Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.10, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

# Amazon Watch

Protecting the rainforest and our climate by supporting Indigenous peoples

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://amazonwatch.org/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [All News, Blog Posts, Reports, Press Releases, and Updates](https://amazonwatch.org/archive) - A complete archive of all posts from our website.
- [All News, Blog Posts, Reports, Press Releases, and Updates](https://amazonwatch.org/archive) - A complete archive of all posts from our website.
- [Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Permits Analysis of Controversial Soybean Railway That Threatens the Amazon Rainforest and Severely Impacts Indigenous Land ](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0606-brazilian-supreme-court-judge-permits-analysis-of-controversial-soybean-railway-that-threatens-the-amazon-rainforest-and-severely-impacts-indigenous-land) - The railway is regarded as one of the most anti-environmental projects being considered by Lula de Silva's government and has even been dubbed the "new Belo Monte."
- [Brazil's Pivotal Indigenous Land Rights Ruling Faces Another Delay](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0608-brazils-pivotal-indigenous-land-rights-ruling-faces-another-delay) - “The Supreme Court’s definitive ruling denying the Marco Temporal thesis is the only means to counter the moves of Brazil’s agribusiness-oriented Congress and guarantee these proposed legislation's unconstitutionality.”
- [Indigenous Peoples Reject Canadian Copper Mining Project in Ecuadorian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0622-indigenous-peoples-reject-canadian-copper-mining-project-in-ecuadorian-amazon) - "Mining 'development' is a myth. It is ravaging communities and Ecuador’s unique ecosystems. People have had enough. We are putting companies and investors on notice that they are not welcome in our territories, and we defend our rights.”
- [The Achuar and Wampis Peoples of the Peruvian Amazon Continue Their Fight Against Oil Exploration in Block 64](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0609-the-achuar-and-wampis-peoples-of-the-peruvian-amazon-continue-their-fight-against-oil-exploration-in-block-64) - David Peas, the Vice President of the National Federation of the Achuar of Peru, just sent us this personal message of gratitude and continued resistance.
- [Tireless Resistance for Mother Nature](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0416-tireless-resistance-for-mother-nature) - A picture is worth a thousand tears. That was what I felt traveling to Ecuadorian Amazon with Amazon Watch on a woman donors delegation last month where we traveled from the Andes to the Amazon and deep into the remote Kichwa community of Sarayaku.
- [Triple Trouble: Geopolitics, Illicit Economies, and the Risks of the "War Against Narco-Terrorism" in the Colombia-Ecuador-Peru Tri-Border](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0709-triple-trouble-geopolitics-illicit-economies-and-the-risks-of-the-war-against-narco-terrorism-in-the-colombia-ecuador-peru-tri-border) - A new report by Amazon Watch and Amazon Underworld documents how U.S.-backed militarization, expanding criminal economies, and incoming right-wing governments are converging in one of the most volatile regions of the Amazon.
- [Pushing Back Against the “Donroe Doctrine”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0226-pushing-back-against-the-donroe-doctrine) - When Petro met Trump on February 3, the stakes were high. The Trump Administration had decertified Colombia from receiving security assistance on grounds that it was not adequately addressing drug trafficking.
- [Triple Trouble](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0708-triple-trouble) - This report documents how dramatically the region's landscape has shifted in just one year: escalating U.S. military intervention, incoming hardline governments across all three countries, and a "war on narco-terrorism."
- ["We Are Fed Up!"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/0523-we-are-fed-up) - In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day in Brazil last month, a group of high-profile Brazilian artists announced that they were fed up with the mounting attacks against Brazil's indigenous peoples and called on the public to take urgent action in support of indigenous rights.
- [A Living Forest, Not an Oil Field: Sarayaku’s Vision for the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0626-a-living-forest-not-an-oil-field-sarayakus-vision-for-the-amazon) - More than two decades ago, helicopters, soldiers, and oil workers descended on the territory of the Kichwa people of Sarayaku, in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon.
- [Indigenous Leaders Bring Amazon Crime Crisis to the UN](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0420-indigenous-leaders-bring-amazon-crime-crisis-to-the-un) - An urgent message is traveling from the Amazon to the United Nations. This week, Amazon Watch will accompany a delegation of Indigenous leaders from Peru and Ecuador to New York for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).
- [A New Gold Rush Threatens the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0506-a-new-gold-rush-threatens-the-amazon) - Whenever gold returns to the center of global geopolitics, the Amazon comes back into the crosshairs. The war between the United States and Iran has put the metal back on the radar of markets, investors, and the extractive industry.
- [Playing For Change Brings Together Manu Chao and Alexandre Carlo in a Song for the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0619-playing-for-change-brings-together-manu-chao-and-alexandre-carlo-in-a-song-for-the-amazon) - Today, Playing For Change, a global project known for bringing together musicians from different countries in collaborative videos, released the song “Acontecer,” an international call to protect the Amazon, Indigenous peoples, and the planet.
- [El Niño Returns to an Amazon Already on the Brink](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0618-el-nino-returns-to-an-amazon-already-on-the-brink) - A future where forests thrive and Indigenous rights are respected is possible. But it requires acting with far greater urgency than the world has managed so far.
- [We Are Facing a Global Emergency in the Amazon. Here's What We Can Do.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0824-we-are-facing-a-global-emergency-in-the-amazon-heres-what-we-can-do) - Now that the world is finally paying attention to the Amazon Basin, it's important to also understand that governments and companies around the world are emboldening the Bolsonaro regime's toxic policies when they enter into trade agreements with his government or invest in agribusiness companies operating in the Amazon.
- [Catastrophic Oil Spill in the Peruvian Amazon Pits State Energy Company Against Local Tribe](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/1211-catastrophic-oil-spill-in-the-peruvian-amazon-pits-state-energy-company-against-local-tribe) - Last week, at least 8,000 barrels of crude oil gushed into the northern Amazon rainforest in Peru, creating one of the worst spills the region has seen in years. State oil company Petroperú is blaming a local indigenous community for sabotaging a pipeline and triggering the spill, but the leader of Peru's Wampis Nation, whose members make up that community, denies the accusations.
- [Ese Eja: A Young Nation Guided by Ancestral Vision](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0826-ese-eja-a-young-nation-guided-by-ancestral-vision) - One Amazonian nation that has prioritized addressing collective needs in their community during the pandemic has been the Ese Eja. It is now a young nation with a clear political vision, solid organizing, and communal ties. With a direct grant from the ADF, the Ese Eja have equipped their health posts with oxygen concentrators in each of their communities, dug water wells, and strengthened river transportation between communities using small canoes. "Our communities now have oxygen concentrators and basic health equipment that even some larger centralized hospitals do not have," shared Cesar Augusto.
- [10th Annual Global Anti-Chevron Day](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0523-10th-annual-global-anti-chevron-day) - 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.
- [Indigenous Women Tour Ecuador Oil Field as Warning Against Amazon Drilling Expansion](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0314-indigenous-women-tour-ecuador-oil-field-as-warning-against-amazon-drilling-expansion) - “We want to live in a healthy environment and in harmony with the forest."
- [Peru’s Amazon at a Crossroads as Drug Trafficking Expands Across Indigenous Territories](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0521-perus-amazon-at-a-crossroads-as-drug-trafficking-expands-across-indigenous-territories) - A new report on the impact of drug trafficking on Indigenous Peoples in Peru warns that the country faces a defining decision: confront the rapid expansion of organized crime in the Amazon, or risk allowing new systems of criminal power to take root across vast regions of the country.
- [This Month Governments Meet to Plan a Fossil Fuel Phaseout. The Amazon Must Be Heard.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0407-this-month-governments-meet-to-plan-a-fossil-fuel-phaseout-the-amazon-must-be-heard) - Indigenous peoples have demanded for decades that governments come together and commit to getting off fossil fuels. The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, taking place later this month in Santa Marta, Colombia, is a manifestation of that demand.
- [Canadian Mining Company Changes President in Brazil Amid Xingu Dispute](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0608-canadian-mining-company-changes-president-in-brazil-amid-xingu-dispute) - Canadian mining company Belo Sun has changed the leadership of its operations in Brazil. The move comes as the company works to convince investors that the project is moving forward.
- [Chevron Shareholders Face Mounting Global Revolt Over Human Rights Abuses, Environmental Racism, and Corporate Impunity](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0527-chevron-shareholders-face-mounting-global-revolt-over-human-rights-abuses-environmental-racism-and-corporate-impunity) - Shareholders, Indigenous leaders, human rights defenders, and environmental justice advocates converged on Chevron's Annual General Meeting today.
- [Chevron Faces Shareholder, Union and Community Revolt at Annual Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2012/0530-chevron-faces-shareholder-union-and-community-revolt-at-annual-meeting) - San Ramon, CA – Today, more than 150 protested at Chevron's annual shareholder meeting, joining together a unique group of union members, shareholders and community leaders. Every year, Chevron faces opposition at its shareholder meeting, but today's protest drew a larger and more diverse crowd galvanized by the oil giant's year of legal problems, oil spills and fines for reckless business practices.
- [Conoco Drilling Threatens Water Source for Half Million in Peru](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2012/0509-conoco-drilling-threatens-water-source-for-half-million-in-peru) - San Francisco, CA – Grassroots opposition is mounting as ConocoPhillips' plans to drill for oil within the fresh-water source for Peru's largest rainforest city.
- [Understanding Recent Developments in the Landmark Chevron-Ecuador Case](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2012/0415-understanding-recent-developments-in-the-landmark-chevron-ecuador-case) - After 19 years of litigation, the monumental class action lawsuit against oil giant Chevron for environmental devastation in the Ecuadorian Amazon is nearing an end. On January 3, 2012, an Ecuadorian appeals court confirmed an $18 billion judgment against Chevron. This judgment is exceeded in size only by BP's expected outlay for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The judgment is internationally binding, and it sends the message that corporations cannot evade justice for their crimes around the world. It sets major precedents, not only for Ecuador's indigenous people and farmer communities, but also for international human rights, environmental law and corporate accountability.
- [Chevron Paid Thousands to Influence Government Trade Talks](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2012/0224-chevron-paid-thousands-to-influence-government-trade-talks) - Washington, DC – Chevron Corp. paid thousands of dollars to sponsor an exclusive corporate reception today in Washington, DC, which will be attended by foreign ambassadors and U.S. state governors, in an effort to influence ongoing talks of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
- [Bay Area Communities Mark 13th Annual Anti-Chevron Day with Global Speakers, Festival, and March in Richmond](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0512-bay-area-communities-mark-13th-annual-anti-chevron-day-with-global-speakers-festival-and-march-in-richmond) - Community organizations, environmental justice advocates, and international frontline leaders will gather across the Bay Area next week for the 13th annual Anti-Chevron Day, May 13-17, 2026, culminating in a major public festival and march in Richmond.
- [Brazil’s Supreme Court Approves Reduction of Amazonian Park, Paving the Way for Megarailroad](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0522-brazils-supreme-court-approves-reduction-of-amazonian-park-paving-the-way-for-megarailroad) - Brazil’s Supreme Court upheld a law reducing the size of the Jamanxim National Park, allowing the Ferrogrão railway project to move closer to environmental licensing.
- [Brazilian Court Mounts Pressure on Canadian Mining Companies Operating in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0521-brazilian-court-mounts-pressure-on-canadian-mining-companies-operating-in-the-amazon) - “Waking up to this news brought us extreme happiness. Every victory, small or large, strengthens our work even more."
- [At Chevron's Gates, Communities Demand Justice and a Fossil-Free Future](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0521-at-chevrons-gates-communities-demand-justice-and-a-fossil-free-future) - For the 13th year running, Anti-Chevron Day brought frontline leaders from across the globe to the shadow of Chevron's Richmond refinery.
- [What Happens When an Oil Company Actually Chooses to Be a Sociopath? #AntiChevron Day](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/0522-what-happens-when-an-oil-company-actually-chooses-to-be-a-sociopath-antichevron-day) - You gotta give Chevron credit for bringing people together. Communities on five continents came together yesterday to denounce the oil giant's environmental and human rights practices.
- [Indigenous Peoples Brought the Amazon Crime Crisis to the U.N. What Happens Next?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0519-indigenous-peoples-brought-the-amazon-crime-crisis-to-the-u-n-what-happens-next) - “It is fundamental that states understand Indigenous peoples are crucial actors when it comes to security and containing organized crime."
- ["The River Won": How Campaigners in the Brazilian Amazon Stopped Privatisation of Waterway](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0227-the-river-won-how-campaigners-in-brazilian-amazon-stopped-privatisation-of-waterway) - "A victory for life.” That was the triumphal message from Indigenous campaigners in the Brazilian Amazon this week after they staved off a threat to the Tapajós River by occupying a grain terminal operated by Cargill, the biggest privately owned company in the United States.
- [Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Peru Must Protect Kakataibo People in Isolation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0331-inter-american-commission-on-human-rights-peru-must-protect-kakataibo-people-in-isolation) - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has issued a clear mandate, ordering the Peruvian State to protect the Kakataibo people living in voluntary isolation in the Kakataibo Indigenous Reserve.
- [Brazilian Court To Rule on Whether Belo Sun's Amazon Gold Mine Stays Suspended](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0518-brazilian-court-to-rule-on-whether-belo-suns-amazon-gold-mine-stays-suspended) - Scientists said that any dam failure could send toxic waste rapidly into the river, threatening Indigenous and riverine communities as well as the ecosystem.
- [Hope and Action To Phase Out Fossil Fuels](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0512-hope-and-action-to-phase-out-fossil-fuels) - Traveling back to Bogotá from the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, I struggled to name a feeling I had never experienced after a climate conference: hope!
- [Ecuador Forced to Delay Oil Round. Now Let's Make Them Cancel It!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2013/0722-ecuador-forced-to-delay-oil-round-now-lets-make-them-cancel-it) - This is the second time that the government has been forced to extend the deadline for bids, and is just the latest in a series of serious setbacks to the government's attempts to auction off millions of acres of the Amazon.
- [Indigenous Amazon Groups Urge the U.N. To Curb Organized Crime, Not Militarize Territories](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0511-indigenous-amazon-groups-urge-the-u-n-to-curb-organized-crime-not-militarize-territories) - “In light of this situation, it is essential that responses to organized crime and illicit economies do not translate into new processes of militarization, criminalization, or the subordination of Indigenous governance systems.”
- [Amazon Indigenous Delegation Arrives to Historic Conference on Transition Away From Fossil Fuels](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0425-amazon-indigenous-delegation-arrives-to-historic-conference-on-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels) - The First Conference on Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels marks a turning point in climate diplomacy. It is the first time countries will explicitly address the root cause of the climate crisis: the unmitigated proliferation of fossil fuels.
- [Amazon Watch and Allied Organizations Release Landmark Report on Amazon Crime](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0420-amazon-watch-and-allied-organizations) - In the context of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Amazon Watch, together with allied organizations, presents the first report to analyze how illicit economies and repressive government responses threaten the rights, territories, and physical and cultural survival of Indigenous peoples.
- [Indigenous Peoples Call on U.N. Action as Organized Crime Expands Across the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0511-indigenous-peoples-call-on-un-action-as-organized-crime-expands-across-the-amazon) - Indigenous leaders who gathered at the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues are demanding a decisive shift away from failed militarized responses toward rights-based approaches that center Indigenous territorial governance, autonomy, and community-led security systems in efforts to confront organized crime.
- [Territorios Indígenas Bajo Amenaza](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0420-territorios-indigenas-bajo-amenaza) - Este informe llama a una estrategia regional centrada en la protección ambiental, el fortalecimiento institucional del Estado y la gobernanza comunitaria.
- [Amazon Under Siege](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0420-amazon-under-siege) - This report calls for a regional strategy centered on environmental protection, state-building, and community governance.
- [Brasília Becomes Indigenous Territory](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0413-brasilia-becomes-indigenous-territory) - Last week, Brazil’s capital Brasília was transformed into a center of Indigenous resistance. With more than 7,000 Indigenous people occupying the capital, the 2026 Free Land Camp (ATL) pressured Brazil’s government to uphold native land rights
- [In a Major March, Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples Demand Land Demarcation and the Cancellation of Ferrogrão](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0410-in-a-major-march-brazils-indigenous-peoples-demand-land-demarcation-and-the-cancellation-of-ferrograo) - More than 7,000 Indigenous people marched through the streets of Brasília yesterday under the banner “Demarcate, Lula! A sovereign Brazil is one with demarcated and protected Indigenous lands.”
- [Middle Xingu Indigenous Women Mark One Month of Mobilization Against Belo Sun’s Advance in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0325-middle-xingu-indigenous-women-mark-one-month-of-mobilization-against-belo-suns-advance-in-the-amazon) - One month into their occupation of the Altamira headquarters of Brazil’s National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI), Indigenous women from the Middle Xingu region led a peaceful action.
- [Major Indigenous Protest in Brazil Targets Belo Sun Gold Mine Project](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0408-major-indigenous-protest-in-brazil-targets-belo-sun-gold-mine-project) - Thousands of Indigenous people marched in Brazil’s capital yesterday, during the second day of the 2026 Free Land Camp (ATL), the country’s largest Indigenous mobilization, to denounce land rights violations driven by large-scale mining, agribusiness, and logging projects.
- [The Trump Doctrine in Latin America: Carry a Big Stick and Speak of “Total Extermination”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0402-the-trump-doctrine-in-latin-america-carry-a-big-stick-and-speak-of-total-extermination) - The Administration designated a dozen Latin American criminal cartels as terrorist organizations and launched Operation Southern Spear in September.
- [“The rainforest speaks with the voice of a woman.”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0331-the-rainforest-speaks-with-the-voice-of-a-woman) - On International Women's Day, Indigenous women from across the Ecuadorian Amazon traveled by foot, car, and canoe to Puyo with a single, unified demand: No more oil in the Amazon.
- [Justice for Indigenous Girls in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0309-justice-for-indigenous-girls-in-the-peruvian-amazon) - More than 800 cases of sexual abuse against Indigenous girls and boys remain unresolved in Condorcanqui. A growing health emergency compounds the crisis.
- [Bringing Down a Decree: Inside the Indigenous Victory on the Tapajós River](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0317-bringing-down-a-decree-inside-the-indigenous-victory-on-the-tapajos-river) - On January 30, I witnessed the inauguration of the Munduruku people’s Pariri Association headquarters at the Praia do Mangue Indigenous Reserve.
- [Amazon Watch Turns 30](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0312-amazon-watch-turns-30) - What began as a commitment to support frontline communities has grown into a global movement for rainforest protection, Indigenous rights, and climate justice.
