Strengthening Indigenous defense against illegal economies
Across the Amazon basin, organized crime is now one of the greatest threats to Indigenous territories and a major driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss. Illegal gold mining, coca production, and land grabbing have surged in recent years, fueling violence, deforestation, and territorial invasion on an alarming scale.
Amazon Watch is advocating for effective state operations against criminal economies as well as international action to support Indigenous rights and territorial governance in alignment with their strategies and visions. In partnership with investigative journalists, we are launching groundbreaking research documenting the scope and impact of organized crime to inform media and decision makers while helping build an ecosystem of support and protection for Earth Defenders at risk.
Campaign goals
- Collective and preventive self-protection mechanisms are established for defenders and their territories
- Strong and rapid emergency measures are accessible to defenders; families are supported during periods of displacement
- The resilience of local communities is strengthened through territorial governance, economic alternatives, and community support systems
Recent highlights
- Securing protection for Earth Defenders: Working with Indigenous communities in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador to implement individual and collective protection measures – including safehouse support, security equipment, and relocation for defenders facing threats from criminal groups.
- Advancing land rights and protection for the Kakataibo people in Peru: Amid escalating threats from drug trafficking and illegal logging, we support the Kakataibo people’s fight for land titling, protection, and justice – defending both their lives and Peru’s Amazon rainforest from violence, exploitation, and deforestation.
- Centering Indigenous voices on the global stage: From the UN Biodiversity, Transnational Organized Crime, and Climate COPs to the G20 and Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, we’re accompanying Indigenous leaders to testify directly about the threats they face and the urgent need for global action.
Latest campaign news and updates
Standing With the Kakataibo
Resilience amid Peru’s crisis of corruption and organized crime
The Kakataibo have made it clear to us: they will not give up. Their fight to reclaim and defend their ancestral lands has lasted more than two decades, and this is simply another chapter in a long struggle for survival and justice.
Defending the Amazon Against Illegal Economies
The Wampís Nation’s fight to defend their territory against an invasion of illegal mining
The Wampís’ fight is not just local, it’s global. Defending the Amazon means defending the planet.
Defending the Defenders: Indigenous Peoples vs. Organized Crime in the Amazon
Organized crime is not just a threat to public safety. It is now one of the main drivers of Amazon deforestation and Indigenous displacement.
Security at the Amazon’s Breaking Point: Tri-Border Report Spurs Concrete Actions After ATCO Summit
“The tri-border must be the test case: protect defenders, dismantle illicit economies, and pair enforcement with peacebuilding and restoration.”
When Criminals Rule the Amazon Jungle and Time Runs Out
The crisis of public security, environmental crime, and human rights must be on the agenda of the Summit of Amazonian Countries
El País | Without coordinated action and meaningful inclusion of local voices, the region faces escalating violence and irreversible damage to one of the world’s most critical ecosystems.
New Report Released: In the Shadows of the State
Illicit Economies and Armed Control in the Triple Border Region of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
"Peace and security in the Amazon are impossible without Indigenous peoples at the heart of the solution."
In the Shadows of the State
Illicit Economies and Armed Control in the Triple Border Region of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
This report calls for a regional strategy centered on environmental protection, state-building, and community governance.
Wampís Territorial Guards Attacked While Defending Their Lands
Peruvian government fails to deliver on anti-mining commitments
"The Wampis have to confront illegal gold miners alone, despite the Peruvian government's supposed offensive against organized crime promoting gold exploitation."
Amazon Crime Crisis: U.N. Backs Indigenous Demands
U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: governments and UNODC must include Indigenous Peoples in anti-crime and environmental policies
Amazonian Indigenous leaders delivered a clear and urgent message: organized crime and illegal economies are devastating the Amazon and threatening the survival of Indigenous Peoples.
