The court's decision to reject the legal complaint represents a victory for forest protection movements, reining in a company that appears to believe it is above the law."
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Investor Nuns and Baptists Condemn Big Banks For Violating Indigenous Peoples' Rights
"Pope Francis called us to stand in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples impacted by destructive and extraction industries on their lands. We are grateful to Olivia Bisa from the Chapra Nation for presenting our proposal today at the AGM."
Brazilian Indigenous Leaders Blockade Key Amazon Highway Demanding the Repeal of Law
Amid violence and injuries, the Munduruku people maintain their eighth day of peaceful protest and occupation of the BR-230 Trans-Amazon highway, demanding the repeal of a law that fundamentally slashes Indigenous land rights
“The righteous occupation of the BR-230 led by the Munduruku and the government’s failure to protect them from violence demonstrates the ongoing neglect and harm their home state of Pará – host of COP30 this year – is inflicting.”
Rejecting Injustice: Why We Stand with Greenpeace and Standing Rock
Amazon Watch remains unwavering in our commitment to justice, standing with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, water protectors, Indigenous and frontline communities around the world, and Greenpeace.
IACHR Condemns Ecuador for Violating Rights of Tagaeri-Taromenane People
Landmark ruling calls for concrete measures to guarantee their survival
“This judgment of the Inter-American Court is the result of many years of struggle and is a guarantee of the rights to territory for peoples in isolation, so that they can live without the threat of oil, mining, and other threats."
Religious Investors Win SEC Fight Over Indigenous Rights Resolution at Banks
“We, the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon, have lived through ecological devastation, witnessed decades of pollution, and faced repeated threats to our self-determination due to spills caused by oil companies like Petroperú and their financiers, such as Citi."
Environmental Groups Call for Independent Trial Monitors in Greenpeace SLAPP Case
North Dakota case raises major legal concerns regarding Indigenous rights, First Amendment, and free speech protections
“This is a blatant miscarriage of justice that threatens anyone who speaks out against unchecked corporate power, human rights abuses, and environmental destruction. It’s corporate power weaponized through the legal system."
Prominent Attorneys Monitor SLAPP Suit Against Greenpeace
Group aims to bring transparency to North Dakota court in one of the most significant environmental and free speech cases in U.S. history
This lawsuit is more than just a legal battle – it is a pivotal test of free speech and corporate accountability.
Amazon Watch Condemns Trump Administration’s Reckless Attack on USAID
The freeze on U.S. foreign assistance, implemented by the Trump administration, is already causing severe harm to vulnerable communities in the Amazon.
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.”
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.