- [Amazonian Indigenous Women Occupy Federal Agency to Demand Suspension of Belo Sun Mining’s License](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0311-amazonian-indigenous-women-occupy-federal-agency-to-demand-suspension-of-belo-sun-minings-license) - More than 140 Indigenous people have occupied the Brazilian federal Indigenous agency FUNAI’s regional office to demand the suspension of Belo Sun’s mining license for its “Volta Grande” gold mine on the banks of the Xingu River.
- [When Criminal Networks Invade the Amazon, Indigenous Autonomy Resists](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0304-when-criminal-networks-invade-the-amazon-indigenous-autonomy-resists) - More than 60 Indigenous leaders from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru gathered in the Peruvian Amazon to confront a rapidly growing threat.
- [How Indigenous Women Forced Peru to Reverse a Dangerous Rollback of Justice](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0303-how-indigenous-women-forced-peru-to-reverse-a-dangerous-rollback-of-justice) - Awajún and Wampis women have transformed grief into organized power, compelling the state to reverse a dangerous rollback of justice services for survivors of sexual violence.
- [Brazil Court Revives Belo Sun’s Controversial Amazon Gold Mine as Indigenous Communities File Misconduct Complaint](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0225-brazil-court-revives-belo-suns-controversial-amazon-gold-mine-as-indigenous-communities-file-misconduct-complaint) - “We are already suffering the impacts of the Belo Monte dam.. If another project of this scale comes, the Volta Grande will not withstand it.”
- [Indigenous Resistance Forces Brazil To Revoke Amazon Waterway Decree After 33 Days of Occupation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0223-indigenous-resistance-forces-brazil-to-revoke-amazon-waterway-decree-after-33-days-of-occupation) - “This proves that life – the river – has no price. It cannot be sold, it is not negotiable. That’s why we will never back down.”
- [Indigenous Leaders Defending the Amazon Take Center Stage in New Amazon Watch Video](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0220-indigenous-leaders-defending-the-amazon-take-center-stage-in-new-amazon-watch-video) - New short video narrated by Avatar star Oona Chaplin features director James Cameron, legendary Chief Raoni Metuktire, and Goldman Environmental Prize winner Alessandra Korap Munduruku
- [From Pandora to the Amazon, Indigenous Leadership Is Protecting Life on Earth](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0220-from-pandora-to-the-amazon-indigenous-leadership-is-protecting-life-on-earth) - More than a decade after Avatar brought global attention to the destruction of Indigenous lands, Amazon Watch has released a new short video.
- [Indigenous Protesters Intercept Grain Barge, Escalating Demands to Repeal Decree Privatizing Amazonian Rivers](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0219-indigenous-protesters-intercept-grain-barge-escalating-demands-to-repeal-decree-privatizing-amazonian-rivers) - Today, 400 Indigenous peoples in four boats intercepted a grain barge on the Tapajós River in the city of Santarém (PA).
- [Indigenous Caravan Departs from Sinop to Belém To Protest Against Ferrogrão](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1001-indigenous-caravan-departs-from-sinop-to-belem-to-protest-against-ferrograo) - “We will not allow the interests of large corporations, such as Cargill and Bunge, to destroy our rivers and forests."
- [Indigenous Peoples Maintain Indefinite Blockade of Cargill on the Tapajós River](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0210-indigenous-peoples-maintain-indefinite-blockade-of-cargill-on-the-tapajos-river) - Today the Indigenous occupation at Cargill’s grain terminal in Santarém entered its 20th day, deepening the movement’s standoff with the Lula administration over plans to dredge the Tapajós and privatize Amazonian rivers.
- [2026: A Year of Decision for the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0127-2026-a-year-of-decision-for-the-amazon) - The Amazon has reached an ecological tipping point. What happens in 2026 will help determine whether climate justice remains possible or becomes an empty slogan.
- [Hope Is a Practice: 30 Years Walking With the U'wa People](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0113-hope-is-a-practice-30-years-walking-with-the-uwa-people) - In a time of repression and daily outrage, where do we find hope? For nearly 30 years, the U’wa people of Colombia have shown the world what spiritual, cultural, and political resistance looks like. Their struggle continues, and so does our commitment.
- [Indigenous Leadership and Collective Power in 2025](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1226-indigenous-leadership-and-collective-power-in-2025) - As climate denial gained renewed political traction and governments moved to restrict civic space, Indigenous peoples and grassroots movements across the Amazon advanced bold, collective visions for the future.
- [Indigenous Brazilians Protest Amazon River Dredging for Grain Exports](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0204-indigenous-brazilians-protest-amazon-river-dredging-for-grain-exports) - Hundreds of Indigenous people have been protesting in northern Brazil for two weeks outside the port terminal of U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill, angered over the dredging and development of Amazonian rivers for grain exports.
- [Indigenous Peoples Block Access to Santarém Airport in Protest of Tapajós River Dredging](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0204-indigenous-peoples-block-access-to-santarem-airport-in-protest-of-tapajos-river-dredging) - Indigenous Peoples from the Tapajós region blocked the main access road to Santarém International Airport today, escalating a mobilization ongoing since January 22.
- [Amazon Watch Reaction To Petro-Trump Meeting at the White House](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0204-amazon-watch-reaction-to-petro-trump-meeting-at-the-white-house) - Yesterday’s meeting between Colombian President Petro and Donald Trump offers hope but doesn’t guarantee an improvement in the relationship between the two leaders.
- [Amazonian Indigenous Blockade of Key Cargill Terminal Reaches One Week](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0129-amazonian-indigenous-blockade-of-key-cargill-terminal-reaches-one-week) - For the past week, Indigenous peoples representing 14 ethnicities from the Lower and Middle Tapajós River region have blockaded facilities operated by agribusiness multinational Cargill in Santarém, protesting industrial interventions designed to accelerate agro-commodity exports.
- [Indigenous Protest Enters Second Week as Brazil Faces Pressure Over Amazon Waterway Decree](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0204-indigenous-protest-enters-second-week-as-brazil-faces-pressure-over-amazon-waterway-decree) - On the 13th day blockading Cargill’s grain terminal in Santarém, Indigenous protestors are demanding in-person dialogue with Brazil's federal government, following its failure to send representatives to a meeting last week.
- [Indigenous Protesters Block Cargill Facility in Brazil Over President Lula’s Decree](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0128-indigenous-protesters-block-cargill-facility-in-brazil-over-president-lulas-decree) - Hundreds of Indigenous people have been protesting for almost a week at a Cargill facility in Brazil against a decree allowing the federal government to consider private concessions for waterways.
- [What Brazil's New Legal Landscape Means for the Amazon and Its Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2026/0127-what-brazils-new-legal-landscape-means-for-the-amazon-and-its-peoples) - Despite clear warnings from research institutions, Brazil is moving closer to licensing a mega-project based on incomplete and flawed environmental studies.
- [The DiCaprio Factor: Oscar Winner Speaks Out Against Peruvian Oil Spills](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0302-the-dicaprio-factor-oscar-winner-speaks-out-against-peruvian-oil-spills) - The saga of Peru’s Amazonian oil spills continues, more than a month after the first rupture in Chiriaco. The fight for clean-up and accountability went to a new level on Monday, as Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio spoke out for the cause to his 35 million social media followers.
- [Keep Off Our Land, Indigenous Women Tell Ecuador's President](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0323-keep-off-our-land-indigenous-women-tell-ecuadors-president) - "Your government cannot permit that our rights continue to be violated," Patricia Gualinga, an indigenous Kichwa from Sarayaku, told the president during the meeting. "Ecuador has to change its energy policy. It could be an example for the world," she said. Gualinga, who received death threats in January, said environmental defenders, particularly women, were increasingly at risk in Ecuador.
- [Peru Tribal Leaders Vow To Halt Oil Output Unless Indigenous Rights Respected](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0825-peru-tribal-leaders-vow-to-halt-oil-output-unless-indigenous-rights-respected) - Indigenous leaders from the area around Peru's largest oil field have threatened to block the government from accessing their territories and halt oil production unless an indigenous rights law is applied within twenty days.
- [Defying Brazilian Government, Indigenous Group Proceeds with Demarcation of Amazonian Territory](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/1105-defying-brazilian-government-indigenous-group-proceeds-with-demarcation-of-amazonian-territory) - In response to the Dilma Rousseff government's failure to recognize indigenous rights to lands scheduled for flooding by two mega-dam projects, the Munduruku people have taken the extraordinary measure to demarcate their own territory.
- [Amazon Watch Welcomes Acquittals in Peru's Baguazo Case, But Denounces Ongoing Impunity for Real Perpetrators](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0923-amazon-watch-welcomes-acquittals-in-perus-baguazo-case) - Late yesterday, Peru's Superior Court of Justice of the Amazonas region announced the long-anticipated verdict in the Baguazo trial, throwing out for lack of evidence all charges against the 52 indigenous defendants in the case, including internationally-recognized leaders Alberto Pizango and Santiago Manuin.
- [Amazonian Communities in Peru Rejoice as Plan for Oil Drilling on Ancestral Land Stalls](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0516-amazonian-communities-in-peru-rejoice-as-plan-for-oil-drilling-on-ancestral-land-stalls) - “Local communities and their allies will remain alert to this zombie project which has been killed multiple times but always attempts to return from the dead.”
- [The Amazon Does Not Need New Wars](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1217-the-amazon-does-not-need-new-wars) - If history offers any lesson, it is this: every time the Amazon has been militarized in the name of order, the forest lost, its peoples lost, and democracy lost. Repeating that path is not a solution.
- [Small Steps Made, Big Leaps Needed: JPMorgan Chase Reveals Policy Shifts](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1219-small-steps-made-big-leaps-needed-jpmorgan-chase-reveals-policy-shifts) - The changes fall far short of what is needed to prevent violations of Indigenous peoples' rights and to halt large scale destruction of critical ecosystems like the Amazon biome.
- [From Self-Government to Climate Leadership: The Wampis Nation's Story](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1211-from-self-government-to-climate-leadership-the-wampis-nations-story) - “For us, the Wampis, autonomy means living in freedom and peace as we have inherited our territory. It means being free from pollution and deciding our own future, for ourselves, but also for all of humanity”.
- [Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Void Belo Sun's Consultation, Threatening Mega-mine's Approval](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1218-amazonian-indigenous-peoples-void-belo-suns-consultation-threatening-mega-mines-approval) - “Prior consultation is a binding requirement established by the Federal Regional Court and an indispensable condition for the environmental licensing process to move forward.“
- [Indigenous People Are Leading the End of the Fossil Fuel Era in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1216-indigenous-people-are-leading-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-era-in-the-amazon) - The path forward is simple and urgent. Governments must declare the Amazon and Indigenous territories no-go zones for fossil fuels.
- ["It's Not Safe to Live Here."](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1208-its-not-safe-to-live-here) - “We have to continue defending the future, and we need more and more people to join this cause.”
- [Ecuador Rejects Militarization and Backs the Call for Accountability and Human Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1209-ecuador-rejects-militarization-and-backs-the-call-for-accountability-and-human-rights) - By rejecting Noboa’s militarized reforms, Ecuadorians chose solutions that protect life and dignity instead of policies based on repression.
- [Brazil's Senate Rams Through Constitutional Amendment Imperiling Indigenous Lands and Communities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1210-brazils-senate-rams-through-constitutional-amendment-imperiling-indigenous-lands-and-communities) - Brazil’s largest Indigenous organizations warn that the amendment dismantles the country’s constitutional framework for territorial protection.
- [Ecuador’s Government Celebrates Its Defeat in Chevron Arbitration While the Company Applauds a $220 Million Award](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1209-ecuadors-government-celebrates-its-defeat-in-chevron-arbitration) - Communities won their lawsuit, yet the country is being forced to pay the company responsible for one of the worst environmental crimes in the Amazon.
- [Amazon Watch Responds to Reports That Ecuador Told To Pay $220 Million to Chevron](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1209-amazon-watch-responds-to-reports-that-ecuador-told-to-pay-220-million-to-chevron) - “A debt is owed to the Amazonian families still waiting for truth, justice, and full reparation."
- [The Amazon vs. Big Oil: Why Petroperú's Latest Defeat Matters Globally](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0520-the-amazon-vs-big-oil-why-petroperus-latest-defeat-matters-globally) - "Petroperú’s decision to cancel the tender for Block 64 is a great relief. However, we remain vigilant, knowing that it will likely continue seeking investors to exploit this block."
- [Ferrogrão Reignites Conflict Between the Government and Indigenous Peoples at COP30](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1120-ferrograo-reignites-conflict-between-the-government-and-indigenous-peoples-at-cop30) - “We are not going to allow it, because this is our home, our river, our forest.”
- [This Is What True Climate Leadership Looks Like](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1204-this-is-what-true-climate-leadership-looks-like) - “We’re very happy that our lands advanced in the demarcation process, but there are so many lands that still need to be recognized and demarcated in Brazil.”
- [Defending the Amazon Against Illegal Economies](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1022-defending-the-amazon-against-illegal-economies) - The Wampís’ fight is not just local, it’s global. Defending the Amazon means defending the planet.
- [Ecuadorians Vote Down Noboa’s Extractive Agenda](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1120-ecuadorians-vote-down-noboas-extractive-agenda) - This victory belongs to the people of Ecuador. It is a reminder that democratic power still matters, even in times of crisis. But it is also a beginning, not an end.
- [From the Soy Frontier to COP30: The Answer Caravan Brings the Amazon’s Voice to Belém](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1113-from-the-soy-frontier-to-cop30) - “The forest lives because we are here. If they remove the people, the forest will die with them."
- [Endangered Amazonía](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1105-endangered-amazonia) - This report, a collection of 22 articles from Indigenous organizations, researchers, journalists, and international organizations, shows forest degradation and fires have not only pushed the Amazon beyond previous estimates of proximity to its tipping point, but that human activity has driven the forest beyond where mere protection of what remains is enough.
- [Amazon Watch 2024-2025 Annual Report](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0715-amazon-watch-2024-2025-annual-report) - In a world increasingly in denial about the consequences of climate change and fossil fuel extraction, Amazon Watch is doubling down on our grassroots partnerships.
- [Protect the Amazon, Tax the Polluters: Climate Activists Demand Action at COP30 in Belém, Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1117-protect-the-amazon-tax-the-polluters-climate-activists-demand-action-at-cop30-in-belem-brazil) - The Brazilian government said, "We’re going to put a hold on Ferrogrão. We’re not going forward on this soy railway for Cargill and ADM and Bunge and all these multinational corporations to feed animals, not people. We’re not going forward with this without people’s consent.”
- [JPMorgan Chase Quietly Adds Restrictions to Fossil Fuel Financing in the Amazon Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1113-jpmorgan-chase-quietly-adds-restrictions-to-fossil-fuel-financing-in-the-amazon-rainforest) - “Years of steadfast organizing under the leadership of Amazonian Indigenous peoples have successfully pressured JPMorgan, the world’s largest fossil financier, to take a crucial step towards recognizing Indigenous and human rights."
- [Over 30% of JPMorgan Investors Support Resolution on Indigenous Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0521-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.
- [Amazon Free from Extraction: Ending Oil, Gas, Mining, and Agribusiness on Indigenous Lands](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1113-amazon-free-from-extraction-ending-oil-gas-mining-and-agribusiness-on-indigenous-lands) - As COP30 enters its second week of negotiations, Amazonian Indigenous leaders arrive in Belém after leading powerful and courageous actions.
- [Major River Mobilization With More Than 5,000 Leaders from the Amazon Arrives at COP30](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1112-major-river-mobilization-with-more-than-5000-leaders-from-the-amazon-arrives-at-cop30) - “The presence of Indigenous Peoples at COP30 is very important, but the struggle doesn’t end here."
- [Hundreds of Global Artists and Cultural Influencers Support Historic Indigenous Declaration Demanding Bold Action to Protect the Amazon at COP30](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1109-global-artists-and-cultural-influencers-support-historic-indigenous-declaration) - The peaceful protest was a powerful statement from Indigenous and traditional communities about the impacts of Brazil’s grain export corridors on rivers, fisheries, territories, and local livelihoods.
- [During Climate Summit, Indigenous Peoples Intercept Soy Barges on the Tapajós River and Demand the End of the Ferrogrão Railway](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1107-indigenous-peoples-intercept-soy-barges-on-the-tapajos-river) - The peaceful protest was a powerful statement from Indigenous and traditional communities about the impacts of Brazil’s grain export corridors on rivers, fisheries, territories, and local livelihoods.
- [The Fight Against Climate Change Is Also a Fight Against Organized Crime](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1106-the-fight-against-climate-change-is-also-a-fight-against-organized-crime) - Belém can be remembered as a turning point – when the world stopped treating the Amazon as a victim and began dismantling the criminal economies driving its collapse.
- [New Report: The Money Trail Behind Fossil Fuel Expansion in Latin America and the Caribbean](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1104-new-report-the-money-trail-behind-fossil-fuel-expansion-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean) - In a few days the 30th United Nations Climate Conference will take place – in the Amazon!
- [The Money Trail](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0930-the-money-trail) - This report shines a spotlight on companies that are exploring and developing new fossil fuel reserves or building new fossil infrastructure, and it reveals which banks and investors are backing the expansion of this dirty and dangerous industry across Latin America and the Caribbean.
- [Amazon Watch and Allies at COP30 in Belém, Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1104-amazon-watch-and-allies-at-cop30-in-belem-brazil) - “COP30 must mark a turning point, from promises to action, from extraction to regeneration, and from political speeches to Indigenous sovereignty.”
- [You Can’t Kill a River](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0724-you-cant-kill-a-river) - In the Volta Grande do Xingu, the river still runs. Even with turbines and licenses strangling it, the Xingu endures because the peoples who protect it refuse to disappear.
- [Lula, the World Is Watching: Veto the Devastation Bill Now!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0731-lula-the-world-is-watching-veto-the-devastation-bill-now) - “Our future will be condemned if President Lula doesn’t veto the Devastation Bill.”
- [Brazil’s Partial Veto of the “Devastation Bill” Is a People-Powered Win, but the Fight Isn’t Over](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0812-brazils-partial-veto-of-the-devastation-bill-is-a-people-powered-win-but-the-fight-isnt-over) - With COP30 in Belém just months away, Brazil had a chance to send the world a bold message about its commitment to climate justice. Instead, it delivered a mixed one.
- [A Historic Alliance for the Amazon: Indigenous Nations Reject Binational Oil Agreement](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0819-a-historic-alliance-for-the-amazon-indigenous-nations-reject-binational-oil-agreement) - This united front builds on a track record of resistance: in more than 25 years, no new oil well has been drilled in Ecuador’s southeastern Amazon.
- [Defending the Defenders: Indigenous Peoples vs. Organized Crime in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0904-defending-the-defenders-indigenous-peoples-vs-organized-crime) - Organized crime is not just a threat to public safety. It is now one of the main drivers of Amazon deforestation and Indigenous displacement.
- [From Inferno to Uncertainty: Amazon Fires in 2025 and the Urgency of Indigenous Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0916-from-inferno-to-uncertainty-amazon-fires-in-2025-and-the-urgency-of-indigenous-rights) - Scientific research confirms that Indigenous-managed lands are the most effective barriers against deforestation and fire. Where Indigenous rights are secured and enforced, forests thrive – and so does our global climate.
- [Global Outcry and Indigenous Opposition Challenge Ecuador’s Amazon Oil Agenda](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0925-global-outcry-and-indigenous-opposition-challenge-ecuadors-amazon-oil-agenda) - “Ecuador’s new oil auction is a direct threat to our territories. After 60 years of extraction, we’ve seen only death and destruction, not development.”
- [Defending Mocoa in Southern Colombia](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1001-defending-mocoa-in-southern-colombia) - “Mocoa is the most conserved territory, where the mountains hold the winds of the ancestors, which descend to embrace the Amazon.”
- [The Rainforest Spoke. Amazonian Legislators Listened.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1009-the-rainforest-spoke-amazonian-legislators-listened) - In the face of inaction and paralysis of countries in making significant progress to address the climate crisis and its principal driver – fossil fuels – a worldwide coalition of legislative leaders has taken matters into their own hands, demonstrating what true climate leadership can look like.
- [A River of Resistance: Witnessing the Launch of the Yaku Mama Amazon Flotilla](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1016-a-river-of-resistance-witnessing-the-launch-of-the-yaku-mama-amazon-flotilla) - “We set out not to conquer, but to connect; so that the world, finally, will listen to the voices of the Amazon.”
- [COP30 at the Crossroads: Indigenous Sovereignty or Climate Collapse](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1030-cop30-at-the-crossroads-indigenous-sovereignty-or-climate-collapse) - In a few days the 30th United Nations Climate Conference will take place – in the Amazon!
- [As COP30 Nears, the Real Action Is in the Streets](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0516-as-cop30-nears-the-real-action-is-in-the-streets) - As the world prepares for COP30 – the United Nations’ next major climate summit – all eyes are on the Brazilian Amazon, where the conference will take place for the first time.
- [Indigenous Alliance Demands Brazil Halt Amazon Dams](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/0515-indigenous-alliance-demands-brazil-halt-amazon-dams) - An indigenous assembly held in April on the banks of Brazil's Teles Pires River, an Amazonian waterway currently being strangled by a cascade of hydroelectric dams, produced the following manifesto of resistance from the Kayabi, Apiaká, Munduruku and Rikbaktsa peoples.
- [Standing With the Kakataibo](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1022-standing-with-the-kakataibo) - 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.
- [Ecuador and Oil: A Challenge for Democracy and the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1007-ecuador-and-oil-a-challenge-for-democracy-and-the-amazon) - What is at stake is not only Ecuador’s Amazon. A just energy transition must begin from the principle of shared but differentiated responsibility.
- [Over 130 International Organizations Denounce Escalating State Violence in Ecuador and Call for Global Action to Protect Human Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/1016-over-130-international-organizations-denounce-escalating-state-violence-in-ecuador-and-call-for-global-action-to-protect-human-rights) - "Peace cannot be imposed by force; it is built on truth, justice, and dialogue."
- [Ferrogrão Is a Shortcut to Collapse](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0930-ferrograo-is-a-shortcut-to-collapse) - Ferrogrão is the backbone of a corridor that transforms the Amazon into a commodity export route and condemns Brazil to a subservient role.
- [Indigenous Groups Criticize Ecuador’s $47 Billion Oil Expansion Plan in Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0924-indigenous-groups-criticize-ecuadors-47-billion-oil-expansion-plan-in-amazon) - “The Amazon is not for sale. We will defend our territories because we have not been consulted – this is our home."
- [Stop the Criminalization of Defenders and the Dismantling of Democratic Guarantees in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0928-stop-the-criminalization-of-defenders-and-the-dismantling-of-democratic-guarantees-in-ecuador) - Defending land, water, and life is a legitimate and protected right. It must never trigger reprisals or restrictions.
- [Ecuador’s Amazon Oil Plans Face Indigenous and Global Opposition](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0925-ecuadors-amazon-oil-plans-face-indigenous-and-global-opposition) - “Indigenous resistance, civil society mobilization, and growing international pressure will continue to expose these projects as illegitimate, unlawful, and unfinanceable.”
- [“Mining Mafia” Scandal Threatens Brazil’s COP30 Credibility as Police Uncover Massive Fraud](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0924-mining-mafia-scandal-threatens-brazils-cop30-credibility-as-police-uncover-massive-fraud) - "These false authorizations not only legalize the advance of destruction, but also put our water, our health, and our food security at risk."
- [International Organizations Call for Judicial Independence and Respect for Fundamental Rights in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0922-international-organizations-call-for-judicial-independence-and-respect-for-fundamental-rights-in-ecuador) - The international human rights and civil society organizations that subscribe to this statement express our deep concern about the climate of harassment and pressure currently facing the Constitutional Court of Ecuador.
- [Amazon Fires: Indigenous Peoples Mobilize to Save Their Territories, and the World Steps Up in Solidarity](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0917-indigenous-peoples-mobilize-to-save-their-territories-and-the-world-steps-up-in-solidarity) - The current crisis is not the beginning of the assault on the Amazon rainforest and its indigenous guardians, and unfortunately, it will not be the last. Long before Brazil's current far-right government took power, local and global industrial interests set the stage for these fires, and they will not change their behavior unless they are pressured to do so.
- [Interview With Chief Raoni: “Congressmen Only Think About Destruction, Not About Future Generations”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0911-interview-with-chief-raoni-congressmen-only-think-about-destruction-not-about-future-generations) - On the eve of COP30, Raoni is also skeptical about the environmental meeting to be held in Belém.
- [Amazon Watch Welcomes Historic Conviction of Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro for Coup Plot](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0911-amazon-watch-welcomes-historic-conviction-of-former-brazilian-president-bolsonaro-for-coup-plot) - "His arrest offers a welcome reprieve for the Amazon and its peoples by weakening the chance that his destructive agenda will return to the region,”
- [Jair Bolsonaro: Looming Threat to the Amazon and Global Climate?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/1018-jair-bolsonaro-looming-threat-to-the-amazon-and-global-climate) - With little more than a week to go until a runoff election, far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro – who has affirmed his intention to withdraw Brazil from the Paris Climate Agreement – continues to be the rising political star in the world's eighth biggest economy, and the nation that stands as guardian to a major portion of the Amazon, the globe's largest remaining rainforest.
- [California Senate Passes SR 51, Responding to Indigenous Call to End Amazon Crude Imports](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0826-california-senate-passes-sr-51-responding-to-indigenous-call-to-end-amazon-crude-imports) - “This is the first step in ending California’s addiction to Amazon crude. Consuming oil from the Amazon is incompatible with climate leadership."
- [Connecting Frontline Struggles and Fenceline Communities of California’s Oil Addiction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0626-connecting-frontline-struggles-and-fenceline-communities-of-californias-oil-addiction) - “California is complicit in violating our rights by continuing to consume crude that our courts and voters have said must stay in the ground."
- [California Lawmakers Seek to Curb Oil Imports from Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0827-california-lawmakers-seek-to-curb-oil-imports-from-amazon) - “Consuming oil from the Amazon is incompatible with climate leadership. As the world’s fourth-largest economy, California is sending a powerful market signal by examining its crude footprint and role in Amazon destruction.”
- [Illegal Mining in the Amazon: “Criminal Governance Is Expanding and Becoming Increasingly Violent”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0302-illegal-mining-in-the-amazon-criminal-governance-is-expanding-and-becoming-increasingly-violent-interview) - Raphael Hoetmer, director of Amazon Watch's Western Amazon Program, spoke with Mongabay Latam about the advance of mining in the Amazonian territory of Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
- [New Report Released: In the Shadows of the State](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0819-new-report-released-in-the-shadows-of-the-state) - "Peace and security in the Amazon are impossible without Indigenous peoples at the heart of the solution."
- [Security at the Amazon's Breaking Point: Tri-Border Report Spurs Concrete Actions After ATCO Summit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0826-security-at-the-amazons-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.”
- [In the Shadows of the State](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0819-in-the-shadows-of-the-state) - This report calls for a regional strategy centered on environmental protection, state-building, and community governance.
- [When Criminals Rule the Amazon Jungle and Time Runs Out](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0819-when-criminals-rule-the-amazon-jungle-and-time-runs-out) - 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.
- [Indigenous Groups Demand Action from South American Leaders at Amazon Summit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0819-indigenous-groups-demand-action-from-south-american-leaders-at-amazon-summit) - “There is no solution to any of the threats the Amazon is facing without its communities.”
- [Indigenous Nations of Ecuador and Peru Reject Cross-Border Oil Deal, Urge California to End Amazon Crude Imports](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0819-indigenous-nations-of-ecuador-and-peru-reject-cross-border-oil-deal-urge-california-to-end-amazon-crude-imports) - “This deal has no consent, no legitimacy, and will face legal and social resistance every step of the way.”
- [Brazil’s Partial Veto of “Devastation Bill” Stops Some Setbacks, but Critical Loopholes Remain](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0808-brazils-partial-veto-of-devastation-bill-stops-some-setbacks-but-critical-loopholes-remain) - “This soy doesn’t feed our people. We don’t eat soy – it’s for export and corporate profit. Meanwhile, pesticides contaminate our water, our soil, and even the rain. It’s poisoning all of us, not just Indigenous peoples."
- [Soy Dictates the Path: How Ferrogrão is Reshaping Life in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0719-soy-dictates-the-path-how-ferrograo-is-reshaping-life-in-the-amazon) - "Soy farming will increase a lot. When it rains, the pesticides flow into the river. We have no wells to rely on. There’s nowhere to run, and all our children get sick."
- [Indigenous Women March Against Ferrogrão Railway and "Devastation Bill" in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0807-indigenous-women-march-against-ferrograo-railway-and-devastation-bill-in-brazil) - “This soy doesn’t feed our people. We don’t eat soy – it’s for export and corporate profit. Meanwhile, pesticides contaminate our water, our soil, and even the rain. It’s poisoning all of us, not just Indigenous peoples."
- [In Ecuador, Environmentalists Worry Noboa Is Unwinding Nation’s Green Reputation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0804-in-ecuador-environmentalists-worry-noboa-is-unwinding-nations-green-reputation) - “We are seeing a sweeping package of regressive reforms that are rolling back environmental protections, Indigenous rights guarantees, and threatening basic civil liberties like the freedom of speech and assembly,"
- [Peru and Ecuador’s Crude Gamble Faces Indigenous Wall of Resistance](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0731-peru-and-ecuadors-crude-gamble-faces-indigenous-wall-of-resistance) - “Without our consent, this project has no legitimacy. Investors must be warned: any deal built on rights violations is built on quicksand.”
- [My First Decade at Amazon Watch](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/1019-my-first-decade-at-amazon-watch) - Over ten years, I have been privileged to play a role in most of the organization's major campaign initiatives. While the moments of exhilaration, frustration, learning, anger, and beauty could fill a book, I want to share ten snapshots of key experiences that represent what serving with Amazon Watch has meant to me.
- [Two Decades of Fellowship with the U'wa People of Colombia](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/1020-two-decades-of-fellowship-with-the-uwa-people-of-colombia) - We are extremely proud to have accompanied Colombia's U'wa people for twenty years.
- [Recollections of Home: Thoughts on the Flooding of Altamira and the Belo Monte Dam](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/0910-recollections-of-home-thoughts-on-the-flooding-of-altamira-and-the-belo-monte-dam) - Antonia Melo is standing on her front porch. Behind her sits a room full of memories and photos. Her grandchildren wrap their arms around her legs. She speaks with strength, energy and indignation. At first, I couldn't really feel the sadness in her tone when I spoke with her, but now I can.
- [Brazil's Dispossessed: Belo Monte Dam Ruinous for Indigenous Cultures](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/1209-brazils-dispossessed-belo-monte-dam-ruinous-for-indigenous-cultures) - Hydropower is often touted as a climate-friendly source of energy, and Brazil has the potential to be one of the world’s greatest producers. Yet the human consequences of damming rivers have proven devastating. A prime example is seen in the charge of ethnocide lodged against the parties responsible for building the Belo Monte Dam.
- [Protesters Bring “Planet in Crisis” to COP30 Headquarters in Belém](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0723-protesters-bring-planet-in-crisis-to-cop30-headquarters-in-belem) - “There is no Amazon without its peoples. The territories protected by our communities are the last strongholds against destruction.”
- [From Climate Talks To Climate Backlash: Global Citizen NOW Becomes Platform To Oppose Brazil’s Anti-Environment Bill](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0724-from-climate-talks-to-climate-backlash-global-citizen-now-becomes-platform-to-oppose-brazils-anti-environment-bill) - "Approving this bill would plunge the planet deeper into climate crisis. President Lula must veto it entirely – as an urgent act of leadership, of climate responsibility, and of defense for life and national sovereignty."
- [The Achuar Reject Petroperú’s Oil Expansion - Yet Again](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0722-the-achuar-reject-petroperus-oil-expansion-yet-again) - “These informal meetings and all publicity surrounding them have no validity as a mechanism for Indigenous peoples' participation. The truth cannot be hidden."
- [Indigenous Wampis Are Ambushed in Peru After Government Backs Out of Anti-mining Joint Patrol](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0716-indigenous-wampis-are-ambushed-in-peru-after-government-backs-out-of-anti-mining-joint-patrol) - Indigenous leaders say the incident highlights the growing risks faced by land defenders and the government’s failure to uphold its promises.
- [Wampís Territorial Guards Attacked While Defending Their Lands](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0715-wampis-territorial-guards-attacked-while-defending-their-lands) - "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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0701-amazon-crime-crisis-u-n-backs-indigenous-demands) - 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.
- [Drilling Toward Disaster](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0617-drilling-toward-disaster) - The Amazon is rapidly becoming a new frontier for oil production. This coincides with the Amazon biome reaching an existential tipping point. Amazon crude from Ecuador is a major contributor to this dangerous cycle.
- [California Is to Examine Its Amazon Oil Ties Following Pleas from Indigenous Leaders from Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0619-california-is-to-examine-its-amazon-oil-ties-following-pleas-from-indigenous-leaders-from-ecuador) - “Being here with our brothers and sisters, with the local communities also fighting – in the end, we feel that the struggle is the same.”
- [Exclusive London Climate Week Preview of “When Waterfalls Die” to Highlight Indigenous Amazon Defenders’ Life-or-Death Battle Against Mining](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0620-when-waterfalls-die) - “This isn’t just their story – it’s humanity’s final crossroads between ancient wisdom and corporate greed. When the last defender falls, we all lose something irreplaceable.”
- [Drug Trafficking in Indigenous Territories of the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0528-drug-trafficking-in-indigenous-territories-of-the-peruvian-amazon) - In Peru, drug trafficking is one of the main threats to the Amazon and Indigenous peoples. This report presents concrete proposals to reposition Indigenous peoples not only as victims, but as political actors who can help shape solutions.
- [Keep the Oil in the Ground!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/0918-keep-the-oil-in-the-ground) - Our future is in peril and the changing climate is a key indicator. Scientists warn us that global warming is spiraling out of control which is why we need to see immediate action now. As the Amazon basin is a keystone area in combating climate change, preserving this region is essential for humanity's survival.
- [Indigenous Amazonian Delegation Receives Honors in California Senate as Amazon Watch Releases Explosive Report on Ecuador's Oil Expansion Plans](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0617-indigenous-amazonian-delegation-receives-honors-in-california-senate) - “California is complicit in violating our rights by continuing to consume crude that our courts and voters have said must stay in the ground. We are calling on California to take action to phase out its imports of oil that has come at a high price for our forests, our peoples, and our climate.”
- [Amazonian Indigenous Delegation to Visit Sacramento and Bay Area to Expose New Oil Threat and Call for California Action](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0610-amazonian-indigenous-delegation-to-visit-california) - A delegation of Indigenous leaders from Ecuador’s Amazon will visit Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area the week of June 16, 2025, to raise alarm over a looming oil expansion threat and deepen ties with California frontline and policy communities.
- [Mura People Rise Against Mining Invasion in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0610-mura-people-rise-against-mining-invasion-in-brazil) - “What happened at this large meeting was not just a gathering of the Mura most directly affected by the Brazil Potash project. Rather, the significance of this event lies in the fact that this struggle has become, first and foremost, the struggle of all Indigenous peoples.”
- [“We Will Not Retreat:” Mura Take Land Defense to Global Stage at COP30](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0609-we-will-not-retreat-mura-take-land-defense-to-global-stage-at-cop30) - “They want to divide us so they can silence us. But what’s at stake is the future of our land, our water, and the life of our people. And we will not stand by in silence.”
- [Amazon in Peril: New Report Exposes Drug Trade Threat to 270+ Indigenous Communities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0602-amazon-in-peril-new-report-exposes-drug-trade-threat-to-270-indigenous-communities) - "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."
- [Chevron’s Toxic Empire on Trial](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0529-chevrons-toxic-empire-on-trial) - “Chevron came in, extracted oil, poisoned the land and water, and then walked away."
- [Toxic Empire on Trial: Chevron Faces Global Rejection from Shareholders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0528-toxic-empire-on-trial-chevron-faces-global-rejection-from-shareholders) - “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 Across the Bay Area Highlight Chevron’s Complicity in Genocide and Climate Destruction Ahead of Annual Shareholders Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0522-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."
- [Oil Over Life: The Cost of Petroperú's Environmental Catastrophe in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1016-oil-over-life-the-cost-of-petroperus-environmental-catastrophe-in-the-peruvian-amazon) - 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 Women on the Front Lines: Olivia Bisa Tirko’s Fight for Land and Culture](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0308-indigenous-women-on-the-front-lines-olivia-bisa-tirkos-fight-for-land-and-culture) - By highlighting the importance of women’s leadership and the passing of ancestral knowledge to future generations, Olivia is ensuring the survival of her people and the protection of the Amazon.
- [Petroperú's Oil Gamble Fails: Block 64 Auction Flops Amid Indigenous Opposition](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0515-petroperus-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."
- [Indigenous Leader Shot While Hunting as Violence Escalates in Shipibo Territory](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0505-indigenous-leader-shot-while-hunting-as-violence-escalates-in-shipibo-territory) - This attack is yet another example of the growing violence against Indigenous communities as criminal economies expand across the Amazon.
- [Canadian Mining Company's SLAPP Lawsuit Against Amazon Defenders Dismissed in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0515-canadian-mining-companys-slapp-lawsuit-against-amazon-defenders-dismissed-in-brazil) - "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."
- [Brazilian Activists Block Tapajós River to Oppose Ferrogrão Mega-railway](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1116-brazilian-activists-block-tapajos-river-to-oppose-ferrograo-mega-railway) - “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.”
- [Protest at COP29 Demands Cancellation of Brazil’s Ferrogrão Mega-railway](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1121-protest-at-cop29-demands-cancellation-of-brazils-ferrograo-mega-railway) - "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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1118-bidens-amazon-legacy-bold-promises-demand-bold-actions-amid-looming-threats-to-the-rainforests-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 Justice Voids Belo Sun Mining’s Concession](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1203-brazilian-justice-voids-belo-sun-minings-concession) - A Brazilian federal court issued a major setback to Belo Sun, declaring the contract that granted the company its land concession null and void.
- [We Will Not Back Down: Affirming Our Commitment to Global Climate Justice](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0123-we-will-not-back-down) - 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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1220-reaction-to-interamerican-court-sentence-in-uwa-case) - Today, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights issued a decisive and favorable sentence to the U’wa Indigenous people of Colombia
- [Indigenous Leaders Occupy Pará State Education Headquarters Demanding Cancelation of Remote Learning Law](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0204-indigenous-leaders-occupy-para-state-education-headquarters-demanding-cancelation-of-remote-learning-law) - "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.”
- [Inter-American Court of Human Rights Condemns Ecuador for Violating Rights of Tagaeri-Taromenane People Living in Voluntary Isolation in Yasuní National Park](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0314-iac-condemns-ecuador-for-violating-rights-of-tagaeri-taromenane-people-living-in-voluntary-isolation-in-yasuni-national-park) - “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."
- [Brazilian Indigenous Leaders Blockade Key Amazon Highway Demanding the Repeal of Law](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0401-brazilian-indigenous-leaders-blockade-key-amazon-highway-demanding-the-repeal-of-law) - “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.”
- [Indigenous Peoples Denounce Criminal Expansion in the Amazon at the U.N. and Call for Global Action](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0506-indigenous-peoples-denounce-criminal-expansion-in-the-amazon-at-the-un) - “The Permanent Forum must formally recognize that organized crime and illegal economies such as drug trafficking and illegal mining are an existential threat to our peoples."
- [Investor Nuns and Baptists Condemn Big Banks For Violating Indigenous Peoples' Rights After Shareholder Vote](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0429-investor-nuns-and-baptists-condemn-big-banks-for-violating-indigenous-peoples-rights-after-shareholder-vote) - "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."
- [Religious Investors Win SEC Fight Over Indigenous Rights Resolution at Banks](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0310-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."
- [Munduruku Nonviolent Protest for Indigenous Land Rights Reaches Brazil's Supreme Court](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0429-munduruku-protest-for-indigenous-land-rights-reaches-brazils-supreme-court) - “It was a struggle to get to this meeting. We spent days and nights under the sun and rain, blocking cargo transport on the highway. We had to hit agribusiness in the pocket to be heard by the Supreme Court.”
- [Belo Monte and the Face of Development We Refuse To See](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0404-belo-monte-and-the-face-of-development-we-refuse-to-see) - It does not come as a surprise to those who have followed the Belo Monte saga over the last six years that the mega-dam has been allowed to begin operating this year without first complying with most of its legally mandated socio-environmental conditions.
- [Growth from the Grassroots: Brazil’s 21st Indigenous Free Land Camp](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0425-growth-from-the-grassroots-brazils-21st-indigenous-free-land-camp) - “How are we going to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030 with a project that demands more deforestation, legal or not? It's not possible to talk about being a leader against climate change with a project to destroy the Amazon."
- [Truth, Justice, and Reparations: Traveling into the Heart of the Colombian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0417-truth-justice-and-reparations-traveling-into-the-heart-of-the-colombian-amazon) - Thanks to the courageous leadership of Indigenous women like Yarley and Lucila, and the continued pressure from Colombian and international allies, Lower Remanso is advancing its vision of justice and self-determination. But the path remains difficult.
- [The Wisdom That Panduro, the Indigenous Governor Assassinated by the Army, Took With Him](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0408-the-wisdom-that-panduro-the-indigenous-governor-assassinated-by-the-army-took-with-him) - Pablo Panduro was killed on March 28, 2022 during an army operation in which 11 people were killed, and which was carried out against the Border Command, a FARC dissident group that controls most of Putumayo.
- [Built to Spill: Ecuador’s Pipeline Disaster and the Fight to Stop the Next One](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0408-built-to-spill-ecuadors-pipeline-disaster-and-the-fight-to-stop-the-next-one) - Coastal communities in Ecuador are still reeling from a devastating oil spill on March 13, which dumped over 25,000 barrels of crude oil into rivers and protected areas in the northwestern province of Esmeraldas.
- [Big Oil’s “Lawfare” Attacks on Advocacy and Accountability](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0403-big-oils-lawfare-attacks-on-advocacy-and-accountability) - This is not justice. Greenpeace will appeal, and they need all of us to mobilize in a massive international movement in support of their efforts to expose this sham trial.
- [2023-2024 Amazon Defenders Fund Report](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0403-2023-2024-amazon-defenders-fund-report) - The Amazon Defenders Fund (ADF) is an activist-led solidarity fund built upon Amazon Watch’s multi-decade track record as a trusted partner to Indigenous nations and local organizations.
- [Survivors of Alto Remanso Massacre in Colombia Commemorate Their Dead, Despite Their Exile](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0402-survivors-of-alto-remanso-massacre-in-colombia-commemorate-their-dead-despite-their-exile) - On March 28, 2022, the Military Forces of Colombia carried out an operation by air, water and land. Eleven people died, four were wounded and around 350 were displaced.
- [Stand with Defenders: Vote Today for Indigenous Rights and Thriving Rainforests](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0307-stand-with-defenders-vote-today-for-indigenous-rights-and-thriving-rainforests) - The Amazon is at a tipping point, but our collective victories show us a powerful pathway forward.
- [Guardians of the Amazon: How Inga Women Are Leading the Fight for Their Land](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0314-guardians-of-the-amazon-how-inga-women-are-leading-the-fight-for-their-land) - Inga women are at the forefront of resistance, confronting extractive industries to protect their cultural heritage.
- [Raúl Grijalva: Rest in Power](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0317-raul-grijalva-rest-in-power) - We at Amazon Watch express our heartfelt condolences to Rep. Grijalva’s family, community, and constituents. He wasn’t just a passive ally of Amazonian peoples but a proactive champion – dedicating time and resources to listen to grassroots leaders and using his influence to stand in solidarity at crucial moments.
- [Militant Mothers of the Movement: Meet Maria Leusa Munduruku](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0327-militant-mothers-of-the-movement-meet-maria-leusa-munduruku) - Maria Leusa Munduruku has emerged as a powerful defender of Munduruku territory in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon against a conflux of extractive megaprojects such as dams, mining, illegal logging, and the Ferrogrão mega-railway.
- [Rejecting Injustice: Why We Stand with Greenpeace and Standing Rock](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0321-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.
- [Major Environmental Groups Announce Support for Independent Trial Monitors in SLAPP Case Targeting Greenpeace](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0307-major-environmental-groups-announce-support-for-independent-trial-monitors-in-slapp-case-targeting-greenpeace) - “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."
- [Foreign Investors in Peru’s State Oil Company Risk Nation’s Turbulent Politics](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0304-foreign-investors-in-perus-state-oil-company-risk-nations-turbulent-politics) - “This debt crisis drives Petroperú’s renewed plans to expedite new domestic oil production in highly contested reserves.”
- [Rivers of Resistance: Black and Indigenous Solidarity Against Colonial Extractivism](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0227-rivers-of-resistance-black-and-indigenous-solidarity-against-colonial-extractivism) - From the Tapajós to Standing Rock, Black and Indigenous struggles for land, life, and liberation are essential to our collective survival in the face of the climate crisis.
- [Amazon Nations Failed to Protect the Rainforest and Our Collective Future](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0810-amazon-nations-failed-to-protect-the-rainforest-and-our-collective-future) - While ambitious efforts to strengthen Pan-Amazonian collaboration are positive, and the summit’s final text contains a series of good intentions, Amazon Watch considers that the document falls short in advancing critical protections for the rainforest and human rights.
- [Cargill, Cease Your Destruction!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1012-cargill-cease-your-destruction) - We defend our lands not just for our people but for all of humanity. Your company is harming our collective future.
- [Taking on Cargill Alongside the Munduruku People](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1017-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."
- [Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Mobilize Against Railway Mega-project That Threatens Rights and the Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1215-amazonian-indigenous-peoples-mobilize-against-railway-mega-project-that-threatens-rights-and-the-rainforest) - “This event attempts to legitimize a project that places the Amazon’s peoples and the forest itself at risk,” said Goldman Prize winner Alessandra Korap Munduruku.
- [Grounding in Our Collective Power: Victories for the Amazon from 2024](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0107-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.
- [Amazonian Indigenous People Stage Major Mobilization Aimed at Stopping the Ferrogrão Railway](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0304-amazonian-indigenous-people-stage-major-mobilization-aimed-at-stopping-the-ferrograo-railway) - “The Popular Tribunal against Ferrogrão revealed the strength and determination of Indigenous peoples, traditional communities and social movements in defending their rights and the future of the planet.”
- [Mounting Resistance to the Ferrogrão Railway in the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0418-mounting-resistance-to-the-ferrograo-railway-in-the-brazilian-amazon) - 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.
- [Alliance Against Ferrogrão Calls Out Hypocrisy: CEO’s Double Role in Destruction and Conservation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0815-alliance-against-ferrograo-calls-out-hypocrisy-ceos-double-role-in-destruction-and-conservation) - 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.
- [Ancestral Outcry: The Battle to Save the Tapajós River from the Ferrogrão Mega-Railway](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1121-ancestral-outcry-the-battle-to-save-the-tapajos-river-from-the-ferrograo-mega-railway) - Dozens of canoes lined with signs denouncing Ferrogrão formed a barrier blocking the traffic of barges transporting soy and other commodities.
- [Silencing Standing Rock: How 14 States Are Protecting Big Oil Over People](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0225-silencing-standing-rock-how-14-states-are-protecting-big-oil-over-people) - Rather than addressing the real dangers posed by DAPL and ET’s track record of environmental violations, these states have chosen to weaponize the courts against the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
- [Coming Together to Demand the Amazon as a No-Go Zone at FOSPA](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0702-coming-together-to-demand-the-amazon-as-a-no-go-zone-at-fospa) - "Their money will run out, but our territory will remain here. We're not going to sell ourselves or our land to be destroyed."
- [Blood Gold in the Amazon: Belo Sun’s Mega-Mine Threatens People, Land, and Climate](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0218-blood-gold-in-the-amazon-belo-suns-mega-mine-threatens-people-land-and-climate) - A recent cash infusion from Luxembourg-based investor La Mancha Resource Capital, combined with a shocking court ruling, has given the Canadian company new momentum to push forward with one of the most destructive mining projects the Amazon has ever faced.
- ["False Positives" in the Colombian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1110-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 Women Reforesting Hearts and Minds to Heal Mother Earth](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1114-indigenous-women-reforesting-hearts-and-minds-to-heal-mother-earth) - “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."
- [Solidarity, Advocacy, and Resistance in the Amazon and Beyond](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0111-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.
- [Indigenous Women Leaders Took Center Stage at COP28](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1214-indigenous-women-leaders-took-center-stage-at-cop28) - “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.”
- [2024 Could Be the Endgame for Indigenous Land Rights in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1220-2024-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."
- [Achievements in 2023 Could Signify the Turning Point for the Amazon in 2024](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1227-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.
- [Shuar Arutam People Notch Major Wins Against Amazon Mining in March](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0322-shuar-arutam-people-notch-major-wins-against-amazon-mining-in-march) - The past month saw significant victories for the Shuar, turning the tide against Canadian mining company Solaris Resources.
- [Guardians Unite: Defending the Xingu Against Belo Sun's Threat](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0206-guardians-unite-defending-the-xingu-against-belo-suns-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.
- [Standing with Earth Defenders: Protecting Indigenous Lives in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0212-standing-with-earth-defenders-protecting-indigenous-lives-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.
- [Brazil's Indigenous Free Land Camp: 20 Years of Struggle for Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0429-brazils-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.
- [Unity and Resilience: Pioneering Indigenous Self-Governance in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0327-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.
- [Indigenous Women Embody Leadership, Resistance, and Resilience](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0327-indigenous-women-embody-leadership-resistance-and-resilience) - We are honored to partner with inspiring Indigenous women leaders and draw attention to their visionary work.
- [MarAmazonía Alliance Delegation Travels from Peru to Directly Challenge U.S. Bank Executives Over Fossil Fuel Financing](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0503-maramazonia-alliance-delegation-travels-from-peru-to-directly-challenge-u-s-bank-executives-over-fossil-fuel-financing) - The delegation made it crystal clear to bank executives and the international stage: “We will not permit new oil extraction. Ever.”
- [A Message of Thanks from Indigenous Earth Defender Miguel Guimaraes!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0530-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!”
- [A Journey of Trust and Resolve: Supporting the Chapra’s Fight for Their Land](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0614-a-journey-of-trust-and-resolve-supporting-the-chapras-fight-for-their-land) - 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.
- [Kakataibo Indigenous Leaders Mobilize Against Coca Growers Amid Rising Violence and “Disappearances”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0712-kakataibo-indigenous-leaders-mobilize-against-coca-growers-amid-rising-violence-and-disappearances) - "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."
- [Indigenous Leadership at Climate Week: Amplifying Voices for Global Action](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1004-indigenous-leadership-at-climate-week-amplifying-voices-for-global-action) - 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.
- [Indigenous Leaders Confront Criminal Economies at the United Nations: “We Are Protecting the Amazon for All of Us”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1022-indigenous-leaders-confront-criminal-economies-at-the-u-n-we-are-protecting-the-amazon-for-all-of-us) - “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.”
- [“A Luta Continua!” Indigenous Peoples of Brazil Resist Attacks Against Their Constitutional Rights in Brasília](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1031-a-luta-continua-indigenous-peoples-of-brazil-resist-attacks-against-their-constitutional-rights-in-brasilia) - “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."
- [A Fossil-Free Amazon Has a Powerful New Ally](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1107-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.
- [Guardians of Global Biodiversity and Climate: Uplifting Indigenous Solutions at COP16](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1114-guardians-of-global-biodiversity-and-climate-uplifting-indigenous-solutions-at-cop16) - “Right now the Amazonian peoples are fighting back against organized crime and protecting our common future."
- [Major Victory to Halt Mining in the Heart of the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1205-major-victory-to-halt-mining-in-the-heart-of-the-brazilian-amazon) - 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.
- [Munduruku People Rejoice in Celebration of Landmark Win for the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1212-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.
- [Ecuador: A Decisive Election for the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0213-ecuador-a-decisive-election-for-the-amazon) - Amid rampant violence and the failure to implement the Yasuní referendum, Indigenous and frontline organizing will only intensify.
- [The Kakataibo's Fight for Survival Against Corruption and Amazon Crime](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1219-the-kakataibos-fight-for-survival-against-corruption-and-amazon-crime) - 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.
- [Inspired by the Amazon Pearl](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0108-inspired-by-the-amazon-pearl) - “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.”
- [Prominent Attorneys to Monitor Oil Tycoon’s Controversial SLAPP Suit Against Greenpeace Amid Major Legal Concerns](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0210-prominent-attorneys-to-monitor-oil-tycoons-controversial-slapp-suit-against-greenpeace-amid-major-legal-concerns) - This lawsuit is more than just a legal battle – it is a pivotal test of free speech and corporate accountability.
- [The Climate Crises in Los Angeles and the Amazon Rainforest Are Inextricably Linked](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0129-the-climate-crises-in-los-angeles-and-the-amazon-rainforest-are-inextricably-linked) - To address the root cause of these interconnected crises, we must unite our calls to keep oil in the ground, from California to the Amazon.
- [Amazon Watch Condemns Trump Administration’s Reckless Attack on USAID](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0204-amazon-watch-condemns-trump-administrations-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.
- [Bracing Ourselves for the Fight Ahead: Trump’s Potential Impact on the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0129-bracing-ourselves-for-the-fight-ahead-trumps-potential-impact-on-the-amazon) - The road ahead will be extremely difficult on multiple fronts, yet Amazonian Indigenous peoples will be undeterred in their indefatigable effort to protect their ancestral territories and livelihoods.
- [Amazon's Advocates Fear Trump’s Return Means Little U.S. Help to Protect Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0128-amazons-advocates-fear-trumps-return-means-little-u-s-help-to-protect-rainforest) - “Trump 2.0 will offer Amazonian governments a permission structure to ignore or walk back climate commitments, precisely at the moment when protection of the rainforest demands greater ambition and regional coordination.”
- [Yasuní: A Global Climate Victory at Risk](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0122-yasuni-a-global-climate-victory-at-risk) - The people of Ecuador overwhelmingly voted to keep one of its largest oil reserves in the ground. It was a vote for hope, for the future, and for the protection of biodiversity and Indigenous rights.
- [China's Other Big Export: Pollution](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0721-chinas-other-big-export-pollution) - A true climate leader would invest in the preservation of areas of global ecological importance rather than destroy them.
- [In the Face of Crisis, a Moment to Celebrate Leonard Peltier's Freedom](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0121-in-the-face-of-crisis-a-moment-to-celebrate-leonard-peltiers-freedom) - Yesterday, we learned the monumental news that Leonard Peltier, member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and the longest-serving Native political prisoner in U.S. history, has been granted presidential clemency by President Joe Biden.
- [Petroperú Minimizes Oil Spill in Piura: Damage Reported in 10 Thousand Square Meters of Sea and Four Beaches](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1223-petroperu-minimizes-oil-spill-in-piura-damage-reported-in-10-thousand-square-meters-of-sea-and-four-beaches) - An oil spill resulting from an underwater terminal of Petroperú’s Talara Refinery has spread to four beaches in Lobitos on the northern coast of Peru, affecting approximately 10,000 cubic meters of the sea.
- [Terror and Cocaine in the Peruvian Jungle: a New VICE Documentary](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0813-terror-and-cocaine-in-the-peruvian-jungle-a-new-vice-documentary) - A new VICE documentary “Terror & Cocaine in the Peruvian Jungle” tells the story of Indigenous resistance to illegal economies in the Amazon. #AmazonUnderworld
- [Gold, Gangs, and Governance: Indigenous Communities in the Grip of Organized Crime](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0910-gold-gangs-and-governance-indigenous-communities-in-the-grip-of-organized-crime) - This report exposes how criminal economies not only pose a threat to Indigenous peoples but also severely compromise the ecological integrity of the Amazon.
- [Indigenous Peoples on the Front Lines of Criminal Economies in the Amazon Fight Back at COP16](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1031-indigenous-peoples-on-the-front-lines-of-criminal-economies-in-the-amazon-fight-back-at-cop16) - "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."
- [Oil Circuit and Human Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0915-oil-circuit-and-human-rights) - This report analyzes the impacts generated by oil infrastructure in the northern Peruvian Amazon with emphasis on the human rights of Indigenous peoples.
- [Chevron's Environmental Crimes: 13 Years of Evasion and Escalation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0214-chevrons-environmental-crimes-13-years-of-evasion-and-escalation) - 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.
- [President Biden: Stand Up to Chevron and Pardon Steven Donziger](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1213-president-biden-stand-up-to-chevron-and-pardon-steven-donziger) - Donziger’s story is nothing new. We all know that billion-dollar corporations wield their influence to silence critics. But what is so jarring about this case is the lengths to which Chevron has gone to manipulate the courts, corrupt the rule of law, and evade accountability.
- [Led by Rep. Jim McGovern, 34 Congressional Leaders Urge President Biden: Pardon Environmental Lawyer Steven Donziger](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1211-led-by-rep-jim-mcgovern-34-congressional-leaders-urge-president-biden-pardon-environmental-lawyer-steven-donziger) - “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.”
- ["The Green Inferno" – Even Worse Than We Anticipated](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/0925-the-green-inferno-even-worse-than-we-anticipated) - Publicity for "The Green Inferno," the latest film by "torture porn" film director Eli Roth, left our team at Amazon Watch in disbelief that anyone thought making a film based around the retrograde stereotype of the savage cannibal indigenous tribe was an acceptable idea in 2015. Understanding that controversy might well boost ticket sales, we debated whether to denounce, deride, or simply ignore the film.
- [Pueblos Indígenas Se Movilizan desde Standing Rock a la Amazonía](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0228-pueblos-indigenas-se-movilizan-desde-standing-rock-a-la-amazonia) - Sentimos una tristeza profunda en Amazon Watch al ver el desalojo y la quema de los campamentos solidarios en Standing Rock. Como muchos de ustedes, los habíamos visitado y habíamos rezado, manifestado, y alzado la voz en apoyo a su territorio y su agua.
- [Native Nations Rise from Standing Rock to the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0227-native-nations-rise-from-standing-rock-to-the-amazon) - At Amazon Watch, we felt a profound sadness last Wednesday when the protests camps at Standing Rock were fully evacuated and destroyed. But the Standing Rock struggle, and the movement of indigenous peoples across the continent to defend their land and the environment, is nowhere near over.
- [Oil Spills, Indigenous Resistance, and the Fight for Justice in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1125-oil-spills-indigenous-resistance-and-the-fight-for-justice-in-the-peruvian-amazon) - Indigenous communities of North Perú not only question when Petroperú will adequately attend to this oil spill, but also when they will truly access justice and remediation for past pollution and contamination by the company and other bad actors in the region.
- [Munduruku Building New Alliances To Fight Tapajós Basin Dams in Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0209-munduruku-building-new-alliances-to-fight-tapajos-basin-dams-in-amazon) - "They want to end the history of the Munduruku, but we won't let them," chief Juarez Saw declared. After every pronouncement, his listeners responded with a resounding shout: "Sawé!" – both a salutation and a war cry.
- [Amazon Watch 2023-2024 Annual Report](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1101-amazon-watch-2023-2024-annual-report) - For 28 years, Amazon Watch has worked tirelessly to defend the Amazon rainforest in solidarity with Indigenous peoples. Reflecting on the past year, I am deeply moved by the courage of our Indigenous partners, and I am profoundly honored by the trust they continue to place in us.
- [James Cameron Brings Arnold Schwarzenegger to Amazon to See Firsthand a Battle Between Old and New Energy](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2011/0326-james-cameron-brings-arnold-schwarzenegger-to-amazon) - Manaus, Brazil – James Cameron held a press conference yesterday with Amazonian indigenous leaders and environmental experts following his return with Arnold Schwarzenegger from a visit to the Xingu River.
- [Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon Rainforest Falls to Lowest Since 2015](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1106-deforestation-in-brazils-amazon-rainforest-falls-to-lowest-since-2015) - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office nearly two years ago on a promise to step up enforcement of environmental laws to rein in deforestation.
- [Amazon Watch Statement on UN Biodiversity COP16](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1101-amazon-watch-statement-on-un-biodiversity-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.
- [An Emergency Action Plan to End the Killings in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1218-an-emergency-action-plan-to-end-the-killings-in-the-peruvian-amazon) - In collaboration with AIDESEP and its most affected federations and other allies, we have issued a call to implement and support nine emergency measures aimed at preventing further murders and combating impunity.
- [The Amazon Is in a State of Emergency: A Mandate for Action from Indigenous Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1023-the-amazon-is-in-a-state-of-emergency-a-mandate-for-action-from-indigenous-peoples) - The largest and most biodiverse rainforest in the world has become the most dangerous for those of us who protect it.
- [US Billionaires Called on to End Forest Destruction in Mega Mural by Famous Brazilian “Artivist”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1023-us-billionaires-called-on-to-end-forest-destruction-in-mega-mural-by-famous-brazilian-artivist) - "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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1021-defending-global-biodiversity-amazonian-leaders-push-for-indigenous-land-rights-at-cop16) - 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.
- [Environmental Delegates Gather in Colombia for a Conference on Dwindling Global Biodiversity](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1021-environmental-delegates-gather-in-colombia-for-a-conference-on-dwindling-global-biodiversity) - In the Amazon rainforest, threats to biodiversity include the expansion of the agricultural frontier and road networks, deforestation, forest fires, and drought, says Andrew Miller, advocacy director at Amazon Watch.
- [Murder of Peruvian Indigenous Earth Defender Underscores the Importance of Protecting Indigenous Land Rights Ahead of UNTOC COP12 and CBD COP16](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1011-murder-of-peruvian-indigenous-earth-defender-underscores-the-importance-of-protecting-indigenous-land-rights-ahead-of-cop-untoc-and-cop16) - "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."
- [Statement on AIDESEP's Declaration of a Permanent State of Emergency in the Peruvian Amazon Following the Murder of Kakataibo Leader](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0717-statement-on-aideseps-declaration-of-a-permanent-state-of-emergency-in-the-peruvian-amazon-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."
- [Staring Down the Barrel: What Peruvian Oil Company’s Crisis Means for the Public](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1003-staring-down-the-barrel-what-peruvian-oil-companys-crisis-means-for-the-public) - “In the long term, PetroPerú has a big problem: it is billions of dollars in debt, its core business is oil – and the world is decarbonizing”
- [From Crisis to Catastrophe: The Man-Made Inferno Devouring the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0917-from-crisis-to-catastrophe-the-man-made-inferno-devouring-the-amazon) - 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.
- [In Ecuador, Booming Profits in Small-scale Gold Mining Reveal a Tainted Industry](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1003-in-ecuador-booming-profits-in-small-scale-gold-mining-reveal-a-tainted-industry) - Lax regulation, corruption, and organized crime have enabled multimillion-dollar proceeds from drug trafficking to be laundered through illegally mined gold.
- [A Reprieve Among the Flames as a Munduruku Territory Advances Toward Demarcation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/1001-a-reprieve-among-the-flames-as-a-munduruku-territory-advances-toward-demarcation) - 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.
- [Brazil’s Justice Minister Clears Munduruku Territory for Formal Titling](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0926-brazils-justice-minister-clears-munduruku-territory-for-formal-titling) - “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."
- [Attacks on Indigenous Rights in Brazil by Agribusiness and Mining Are Fueling Amazon Fires and Climate Change](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0919-attacks-on-indigenous-rights-in-brazil-by-agribusiness-and-mining-are-fueling-amazon-fires-and-climate-change) - 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.
- [Immediate Global Action Needed to Contain Amazon Fires Emergency in Collaboration with Indigenous and Traditional Communities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0917-immediate-global-action-needed-to-contain-amazon-fires-emergency-in-collaboration-with-indigenous-and-traditional-communities) - 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.
- [Brazil's Burning Season: The Facts About Amazon Fires](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0922-brazils-burning-season-the-facts-about-amazon-fires) - In August of 2019, images of the Amazon rainforest on fire shocked the global consciousness. The Amazon is on fire once again this year, and the same destructive human activities are to blame.
- [Amazon Fire Response Fund: Indigenous-Led Solutions for a Burning Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0917-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.
- [Amazon Fires Are Soaring Again – but Forest Loss Is Down. What’s Going on?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0912-amazon-fires-are-soaring-again-but-forest-loss-is-down-whats-going-on) - “There are ongoing investigations by Brazilian authorities into whether farmers yet again organized a ‘fire day’ this year.”
- [Human Rights Crisis in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0913-human-rights-crisis-in-ecuador) - 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.
- [Deforestation Declines, but Fires Rage On in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0911-deforestation-declines-but-fires-rage-on-in-the-amazon) - 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.
- [Daniel Noboa's Calls for Renewable Energy Investments in Ecuador at Extreme Odds With Divisive Copper-Gold Project in Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0911-daniel-noboas-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."
- [¡Sí a la Vida! Yes to Yasuní!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0904-si-a-la-vida-yes-to-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.
- [Ecuador Starts Dismantling Yasuní National Park Oil Block Two Days Before Court Deadline](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0829-ecuador-starts-dismantling-yasuni-national-park-oil-block-two-days-before-court-deadline) - “The government is not meeting their judicial obligation to the court, they’re not fulfilling the mandate of the Ecuadorian people, and they’re not respecting the rights of the Waorani.”
- [Citi Shift on Amazon Oil Policy Will Still Allow Funding of Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0709-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.”
- [Can Mining Override Agrarian Reform and Food Sovereignty in the Amazon?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0801-can-mining-override-agrarian-reform-and-food-security-in-the-amazon) - We recommend that INCRA immediately suspend IN 112 and replace it with a policy that better regulates the historical uneven relationship between large private enterprises and small farmers in rural settlements.
- [Rainforest Reckoning: Almost a Year After the Historic Yasuní Vote, Ecuador Has Done Very Little to Decommission Drilling](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0801-rainforest-reckoning-almost-a-year-after-the-historic-yasuni-vote-ecuador-has-done-very-little-to-decommission-drilling) - 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.
- [Wampis and Achuar Peoples Demand Annulment of Oil Block 64 to Be Operated by GeoPark](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0821-wampis-and-achuar-peoples-demand-annulment-of-oil-block-64) - Representatives of the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation and the Federation of Achuar Nationalities of Peru are sounding the alarm about a non-representative commission of indigenous people who are trying to dialogue with the government to demand benefits from oil activities.
- [Solaris Resources' Stock Price Plummets While Indigenous Resistance Mounts Online and on the Ground](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0723-solaris-resources-stock-price-plummets-while-indigenous-resistance-mounts-online-and-on-the-ground) - Solaris Resources stock tanked this week as Indigenous orgs took actions to reject its Warintza mining project in Ecuador. #MiningOutOfTheAmazon #PSHAYaDecidió #Warintza
- [Solaris Resources Stock Drops To an All Time Low After Releasing Misleading Statement About Indigenous Support of Warintza Project](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0717-solaris-resources-stock-drops-to-an-all-time-low-after-releasing-misleading-statement-about-indigenous-support-of-warintza-project) - “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.”
- [Indigenous Rights Under Siege: Brazil's New Battle for the Amazon and Cultural Survival](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0716-indigenous-rights-under-siege-brazils-new-battle-for-the-amazon-and-cultural-survival) - 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​.
- [Risks and Rights Violations Associated With the Marco Temporal Thesis](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0518-risks-and-rights-violations-associated-with-the-marco-temporal-thesis) - Marco Temporal is a political thesis transformed into an ad hoc constitutional interpretation mechanism that limits the rights of Indigenous peoples to their traditional lands through the application of an arbitrary, restrictive, and legally unfounded temporal cutoff.
- [Amazon Watch 2022-2023 Annual Report](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0703-amazon-watch-2022-2023-annual-report) - For 26 years, Amazon Watch has worked in solidarity with Indigenous peoples to advance their territorial land rights in the Amazon Basin, defending this extraordinary biome from a range of threats.
- [Amazon Oil Spill Puts Peruvian Communities at Risk](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0628-amazon-oil-spill-puts-peruvian-communities-at-risk) - A new oil spill from the pipeline that carries crude oil from the northern Peruvian Amazon across the Andes Mountains to the Pacific coast has raised fears of yet more pollution of the water and fish on which indigenous villages and riverside communities depend.
- [Indigenous Women Denounce Violence and Call for Gender Justice in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0627-indigenous-women-denounce-violence-and-call-for-gender-justice-in-the-peruvian-amazon) - 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.
- [Investor Eye on the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0620-investor-eye-on-the-amazon-june-2024) - The companies and banks behind Amazon destruction are feeling the heat as this year’s season of shareholder meetings comes to a close.
- [Ecuadorian Indigenous Organizations Deny "Agreement" Announced by Canadian Company Solaris Resources](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0620-ecuadorian-indigenous-organizations-deny-agreement-announced-by-canadian-company-solaris-resources) - “Solaris has entered our territories illegally and without consultation, co-opting former leaders, dividing communities and families, and provoking confrontations."
- [The Amazonian Tribespeople Who Sailed Down the Seine](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1210-the-amazonian-tribespeople-who-sailed-down-the-seine) - The Kichwa tribe in the Sarayaku region of the Amazon in Ecuador believe in the "living forest," where humans, animals and plants live in harmony.
- [Amazon Watch and Amnesty International Join Group of 50 NGOs Urging President Biden to Pardon Human Rights Lawyer Steven Donziger](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0605-amazon-watch-amnesty-international-and-more-than-50-other-ngos-urge-president-biden-to-pardon-human-rights-lawyer-steven-donziger) - “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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0529-communities-from-california-to-ecuador-rise-up-in-month-of-action-culminating-at-chevrons-annual-general-meeting) - “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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0522-solaris-resources-faces-major-setback-as-deal-with-zijin-mining-falls-through) - 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.
- [In 2024, Anti-Chevron Day Has Become Anti-Chevron Month](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0523-in-2024-anti-chevron-day-has-become-anti-chevron-month) - On any list of worst corporate actors concerning human rights, the environment, accountability, transparency, and governance, Chevron consistently ranks at or near the top.
- [Power to the Protectors in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0711-power-to-the-protectors-in-ecuador) - This spring, we carried out the second install of our Power to the Protectors program in three Kichwa communities in the central Ecuadorian Amazon, all threatened by new oil expansion.
- [Munduruku Village of Sawré Muybu in the Brazilian Amazon Installs Solar Power](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0627-munduruku-village-of-sawre-muybu-in-the-brazilian-amazon-installs-solar-power) - “We are showing the Brazilian government and companies that we don’t need a dam to generate energy. We are showing the Brazilian government and companies that we are capable of anything.”
- [Solar Power Lights Up Amazon Communities Fighting Dirty Energy](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0418-solar-power-lights-up-amazon-communities-fighting-dirty-energy) - "The government can't call us hypocrites for opposing oil extraction yet using dirty diesel generators. We've made the first big step towards being fossil fuel-free – the government should learn from us."
- [Bay Area Gathers Against Chevron for Palestine and Communities Around the World](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0520-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."
- [Wall Street Banks Fund the Destruction of Our Indigenous Land](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0520-wall-street-banks-fund-the-destruction-of-our-indigenous-land) - As representatives of communities who pay the highest costs of this toxic business, Indigenous Peoples demand banks prohibit new financing of Petroperú, and prevent its clients from pursuing new oil expansion.
- [Oil Debt: Financing Amazon Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0515-oil-debt-financing-amazon-destruction) - 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.
- [Amazon Watch at UNPFII: Safeguarding the Right to Self-determination](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0514-amazon-watch-at-unpfii-safeguarding-the-right-to-self-determination) - Achieving Indigenous autonomies and territorial governance, where self-determination is exercised, requires dismantling the mandates imposed by colonial and extractivist states and transforming them based on indigenous worldviews of harmony and collectivity.
- [Traveling with the Achuar](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2011/1201-traveling-with-the-achuar) - "Talisman thinks you can find strategies to divide us or convince us that you should operate in our lands, but we will not let a single company operate in our territory."
- [Unmasking the Environmental and Human Rights Threats of Canadian Corporations](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0506-unmasking-the-environmental-and-human-rights-threats-of-canadian-corporations) - Contrary to upholding Indigenous rights, Canada rejected crucial recommendations regarding the regulation of its companies operating in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- [Major Brazilian Mobilization Demands Indigenous Land Rights in the Face of Mounting Threats](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0425-major-brazilian-mobilization-demands-indigenous-land-rights-in-the-face-of-mounting-threats) - "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."
- [Investors Slam JPMorgan Chase for Canceling Meeting with Amazon Indigenous Leaders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0425-investors-slam-jpmorgan-chase-for-canceling-meeting-with-amazon-indigenous-leaders) - The filers of a shareholder resolution at JPMorgan Chase on Indigenous rights have criticized the bank for canceling a scheduled meeting with Indigenous leaders from Peru’s Amazon region.
- [Ecuadorians Vote to Strengthen Security Measures and Reject Neoliberal Economic Reforms in Latest Referendum](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0424-ecuadorians-vote-to-strengthen-security-measures-and-reject-neoliberal-economic-reforms-in-latest-referendum) - 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.
- [Respecting Indigenous Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0418-respecting-indigenous-rights) - The rights of Indigenous peoples are protected by a robust and growing body of international human rights instruments and jurisprudence. This Toolkit provides practical guidance and tools for institutional investors to learn about and meet their responsibility to respect Indigenous peoples’ rights, and in turn, avoid financial, and reputational risks.
- [New Report Exposes Risks of Investing in Petroperú Amid Controversial Oil Expansion in Amazon Basin](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0423-new-report-exposes-risks-of-investing-in-petroperu-amid-controversial-oil-expansion-in-amazon-basin) - Today, Amazon Watch released a new report exposing the elevated risks of financially supporting state-run oil company Petroperú) amid its controversial plans to expedite new oil drilling in the Amazon.
- [Assessing Petroperú’s Financial, Legal, Environmental, and Social Risks](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0423-assessing-petroperus-financial-legal-environmental-and-social-risks) - Petroperú has plunged into massive indebtedness to complete its Talara Refinery Modernization Project and is now financially obligated to maximize its oil production to sustain itself, despite growing Indigenous and community opposition.
- [Brazil's Lula Administration Faltering in Promises to Uphold Indigenous Land Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0419-brazils-lula-administration-faltering-in-promises-to-uphold-indigenous-land-rights) - “This is revolting for us Indigenous peoples to have had so much faith in the government’s commitments to our rights and the demarcation of our territories."
- [28 Months Later: Aftermath of a Massacre in the Colombian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0412-28-months-later-aftermath-of-a-massacre-in-the-colombian-amazon) - 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.
- [Award-winning Film “We Are Guardians” Brings the Fight of Indigenous Peoples for the Amazon Rainforest to the Bay Area](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0321-award-winning-film-we-are-guardians-brings-the-fight-of-indigenous-peoples-for-the-amazon-rainforest-to-the-bay-area) - Weaving together politics, history, economics, and science, “We Are Guardians” provides an in-depth exploration of the incredibly complex and critical situation, and it is a story of hope and resilience amidst an unfolding crisis.
- [Latest Blow for Solaris Resources: ILO Finds Shuar Arutam People Were Not Consulted on Warintza and Panantza Mining Projects](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0318-latest-blow-for-solaris-resources-ilo-finds-shuar-arutam-people-were-not-consulted-on-warintza-and-panantza-mining-projects) - “Today’s decision affirms what we’ve been saying all along. We have not been consulted. We have not provided our consent. Our land is not for sale. We will defend our territory, our forests, our rivers, and our culture."
- [Strength in Unity: MarAmazonía Alliance Takes on Petroperú at Its Largest Refinery](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0312-strength-in-unity-maramazonia-alliance-takes-on-petroperu-at-its-largest-refinery) - “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.
- [Indigenous and Community Coalition Challenges Petroperú's Financial Backing](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0311-indigenous-and-community-coalition-challenges-petroperus-financial-backing) - A burgeoning coalition of Peruvian Amazonian Indigenous peoples and fishing organizations are demanding to meet JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup to warn against any new financing for state-operated oil company Petroperú because of its history of oil contamination and flagrant disregard of Indigenous and human rights.
- [Activists Crash Canadian Mining Conference to Denounce Amazon Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0307-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.
- [Ecuador’s Indigenous Organizations Emphatically Reject Canadian Mining Project and Industry Expansion](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0306-ecuadors-indigenous-organizations-emphatically-reject-canadian-mining-project-and-industry-expansion) - "We know the government is in Canada trying to sign agreements with mining companies, but there has been no consultation for the Warintza project. The project violates the Ecuadorian constitution and our rights. Let it be known that we have not given our consent."
- [Ecuador’s President Noboa Omits Major Challenges and Indigenous Opposition Facing Nation’s Mining Sector](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0304-ecuadors-president-noboa-omits-major-challenges-and-indigenous-opposition-facing-nations-mining-sector) - "The rosy picture painted today by the government and mining sector is misleading to investors. The reality is that the mining industry is reeling from local resistance to its projects and adverse decisions from its highest court."
- [Complaint by Ecuadorian Indigenous Nation Asks British Columbia Securities Commission to Investigate Solaris Resources](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0229-complaint-by-ecuadorian-indigenous-nation-asks-british-columbia-securities-commission-to-investigate-solaris-resources) - "The Shuar Arutam people have rejected the Warintza project for many years. Despite this, the company insists on promoting the project by dividing the communities and trying to reach agreements with other Indigenous organizations."
- [Following the Money Behind Amazon Oil Development](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0219-following-the-money-behind-amazon-oil-development) - Local opposition has hampered Petroperú’s plans to start producing crude from two large blocks in the Amazon. For many banks, support for Amazon oil development must look like much more trouble than it is worth.
- [Over 100 International Organizations Denounce Belo Sun’s Efforts to Criminalize Brazilian Land Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0216-over-100-international-organizations-denounce-belo-suns-efforts-to-criminalize-brazilian-land-defenders) - “We must halt all mining ventures in the Amazon, as they pose grave and irreversible threats to global climate stability and the future of humanity.”
- [Latin American Delegation to Implicate Canadian Corporations of Rights Violations at the United Nations in Geneva](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0824-latin-american-delegation-implicates-canadian-corporations-at-the-united-nations) - Despite Canada’s “climate forward” public image, it acts as a safe haven for extractive industries and companies operating in Latin America, including regions of climatic significance such as the Amazon.
- [Canada Emerges As Key Culprit in Amazon Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0906-canada-emerges-as-key-culprit-in-amazon-destruction) - 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.
- [Chevron vs Ecuador: International Arbitration and Corporate Impunity](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0327-chevron-vs-ecuador-international-arbitration-and-corporate-impunity) - "Justice as such does not exist, especially when the criminal is a transnational corporation and the victims are indigenous peoples, peasants, or nature."
- [Belo Sun Mining Seeks to Criminalize Amazon Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0201-belo-sun-mining-seeks-to-criminalize-amazon-defenders) - 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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0130-despite-victory-in-a-historic-referendum-yasuni-national-park-is-again-at-risk) - 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!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0125-petroperu-is-desperate-for-cash-but-were-going-to-end-amazon-crude) - 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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0119-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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0118-indigenous-rights-battle-resumes-in-brazilian-supreme-court) - 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.
- [Historic Legal Victory Achieved by the Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0118-historic-legal-victory-achieved-by-the-kichwa-indigenous-people-of-sarayaku) - The Kichwa People of Sarayaku celebrate this recent triumph in support of their Kawsak Sacha (living and conscious being) territory, which has been marred by oil activities and requires restoration.
- [Belo Sun Mining Company Legally Harasses Volta Grande do Xingu Community Leaders, Environmental and Human Rights Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0112-belo-sun-mining-company-legally-harasses-volta-grande-do-xingu-community-leaders-environmental-and-human-rights-defenders) - "Belo Sun is expelling us from our ancestral territory. It robs us of our souls by distancing us from our traditional practices and culture. And now it's trying to criminalize us as invaders of our own land."
- [We Stand in Solidarity With the Victims of the Violence Unleashed in Ecuador and Demand That the Government Effectively Address Organized Crime](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0110-we-stand-in-solidarity-with-the-victims-of-the-violence-unleashed-in-ecuador-and-demand-that-the-government-effectively-address-organized-crime) - "We express solidarity with the victims of the violence unleashed in Ecuador and demand that the government effectively address the issue of organized crime. Inflammatory statements and reckless measures are not effective and exacerbate the situation."
- [Investors Must Respect Indigenous Rights to Protect the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2024/0105-investors-must-respect-indigenous-rights-to-protect-the-amazon) - Respecting Indigenous Rights: An Actionable Toolkit for Institutional Investors provides investors with a starting point to educate themselves and others about Indigenous rights, as well as practical tools to develop policies, case studies, and data sources to identify and address Indigenous rights abuses.
- [Yasuní Victory Shows Us the Way to End Amazon Crude](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0830-yasuni-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.
- [Peruvian Congress Just Legalized Deforestation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1220-peruvian-congress-just-legalized-deforestation) - "Most experts in Peru agree that the interest behind modifying the Forestry Law is to adapt to the new import restrictions of products that deforest the Amazon in the European and U.S. markets in an underhanded way. The authorities of these countries must make a firm statement that they will not ‘fall for’ the game. Millions of hectares of forest and the very lives of Peruvian Indigenous defenders are at risk."
- [Murdered Indigenous Leader Becomes Yet Another Statistic](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1218-murdered-indigenous-leader-becomes-yet-another-statistic) - ORAU and FENACOKA express our deepest condolences to the family, the community, and the Kakataibo people for the cowardly and cruel murder and the irreplaceable loss of their Leader BENJAMIN FLORES RIOS, who was fighting for the care of the entire territory of his community to prevent invaders from entering their land. We also reject and condemn violence from any source, once again the Amazon is stained with blood to silence the voice of an environmental defender.
- [Mining Company Belo Sun Sues Environmental Defenders in Intimidation Tactic, NGOs Say](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1212-mining-company-belo-sun-sues-environmental-defenders-in-intimidation-tactic-ngos-say) - “This is an attempt to silence families and leaders who are on the frontline of the struggle for agrarian reform, and to intimidate national and international networks that monitor and denounce the destruction caused by large enterprises and companies in Volta Grande do Xingu.”
- [Autonomous Indigenous Nations Fight to Stop the Flow of Money to Petroperú](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1207-autonomous-indigenous-nations-fight-to-stop-the-flow-of-money-to-petroperu) - 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 Amazon Emergency Is a Climate Emergency”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1130-the-amazon-emergency-is-a-climate-emergency) - Dubai, United Arab Emirates – As over 70,000 people convene in Dubai for the 28th UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP 28), the Amazon rainforest is on fire and in a severe drought due to deforestation, extractive industries, industrial agriculture, climate change, and other threats.
- [Amazon Emergency: Nine Urgent Measures to Ensure Justice and Effective Protection for Defenders in Peru](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1201-nine-urgent-measures-to-ensure-justice-and-effective-protection-for-defenders-in-peru) - The murder of Apu Quinto cannot remain "just another case" that generates indignation and is then forgotten. On the contrary, it is time to assume and declare that the Amazon is in emergency, in order to make the protection of defenders a national and international priority.
- [Indigenous Organization Opposes Sale of Controversial Warintza Mining Project on Their Territory in the Ecuadorian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1130-indigenous-organization-opposes-sale-of-controversial-warintza-mining-project-on-their-territory-in-the-ecuadorian-amazon) - “We oppose any entity providing additional investment for this project in our territory or any attempt to sell the project to another company using and promoting the name of the Shuar people.”
- [The Growing Threat of Organized Crime in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1116-the-growing-threat-of-organized-crime-in-the-amazon) - 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.
- [Amazon Underworld](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1121-amazon-underworld) - This report shows how criminal organizations and armed groups have expanded their presence, increased their political control, and diversified their economies in the Amazon with disastrous impacts on Indigenous peoples.
- [Unmasking Canada: Rights Violations Across Latin America](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0831-unmasking-canada-rights-violations-across-latin-america) - Amazon Watch was joined by more than 50 civil society organizations to compile three critical reports - covering Regional, Amazonian, and Oil and Gas - under the campaign Unmasking Canada: Rights Violations Across Latin America.
- [New Policy Paper Provides Roadmap to Tackle Organized Crime in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1121-new-policy-paper-provides-roadmap-to-tackle-organized-crime-in-the-amazon) - Lima, Peru – A new policy paper by Amazon Underworld, Amazon Watch, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, and InfoAmazonia details a roadmap for governments across the region to tackle the ruthless expansion of crime organizations and illicit markets in the most biodiverse region of the world.
- [Unmasking Canada's Extractive Industry Violations at the UN Human Rights Council](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1109-unmasking-canadas-extractive-industry-violations-at-the-un-human-rights-council) - Civil society organizations also urge Canada to enact regulations ensuring gold's origin traceability, especially when mining occurs in Amazonian countries. They call for a comprehensive energy transition plan that respects human rights and promotes the gradual abandonment of extractive industries that jeopardize the Amazon's ecological balance.
- [Amazon in Focus 2023](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1110-amazon-in-focus-2023) - Over the last year, hope and progress for the future of the Amazon and climate has been restored. With immense joy and pride, we celebrate recent victories to protect Indigenous land rights with the civil society consultation to keep oil in the ground in the Yasuní National Park in Ecuador and the Brazilian Supreme Court ruling declaring “Marco Temporal” unconstitutional. We are so proud and honored to have worked closely with Indigenous peoples, organizations, and movements to achieve these historic victories.
- [Colombian Indigenous People, Campesinos, and Human Rights Groups Denounce the Humanitarian Crisis in Putumayo and Demand Justice for the 2022 Massacre at El Remanso Before the IACHR](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1106-colombian-indigenous-people-campesinos-and-human-rights-groups-denounce-the-humanitarian-crisis-in-putumayo-and-demand-justice-for-the-2022-massacre-at-el-remanso-before-the-iachr) - The Colombian government must address the current situation of violence and humanitarian emergency affecting the inhabitants of the Putumayo department and provide justice for the extrajudicial executions known as “false positives” committed in the rural community of El Remanso, community representatives from the Putumayo region and, accompanying civil society groups said today at a hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
- [Abandoned Oil Mess Still Plagues Communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1106-abandoned-oil-mess-still-plagues-communities-in-the-ecuadorian-amazon) - “For us, oil has been a curse because we haven’t seen any [benefits from] oil. The plans are always made in Quito and Guayaquil, in the big cities, but they seem to be unaware of the real damage; by producing a barrel of oil, they’re killing people or animals that should be able to subsist in the Amazon.”
- [Indigenous Territories Are Key to Stopping Droughts in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1103-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 to Protect the Amazon and Indigenous Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1026-seven-challenges-for-the-new-ecuadorian-government-to-protect-the-amazon-and-indigenous-rights) - 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.
- [Brazil's President Lula Protects Indigenous Rights and the Environment With a Partial Veto of Bill 2903](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1020-brazils-president-lula-protects-indigenous-rights-and-the-environment-with-a-partial-veto-of-bill-2903) - “It is important to say that Article 4, which refers to the Marco Temporal thesis, was completely vetoed. The president’s vetoes guarantee the protection of Indigenous land rights.”
- [Uniting for Climate Justice: Amazon Watch at New York Climate Week](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0926-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.
- [Cargill-MacMillan Family Refuses to Meet With Visiting Indigenous Leader](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1013-cargill-macmillan-family-refuses-to-meet-with-visiting-indigenous-leader) - “It is appalling that an emissary who traveled 4,000 miles to deliver an urgent message from her people would be treated with such dismissal and disrespect.”
- [New Toolkit Guides Investors on Indigenous Rights Respect](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0418-new-toolkit-guides-investors-on-indigenous-rights-respect) - New York, NY —Today, Amazon Watch published Respecting Indigenous Rights: An Actionable Toolkit for Institutional Investors, an Indigenous-led guide for pension funds, asset managers, and other institutional investors on their responsibility to respect the rights of Indigenous peoples.
- [Brazil's Congress Deals Major Blow to Indigenous Rights and Environmental Governance in Dramatic Policy Shift, as Lula’s Administration Stands By](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0525-brazils-congress-deals-major-blow-to-indigenous-rights-and-environmental-governance-in-dramatic-policy-shift-as-lulas-administration-stands-by) - "Brazil's presidency may have changed, but a deeply-rooted anti-environmental and anti-Indigenous sentiment persists in Congress."
- [Regressive and Destructive Indigenous Land Bill Advances in Brazil, Despite Protests](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0530-regressive-and-destructive-indigenous-land-bill-advances-in-brazil-despite-protests) - "The lawmakers who voted today in favor of this project will go down in history as responsible for approving a bill that explicitly attacks the lives of Indigenous peoples in Brazil."
- [Javari Valley Indigenous Communities Remain Under Threat, Marking a Year Since the Murders of Dom and Bruno](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0605-javari-valley-indigenous-communities-remain-under-threat-marking-a-year-since-the-murders-of-dom-and-bruno) - "Our focus must not be limited to the direct perpetrators of crimes, but also extend to those endorsing predatory activities in the Javari Valley."
- [Illegal Miners Suspected in Killing of Yanomami Indigenous Child and Wounding of Five in Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0705-illegal-miners-suspected-in-killing-of-yanomami-indigenous-child-and-wounding-of-five-in-brazilian-amazon) - "This tragic attack demonstrates the Brazilian authorities’ ongoing challenges in containing illegal mining on Brazil’s Indigenous territories and guaranteeing the Yanomami community's safety."
- [Victory for Yasuní and the Amazon! Ecuadorians Choose a Future Without Fossil Fuels](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0821-victory-for-yasuni-and-the-amazon-ecuadorians-choose-a-future-without-fossil-fuels) - “Ecuadorians have sent a definitive message to the world: the Amazon, Indigenous rights, biodiversity, and our climate are more important than oil."
- [Escalating Violence in Ecuador Threatens Human Rights Defenders and Democracy](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0817-escalating-violence-in-ecuador-threatens-human-rights-defenders-and-democracy) - “For human rights defenders and Indigenous organizations, the increase in violence implies several risks, as illegal and formal capitals tend to articulate and share interests against those who defend rights and territories."
- [Report Reveals Shocking Rights Violations by Canadian Corporations in Latin America](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0831-report-reveals-shocking-rights-violations-by-canadian-corporations-in-latin-america) - A groundbreaking report was unveiled at the United Nations Universal Periodic Review Process pre-session in Geneva. This in-depth investigation highlights extensive human rights and environmental breaches by Canadian companies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- [Victory: Belo Sun Is One Step Closer to Having Its License Permanently Denied](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0911-victory-belo-sun-is-one-step-closer-to-having-its-license-permanently-denied) - In a significant victory for the Amazon and Indigenous rights, the environmental licensing process for the Belo Sun mining project in the Volta Grande region of the Xingu River has been successfully shifted from state to federal jurisdiction.
- [Brazil's Supreme Court Rejects the Marco Temporal, but the Fight for Indigenous Land Rights Continues](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0922-brazils-supreme-court-rejects-the-marco-temporal-but-the-fight-for-indigenous-land-rights-continues) - "After many years of struggles, mobilizations, and anxieties, this outcome dictates Brazil's future of Indigenous land demarcations. We shall indeed celebrate the strength of Brazil's Indigenous peoples."
- [Legal Impunity for Loggers Behind the Brutal Murders of Four Indigenous Earth Defenders in Saweto](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/1005-legal-impunity-for-loggers-behind-the-brutal-murders-of-four-indigenous-earth-defenders-in-saweto) - 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.
- [Assassinations in the Amazon: How Will Peru Respond?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/0914-assassinations-in-the-amazon-how-will-peru-respond) - "Martyrs", "true guardians of the Amazon", "defenders of the rainforest..." These are just some of the terms used to describe four Peruvian indigenous leaders who were assassinated earlier this month, but "Dead Friends of the Earth", a term used by NGO Global Witness for people killed defending their land or the environment, might be another.
- [Brazil's Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Indigenous Land Rights in Historic Win](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0921-brazils-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-indigenous-land-rights-in-historic-win) - Nine of the court’s 11 members voted against what rights groups had dubbed the “time limit trick” – an agribusiness-backed attempt to prevent Indigenous communities claiming land they did not physically occupy in 1988.
- [Brazil's Indigenous Lands at Stake: Marco Temporal's Potential Boon for Mining Titans](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0918-brazils-indigenous-lands-at-stake-marco-temporals-potential-boon-for-mining-titans) - 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 territories.
- [Heck of a Job, Brownie!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2012/0415-heck-of-a-job-brownie) - Chevron revealed that CEO John Watson was paid about $25 million in 2011, up 52 percent from 2010. Last year was, of course, the year in which the company was ordered to pay $18 billion for oil spills in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
- [Pope Francis Says Amazon Indigenous People Under Greater Threat Than Ever](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0121-pope-francis-says-amazon-indigenous-people-under-greater-threat-than-ever) - Andrew Miller of the NGO Amazon Watch said the pope's words "deepened prior comments in favor of indigenous rights and protecting the Amazon. Now the question is: will Pope Francis make similar comments before larger crowds in Lima and in dialogues with Peruvian decision makers?"
- [Victory! Talisman to Withdraw from Peru](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2012/0917-victory-talisman-to-withdraw-from-peru) - "We have fought long and hard against Talisman's drilling in our territory because of the negative environmental and social impacts we have seen from oil drilling around the world," said Peas Peas Ayui, President of the National Achuar Federation.
- [Jane Fonda, Carlos Santana, Morgan Freeman and Peter Gabriel to Headline Global Livestream Event Supporting COVID-19 Relief in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0523-jane-fonda-carlos-santana-morgan-freeman-and-peter-gabriel-to-headline-global-livestream-event) - On May 28, 2020, Jane Fonda, Morgan Freeman, Carlos Santana, Peter Gabriel, and numerous other artists will join Indigenous leaders, scientists, and a broad coalition of NGOs in hosting Artists United for Amazonía: Protecting the Protectors, a global livestream event.
- [The Shuar Arutam People Ratify Their Resistance Against Canadian and Chinese Mining Companies](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0824-the-shuar-arutam-people-ratify-their-resistance-against-canadian-and-chinese-mining-companies) - 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.
- [Amazon's Yasuní Referendum: A "Yes" for Life and a Future Without Fossil Fuels](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0816-amazons-yasuni-referendum-a-yes-for-life-and-a-future-without-fossil-fuels) - "As Ecuadorians, we have the historic opportunity to redefine Yasuní as a territory of life and give a clear transforming mandate to governments and the world."
- [Brazil Gold Mine Puts Indigenous Territory "At Risk," Advocates Say](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0804-brazil-gold-mine-puts-indigenous-territory-at-risk-advocates-say) - “The guaranteed right to our territory is at risk,” Lorena Curuaia, a leader of the Curuaia Indigenous people, told Al Jazeera. “We could lose territories that we have lived in for thousands of years.”
- [Ecuadorians Reject Oil Drilling in the Amazon, Ending Operations in a Protected Area](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0821-ecuadorians-reject-oil-drilling-in-the-amazon-ending-operations-in-a-protected-area) - “Ecuadorians have come together for this cause to provide a life opportunity for our Indigenous brothers and sisters and also to show the entire world, amidst these challenging times of climate change, that we stand in support of the rainforest.”
- [Reflections from Piaruçu: Cacique Raoni's Call to Protect the Amazon and Mother Earth](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0815-reflections-from-pirarucu-chamado-do-raoni) - "For many years, our ancestors have been warning that the health of the Earth is not only our responsibility; it is everyone’s responsibility. If the sky falls, the earth burns, and waters rise, we will all die, and no money can buy another planet."
- [Pulse, Xingu! The Way to Revive the Volta Grande after Belo Monte](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0727-pulse-xingu-the-way-to-revive-the-volta-grande-after-belo-monte) - The Xingu River needs to pulsate for life to exist. The flood pulse is the source of the life cycle in most Amazonian rivers. The Juruna Yudjá of the Paquiçamba Indigenous Land and the riverside communities of Volta Grande do Xingu have known this for a long time.
- [Canada's Belo Sun Mining Is Still Threatening the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0720-canadas-belo-sun-mining-is-still-threatening-the-brazilian-amazon) - The Canadian mining company Belo Sun continues to threaten life in the Volta Grande do Xingu, and our campaign to halt the proposed largest open-pit gold mine in Brazil at the heart of the Amazon rainforest is in full swing.
- [From the Rainforest to the Interamerican Commission: Protecting the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0718-from-the-rainforest-to-the-interamerican-commission-protecting-the-brazilian-amazon) - 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 Organizations Denounce Italy's Export Credit Agency for Seeking Loan Partnership with Notorious Polluter Petroperú](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0712-peruvian-indigenous-organizations-denounce-italys-export-credit-agency-for-seeking-loan-partnership-with-notorious-polluter-petroperu) - “SACE must understand why we consider that support for a company like Petroperú includes risks to the lives of our sons and daughters, our people, and the climate crisis in ways that will affect us all, which we simply cannot accept.”
- [Perupetro Selects Peruvian Amazon Oil Block Operator Implicated in Alleged Conflict of Interest Scandal](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0706-perupetro-selects-peruvian-amazon-oil-block-operator-implicated-in-alleged-conflict-of-interest-scandal) - “We consider that, despite the response from PetroTal and Isabel Tafur, the fact that the President of Perupetro has worked with PetroTal before winning the bid, tarnishes the bidding process and diminishes the transparency of the selection and award results."
- [Peruvian Indigenous Movement Achieves Victory Against Extractivism, Though Threats Remain](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0706-peruvian-indigenous-movement-achieves-victory-against-extractivism-though-threats-remain) - 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.
- [Amazonian and Coastal Communities Target Potential Petroperú Financier Italian Agency SACE](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0703-amazonian-and-coastal-communities-target-potential-petroperu-financier-italian-agency-sace) - In the face of mounting environmental and rights concerns, the Peruvian Federation of the Achuar Nationality, the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampís Nation, and the Cabo Blanco Fishing Association are targeting the potential financial investment by the Italian export credit agency in Petroperú.
- [We Must Stop the Peruvian Congress from Placing Isolated Indigenous Peoples Under Threat](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0620-we-must-stop-the-peruvian-congress-from-placing-isolated-indigenous-peoples-under-threat) - 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.
- [New Pipelines Threaten Intact Amazon Rainforests in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2001/0601-new-pipelines-threaten-intact-amazon-rainforests-in-brazil) - In the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, over 400 miles (700 km) upriver from Manaus, two new pipelines are planned to expand oil and gas production from the Urucu and Jurua gas fields.
- [Ecuador Makes History: Vote to Keep the Oil in the Ground in Yasuní Underway](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0601-ecuador-makes-history-vote-to-keep-the-oil-in-the-ground-in-yasuni-underway) - The protection of Yasuní is crucial: It is one of the most biodiverse places on earth, and any invasions by oil and extractive activity could further destabilize our global climate and destroy the territory of the Tagaeri and Taromenane peoples.
- [The TNFD Shows That Global Corporations Will Not Solve the Biodiversity Crisis](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0601-the-tnfd-shows-that-global-corporations-will-not-solve-the-biodiversity-crisis) - “Scientific research has made clear that the biodiversity crisis will only be stemmed if we stop all new fossil fuels, reduce industrial livestock, and respect and center the leadership of Indigenous peoples, women’s organizations, peasants, and environmental defenders.”
- [Dismantling the Environment Is Shooting Yourself in the Foot ](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0525-dismantling-the-environment-is-shooting-yourself-in-the-foot) - The substitute for Provisional Measure 1154, approved in the Mixed Committee, dismantles the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) and the agencies linked to it and weakens the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI). The text needs to be amended by the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- [Rights at Risk as Ecuador's President Dissolves Congress](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0525-rights-at-risk-as-ecuadors-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.
- ["Worthless": Chevron's Carbon Offsets Are Mostly Junk and Some May Harm, Research Says](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0524-worthless-chevrons-carbon-offsets-are-mostly-junk-and-some-may-harm-research-says) - A new investigation into Chevron’s climate pledge has found the fossil-fuel company relies on “junk” carbon offsets and “unviable” technologies, which do little to offset its vast greenhouse gas emissions and in some cases may actually be causing communities harm.
- [A Powerful Beacon of Hope in the Colombian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1208-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.
- [Second Chance for Lula as Controversial Amazon Dam Goes Up for Renewal](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0518-second-chance-for-lula-as-controversial-amazon-dam-goes-up-for-renewal) - “What would be great is if that dam was gone. But there is another plan that would allow the waters to reach the lowland breeding grounds and that is a solution that we could live with.”
- [Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples Succeeds in Pressuring President Lula da Silva to Dismiss “Anti-Indigenous” Mining Bill](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0518-apib-succeeds-in-pressuring-president-lula-to-dismiss-anti-indigenous-mining-bill) - "We hope that the National Congress fulfills its duty to legislate for environmental balance, the social well-being of Brazilians, and respect for Indigenous peoples' ways of life."
- [Will Colombia's Peace Process Have an Environmental Dark Side?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/1116-will-colombias-peace-process-have-an-environmental-dark-side) - For the majority of Colombians, and for those who have worked on human rights in Colombia, the conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions can't end soon enough.
- [Indigenous March Descends on Quito, as National Strike Presses for Major Reforms](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/0813-indigenous-march-descends-on-quito-as-national-strike-presses-for-major-reforms) - Major roadways across Ecuador were closed yesterday as indigenous groups joined by labor, campesino, and civil society organizations began a national strike against proposed constitutional amendments that would curtail indigenous rights and allow President Rafael Correa to stay in power indefinitely.
- [Amazon Watch Response to Petroperú](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0516-amazon-watch-response-to-petroperu) - Under international standards, the impacted communities should have been consulted for the creation of Block 64 as well as all leasing contracts, which did not happen. As such, the “intercultural dialogue mechanisms” cannot be considered as complying with the international standards of FPIC.
- [New Video: Protecting the Right to Protest and Defeating Corporate Bullies](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0516-new-video-protecting-the-right-to-protest-and-defeating-corporate-bullies) - “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.”
- [Brazilian Court Rules in Favor of Mura People Against Mining Company Potássio do Brasil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0511-brazilian-court-rules-in-favor-of-mura-people-against-mining-company-potassio-do-brasil) - Potássio do Brasil is an example of how mining companies violate Indigenous rights even before their operations begin.
- [Amazon Watch 2021-2022 Annual Report](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0430-amazon-watch-2021-2022-annual-report) - Following years of multiple crises in the Amazon amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we began to see hope on the horizon in 2021-2022. It was a monumental year defending the Amazon and human rights!
- [Demarcation Now! Brazil’s Indigenous Movement Secures Land Recognition Victories at Annual Free Land Camp](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0502-demarcation-now-brazils-indigenous-movement-secures-land-recognition-victories-at-annual-free-land-camp) - "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!"
- [Deadly Clashes Erupt as Brazil Fights to Recover Yanomami Territory from Illegal Miners](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0502-deadly-clashes-erupt-as-brazil-fights-to-recover-yanomami-territory-from-illegal-miners) - Yanomami leader Júnior Hekurari reported that between 15 and 20 heavily armed miners arrived by boat and opened fire on locals.
- [Indigenous Leader from the Brazilian Amazon Alessandra Munduruku Is Awarded Goldman Environmental Prize](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0425-indigenous-leader-from-the-brazilian-amazon-alessandra-munduruku-is-awarded-goldman-environmental-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.
- [Sit-in Continues at Citi NY Headquarters Ahead of Climate Resolutions at Shareholders' Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0425-sit-in-continues-at-citi-ny-headquarters-ahead-of-climate-resolutions-at-shareholders-meeting) - “Last year, Indigenous leaders from the Peruvian Amazon met face-to-face with Citi’s leadership, and yet Citi has failed to address their demands to stop financing Petroperú and extractive projects that destroy their homes.”
- [Notes from the Front Lines: A Journey with the Munduruku into the Tapajós](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/0410-a-journey-with-the-munduruku-into-the-tapajos) - Amazon Watch joined a powerful assembly in the Munduruku community of Waroapompu in the Tapajós region of Brazil to discuss how the Munduruku will strengthen themselves in resistance to dams planned within their territory.
- [The Risks of Investing in Belo Sun](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1209-the-risks-of-investing-in-belo-sun) - Belo Sun's executives have repeatedly and publicly downplayed the social, environmental, and legal risks of the Volta Grande Project, thereby heightening risks for current and potential investors.
- [Amazon Indigenous Woman Wins Goldman Environment Prize](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0424-amazon-indigenous-woman-wins-goldman-environment-prize) - “This award is an opportunity to draw attention to the demarcation of the Sawre Muybu territory. It is our top priority, along with the expulsion of illegal miners.”
- [The Right to Decide: U'wa Bring Case to Court After 25 Years](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0420-the-right-to-decide-uwa-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.”
- [36,000+ People and 118 Organizations Urge State Treasurers and Public Pensions To Support Climate and Indigenous Rights Shareholder Resolutions at Bank and Insurance Companies' Annual General Meetings](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0405-state-treasurers-and-public-pensions-urged-to-support-climate-and-indigenous-rights-resolutions-at-annual-general-meetings) - “Public pension fund officers have an obligation to protect their members from both the financial volatility and physical destruction of the climate crisis. They must do their job by voting yes on climate and Indigenous rights resolutions at bank and insurance shareholder meetings this spring.”
- [How We Leverage "Shareholder Season" for the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0328-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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0323-women-must-be-protagonists-in-solving-the-climate-crisis) - "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.
- [U.S. Firms Continue to Fund Network of Destruction in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1028-us-firms-continue-to-fund-network-of-destruction-in-the-amazon) - Bolsonaro and his henchmen would have us believe that "the Amazon doesn't catch fire," "the Amazon isn't burning," or even that "Africa is burning much more than Brazil." Yet these flimsy arguments cannot withstand the accurate documentation of how this year's heartbreaking burning season has laid waste to Brazilian ecosystems while incinerating the country's once-touted environmental credentials along with the credibility of its so-called leaders.
- [The Munduruku Demand That Mining Giant Anglo American Publicly Commit to Not Mine on Indigenous Lands](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0108-munduruku-demand-that-anglo-american-publicly-commit-to-not-mine-on-indigenous-lands) - Indigenous lands are protected by the Brazilian Constitution, and current attempts to change this regulatory framework represent a major threat to the rights of Indigenous peoples, to the integrity of their territories – which remain barriers against deforestation and the degradation of Brazilian biomes – and to the ecological and climatic balance resulting from the protection of Indigenous lands, particularly in the Amazon. The Munduruku have spoken: no mining in our lands!
- [Banks Are Budging!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0125-banks-are-budging) - We are only a few weeks into 2021 and today we've announced the inspiring news that European banks that are collectively responsible for financing the trade of over $5.5 billion in Amazon oil to the U.S. from 2009 to 2020 have committed to immediate exclusion measures on the trading of oil from the Amazon Sacred Headwaters of Ecuador! These commitments come in response to the August 2020 report by Stand.earth and Amazon Watch that exposed how European banks financed the trade of $10 billion USD of oil from the Amazon Sacred Headwaters region to the U.S. This is the first time global commercial banks have adopted policies that exclude finance for extractive activities in the Amazon rainforest. It's both an encouraging sign of things to come and a great motivator to ramp up the pressure – now!
- [Linked Fates: Ending Amazon Crude Will Benefit Us All](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1202-linked-fates-ending-amazon-crude-will-benefit-us-all) - New research shows that California is the world’s largest consumer of oil from the Amazon rainforest. California converts 50% of the Amazon oil exported globally into fuel for airports, corporations such as Amazon.com, trucking fleets such as PepsiCo, and retail gas giants such as COSTCO. This new investigation expands upon our previous research to end Amazon crude, honing in on government and corporate targets.
- [Illegal Miners Terrorize Brazil’s Yanomami Communities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0519-illegal-miners-terrorize-brazils-yanomami-communities) - 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 miners.
- [The Massacre in Peru Must Be Stopped!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0112-peru-the-massacre-must-be-stopped) - 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.
- [Movement Against Belo Sun Gains Momentum in Canada](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0117-movement-against-belo-sun-gains-momentum-in-canada) - 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 Sun.
- [BlackRock’s Big Problem Responds to Larry Fink’s 2023 Letter](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0315-blackrocks-big-problem-responds-to-larry-finks-2023-letter) - “Fink has again recognized that climate change risk is having a material impact in the world. However, he claims that BlackRock shouldn’t engineer outcomes related to climate change. This ignores the fact that maintaining the status quo is as much a choice as taking action.”
- [UN Human Rights Committee Calls on China for Mechanisms to Investigate and Punish Harmful Activities of Its Companies and Banks Abroad](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0315-un-human-rights-committee-calls-on-china-for-mechanisms-to-investigate-and-punish-harmful-activities-of-its-companies-and-banks-abroad) - "Having the Committee recommend that Chinese companies and banks be held legally responsible for human rights abuses arising from their operations abroad is not only a step forward in protecting Chinese investment, but also in guaranteeing human rights in any context of transnational capitalism."
- [The Human Rights Obligations of the People's Republic of China in Relation to Business Activities in Latin America](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0315-the-human-rights-obligations-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-in-relation-to-business-activities-in-latin-america) - Chinese business activities in Latin America have increased at an unprecedented rate – impacting the Ecuadorian Amazon. Through the United Nations, those Latin American countries are granted processes to advocate for the respect of human rights, and when they are not, it provides external oversight to guide reparation and compliance.
- [Solidarity With the Family of Eduardo Mendúa and the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0301-solidarity-with-the-family-of-eduardo-mendua-and-conaie) - “Amazon Watch expresses our deepest condolences and solidarity with the family and loved ones of Mendúa, and with the leadership and members of CONAIE. We join their demand for a thorough and rigorous investigation and acknowledgment of the root causes of his death. We consider it essential that Eduardo's widow and children find justice and the greatest possible reparation for this unjust and irreparable loss."
- [Amazonian Women Mobilize on International Women’s Day](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0309-amazonian-women-mobilize-on-international-womens-day) - This International Women’s Day 2023, we celebrated Indigenous women as life-givers, wisdom keepers, and leaders while denouncing violence against women and Mother Earth.
- [Democratic Convention Protests Begin. Climbers Rappel with Massive U.S. Flag with Corporate Logos Near Staples Center.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2000/0807-democratic-convention-protests-begin-climbers-rappel-with-massive-us-flag-with-corporate-logos-near-staples-center) - Los Angeles, CA -Two women climbers scaled a downtown building today and partially unfurled a 1500 square foot U.S. flag displaying corporate logos as stars. The banner featured the logos of U.S. corporations including Citigroup, Nike, Enron and Occidental Petroleum, all major peddlers of business influence.
- [Women Defenders for Territories Free of Mining!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0307-women-defenders-for-territories-free-of-mining) - 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.
- [New Research Exposes Rights Violations and Financial Risks with Solaris Resources Mining Project in Ecuadorian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0306-new-research-exposes-rights-violations-and-financial-risks-with-solaris-resources-mining-project-in-ecuadorian-amazon) - Amazon Watch released new research today that exposes the social, cultural, and human rights impacts related to Solaris Resources Inc.'s Ecuador mining operations, and the consequential environmental, business, and political risks faced by the company, its investors, and the mining sector writ large. According to the research, investors should be wary and question the risks associated with Amazon mining in Ecuador, as many projects continue to be stalled and riddled with controversy.
- [At Any Cost? The Peruvian Government Launches a New Campaign to Attract Oil Investments in the Midst of the Crisis.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0302-at-any-cost-the-peruvian-government-launches-a-new-campaign-to-attract-oil-investments-in-the-midst-of-the-crisis) - Is it prudent to invest in what will undeniably become a new front of social conflict and human rights violations in the north of the country, this time with Amazonian Indigenous people?
- [Judge Revokes Mining License in Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/0701-judge-revokes-mining-license-in-brazilian-amazon) - Citing Belo Sun's failure to assess the impacts of its planned mega-mine on nearby indigenous communities, a federal judge rescinded the company's licenses, putting the brakes on yet another Amazon extractive industry tragedy.
- [Josefina Tunki Delivers Testimony at the UN on Behalf of the Shuar Arutam People](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0221-josefina-tunki-delivers-testimony-at-the-u-n-on-behalf-of-the-shuar-arutam-people) - “The Shuar Arutam People have already decided and have declared forcefully that we do not want mining or consultation in our territory.”
- [Peruvian Antilogging Activist Edwin Chota Killed](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/0909-peruvian-antilogging-activist-edwin-chota-killed) - The activist had received frequent death threats from illegal loggers, who he had tried for years to expel from the lands for which his community was seeking title. "He threatened to upset the status quo," said David Salisbury, a professor at the University of Richmond. "The illegal loggers are on record for wanting Edwin dead."
- [Are Californians Destroying the Amazon? A Sebastião Salgado Exhibit Raises Hard Questions](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0216-are-californians-destroying-the-amazon-a-sebastiao-salgado-exhibit-raises-hard-questions) - “If we want to protect our climate, if we want to stop the drought, stop the further climate chaos that we’re in, whether it’s fires or floods or droughts, we need to end our addiction to Amazon crude.”
- [Illegal Gold Mining Brought Death, Disease, and Violence to the Yanomami in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0216-illegal-gold-mining-brought-death-disease-and-violence-to-the-yanomami-in-brazil) - The shocking images of death and destruction of the Yanomami people and their lands that recently swept the world reestablish a tragedy foretold.
- [The Transformative Power of Reciprocity and Gratitude](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0214-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.”
- [Brazilian Government Launches Huge Operation to Remove Illegal Miners from Yanomami Lands in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0209-brazilian-government-launches-huge-operation-to-remove-illegal-miners-from-yanomami-lands-in-the-amazon) - The Brazilian government has initiated operations aimed at dismantling extensive illegal gold mining activities in the Amazon’s Yanomami Indigenous Land. The objective is to drive tens of thousands of illegal miners from the country’s largest Indigenous reserve after they invaded the territory over a span of several years.
- [Petroperú Will Seek Financing to Drill for Oil in One of the Most Environmentally Conflicted Areas of Peru; Banks Should Not Take the Risk](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0208-petroperu-will-seek-financing-to-drill-for-oil-in-one-of-the-most-environmentally-conflicted-areas-of-peru-banks-should-not-take-the-risk) - “Banks and asset managers should know that any investment in Petroperú represents a serious financial risk. The current government is trying to take advantage of political instability to speed up contested projects which have a history of extensive unremediated environmental impacts. The message is clear: the oil industry in Peru is a bad investment.”
- [How We’re Ending Amazon Crude in 2023!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0110-how-were-ending-amazon-crude-in-2023) - 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.
- [Two Brazilian Indigenous Youths Are Murdered, Shot in the Back Amid Conflicts Over Land](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0119-two-brazilian-indigenous-youth-are-murdered-shot-in-the-back-amid-conflicts-over-land) - São Paulo, Brazil – Two youths, Nawir Brito de Jesus, 17, and Samuel Cristiano do Amor Divino, 25, of Brazil’s Indigenous Pataxó people, were brutally murdered on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, in the municipality of Itabela, in southern Bahia state.
- [The Biden Administration Must Denounce Violent Repression in Peru](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0113-the-biden-administration-must-denounce-violent-repression-in-peru) - In just one month since the Dina Boluarte government came to power, at least 48 civilians have been killed in the context of social protests, 41 of them as the result of wounds caused by gunfire. Human rights groups have sharply criticized Peruvian security forces, which appear to be responsible for most of the deaths, for using lethal force indiscriminately against civilians.
- [Peruvian Indigenous Organization Demands Embassies and International Organizations Publicly Denounce Massacre and Repression by Peruvian Government](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0112-peruvian-indigenous-organization-demands-embassies-and-international-organizations-publicly-denounce-massacre-and-repression-by-peruvian-government) - The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP) has requested that embassies, international human rights organizations, and faith organizations that hold relationships with Peru release public statements condemning the violence, repression, and criminalization of protest in the country, and lack of action by the government which has already claimed 50 Peruvian lives.
- [In Sweeping Moves Since Assuming Brazil’s Presidency, Lula Reestablished the Amazon Fund and Signed Executive Orders to Rebuild the Country’s Environmental Policy](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0105-in-sweeping-moves-president-lula-reestablished-the-amazon-fund-and-signed-environmental-executive-orders) - “After four years of relentless dismantling of socio-environmental legislation, Lula’s new government is beginning to rebuild the fundamental norms eviscerated by the Bolsonaro regime."
- [Brazil at a Turning Point: "Never Again Without Us!"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2023/0105-brazil-at-a-turning-point-never-again-without-us) - For the first time, a government has put Indigenous peoples at the center, recognizing their ancestral right to decide over their lives and territories.
- [Major U.N. Biodiversity Deal Recognizes Indigenous Rights but Lacks Critical Enforcement Measures](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1221-major-u-n-biodiversity-deal-recognizes-indigenous-rights-but-lacks-critical-enforcement-measures) - The landmark agreement seeks to halt the Earth’s sixth major mass extinction event, and Indigenous communities will have an increased role in protecting wildlife as part of the deal.
- [Amazon Watch at COP15 in Defense of Biodiversity and Indigenous Rights!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1215-amazon-watch-at-cop15-in-defense-of-biodiversity-and-indigenous-rights) - 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.
- [Ziggy Marley, Barbra Streisand, Rosario Dawson, and Artists Release Call for a Global Agreement to Protect 80% of the Amazon Rainforest by 2025 at COP15](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1215-ziggy-marley-barbra-streisand-rosario-dawson-and-artists-release-call-for-a-global-agreement-to-protect-80-of-the-amazon-rainforest-by-2025-at-cop15) - “The Indigenous people of Amazonia have lived in balance with the rainforest for centuries. Our collective future requires that we listen to the Indigenous voices on the front lines. Amazonian governments and world leaders must protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025”
- [COP15: Canadian Mining Corp. Belo Sun Stock Takes Major Hit Before Finance Day at U.N. Biodiversity Summit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1214-cop15-belo-sun-stock-takes-major-hit-before-finance-day-at-un-biodiversity-summit) - “Belo Sun’s suspended environmental license, repeated violations of Indigenous rights, and severe threats to biodiversity and ecosystem health in the Amazon paint a clear picture: the market clearly shows that any company or financial institution foolish enough to invest in or acquire Belo Sun would risk its entire investment.”
- [Canadian Gold Miner Belo Sun Accused of Misleading Investors](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1214-canadian-gold-miner-belo-sun-accused-of-misleading-investors) - “We are putting any institution or company looking to invest in or acquire Belo Sun on notice: this is a bad actor selling a dangerous project. Anyone looking to get involved with it will be shouldering serious risk and will be complicit in the continued threats to the Amazon rainforest, Indigenous and traditional peoples, and the global climate.”
- [Biodiversity Can Only Exist With "Land Back"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1212-biodiversity-can-only-exist-with-land-back) - "As Indigenous Peoples at CBD COP 15, we demand Indigenous-led solutions to the climate crisis and for our rights to be respected. Our peoples are the keepers of Biodiversity around the world. It is through our solutions that we will see the world through the climate crisis."
- [Historic Indigenous Mobilization Confronts Spiraling Threats To Rights and Resources in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0503-historic-indigenous-mobilization-confronts-spiraling-threats-to-rights-and-resources-in-brazil) - "We affirm that we will not permit violence, rollbacks, and threats perpetrated by the Brazilian government and economic oligarchies against our lives and our rights. We call on Brazilian society and the international community to unite with the struggle of native peoples in defense of traditional territories, Mother Earth, and the well-being of all forms of life."
- [Belo Sun's Gold Project in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest Poses Significant Risks to Investors, Forest Guardians, and Biodiversity, Report Says](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1209-belo-suns-gold-project-in-the-brazilian-amazon-rainforest-poses-significant-risks-to-investors-forest-guardians-and-biodiversity-report-says) - Montreal, Canada - Investors may be exposed to severe risks by maintaining their investments in the Canadian mining company Belo Sun, a new report published today by Amazon Watch shows.
- [Bank of Montreal’s Links to Massive, Illegal Amazon Deforestation Condemned by Indigenous Leaders During Biodiversity Summit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1208-bank-of-montreals-links-to-massive-illegal-amazon-deforestation-condemned-by-indigenous-leaders-during-biodiversity-summit) - “While Canada hosts a critical summit to determine the future of our planet’s remaining biodiversity, we came to denounce that one of its leading banks is financing a Brazilian company responsible for untold forest destruction and biodiversity loss, including on Amazonian Indigenous lands."
- [Royal Bank of Canada Denounced for Financing Gold Miner Belo Sun During Biodiversity Summit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1208-royal-bank-of-canada-denounced-for-financing-gold-miner-belo-sun-during-biodiversity-summit) - “Today’s action outside of the Royal Bank of Canada is meant to shine a spotlight on how the Canadian mining company Belo Sun poses grave, unacceptable, and irreversible risks to Amazonian biodiversity."
- [Indigenous Delegation to Hold World Leaders Accountable for Increasing threats to Amazonian Biodiversity At COP15](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1201-indigenous-delegation-to-hold-world-leaders-accountable-for-increasing-threats-to-amazonian-biodiversity-at-cop15) - Amazon Watch is traveling to 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) as part of an Amazonian Indigenous delegation of multiple coalitions and nations to draw attention to the extractive industries, especially mining, threatening biodiversity loss in the Amazon rainforest and threatening human rights across the biome.
- [Reflections on Human Rights and Hope from COP27](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1203-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, Through Solidarity Grants](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1129-weaving-a-tapestry-of-direct-actions-toward-new-horizons-through-solidarity-grants) - 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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1128-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.
- [Amazon in Focus 2022](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1117-amazon-in-focus-2022) - The Amazon rainforest, its defenders, and our global climate are in a state of emergency. It is critical that we work together to amplify the boldest calls and most ambitious commitments to protect 80 percent of the Amazon by 2025 and avert further climate chaos. We can do it if we take urgent action now!
- [Executives Refuse to Address Vanguard’s Complicity in Amazon Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1117-executives-refuse-to-address-vanguards-complicity-in-amazon-destruction) - 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.
- [Vanguard Ignores Request from Indigenous Leaders from Peru to Meet on Investment Risks to Amazon Rainforest and Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1116-vanguard-ignores-request-from-indigenous-leaders-from-peru-to-meet-on-investment-risks-to-amazon-rainforest-and-rights) - Vanguard cannot continue doing business as usual! We ask Vanguard to adopt an Indigenous rights and deforestation policy because our lives, water, and rainforest are at stake. Until it takes concrete steps, it remains complicit in the destruction of the Amazon and our livelihoods.
- [Indigenous Peoples Call for Global Agreement to Protect the Amazon and Climate by Respecting Rights at COP27](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1104-indigenous-peoples-call-for-global-agreement-to-protect-the-amazon-and-climate-by-respecting-rights-at-cop27) - As the UNFCCC prepares to host COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt for COP27, Indigenous peoples from across the Amazon Basin and NGO allies are prepared to amplify calls for a global agreement to protect the Amazon and climate by respecting Indigenous rights and territories under threat.
- [First-Ever Regional Court Case Involving Rights of Uncontacted Peoples Awaits Verdict](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1013-first-ever-regional-court-case-involving-rights-of-uncontacted-peoples-awaits-verdict) - In the case Tagaeri & Taromenane Indigenous people vs the Ecuadorian state, lawyers representing the communities in voluntary isolation say the Ecuadorian state has failed to protect these populations and propelled the extractive industry in the area, putting pressure on the rainforest and increasing conflict between local communities.
- [Amazon Watch Response to Energy Transition Accelerator: Proposal Repeats Failures of Previous Carbon Markets](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1109-amazon-watch-response-to-energy-transition-accelerator-proposal-repeats-failures-of-previous-carbon-markets) - “The LEAF Coalition is already failing forests and Indigenous peoples, and this attempt to export its unaccountable, unjust model to the power sector is yet another iteration of the same old story: climate finance that should be delivered no-strings-attached to Indigenous communities and Global South nations is being made contingent on handing out free pollution passes to rapacious corporate actors."
- [UN Expert Group Affirms: "Net Zero" Is Incompatible with Fossil Fuels and Deforestation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1108-un-expert-group-affirms-net-zero-is-incompatible-with-fossil-fuels-and-deforestation) - “Credible net zero plans require drastic emissions reductions, direct support for ecosystem protection, and robust respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities,” said Moira Birss, Climate Finance Director at Amazon Watch.
- [Latest Draft Shows That the TNFD's Reputation as "the Next Frontier in Corporate Greenwashing on Nature" Remains Solidly Intact ](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1107-latest-draft-shows-that-the-tnfds-reputation-as-the-next-frontier-in-corporate-greenwashing-on-nature-remains-solidly-intact) - Almost 18 months after the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) launched, its latest draft gives little reason to believe that the global corporations behind it can be trusted to develop a credible reporting system that would meaningfully shift business behavior on biodiversity.
- [Bolsonaro Loses Presidency in Win for the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1101-bolsonaro-loses-presidency-in-win-for-the-amazon) - "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.
- [Brazilian People Deny Far-Right Bolsonaro Second Term, in Win for the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1031-brazilian-people-deny-far-right-bolsonaro-second-term-in-win-for-the-amazon) - In the most important election for the planet, which defined the future of the Amazon and therefore of all humanity, almost 51% of Brazilians chose democracy and elected Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, putting an end to the nightmare lived for the last four years under Bolsonaro.
- [Sarayaku’s Kawsak Sacha Is What the World Needs Now!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0906-sarayakus-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.
- [Peruvian Indigenous Federation Joins Climate Justice Groups and Financial Regulation Watchdogs Urging CFTC to Rein In Voluntary Carbon Market Derivatives](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1007-peruvian-indigenous-federation-joins-senators-climate-justice-groups-and-financial-regulation-watchdogs-urging-cftc-to-rein-in-voluntary-carbon-market-derivatives) - On Friday, October 7th, a coalition of climate justice, Indigenous, and financial regulation advocacy organizations will demand that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission investigates and regulates carbon offset derivative trading to rein in misleading claims, fraud, and undisclosed risk and prevent the growth of systemic financial risk caused by climate and environmental injustices.
- [A People's Referendum Could Stop Drilling in Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1012-a-peoples-referendum-could-stop-drilling-in-ecuadors-yasuni-national-park) - Defenders of Yasuní National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon, one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet, have two new reasons to hope that oil drilling in the region could be imminently curtailed.
- [Pluspetrol Norte: A History of Unpaid Sanctions and Oil Spills in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0930-pluspetrol-norte-a-history-of-unpaid-sanctions-and-oil-spills-in-the-peruvian-amazon) - “The situation never improves; all the companies have had spills from OXY, Pluspetrol, and Petroperu. The pipes are decayed; they’ve been installed for years, and for that reason, [the land] is constantly being polluted.”
- [Amazon Watch Rebuts False Claims of Consultation with Indigenous Communities by Vanguard-Financed Peruvian Oil Company](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1006-amazon-watch-rebuts-false-claims-of-consultation-with-indigenous-communities-by-vanguard-financed-peruvian-oil-company) - Oakland, CA – Today, Amazon Watch released a response to a letter from Petroperú, a state-owned Peruvian oil company, that attempted to contradict a recent blog on Vanguard's financing of the oil company.
- [Indigenous "Headdress Caucus" Headed to Brazil's Congress in Crucial and Precarious Election](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/1006-indigenous-headdress-caucus-headed-to-brazils-congress-in-crucial-and-precarious-election) - 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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0929-victory-corporations-behind-climate-week-exposed-for-ties-to-amazon-destruction) - 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.
- [Climate Week NYC: Peruvian Oil Company Petroperú is Toxic for International Investors](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0921-climate-week-nyc-peruvian-oil-company-petroperu-is-toxic-for-international-investors) - New York, NY – Peruvian state-owned oil company Petroperú poses extreme risks for investors, according to a new report by Amazon Watch released during New York Climate Week.
- [Amazonian Leaders: Climate Week Sponsors Complicit in Destruction of Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous Land](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0923-amazonian-leaders-climate-week-sponsors-complicit-in-destruction-of-amazon-rainforest-indigenous-land) - New York, NY – New York Climate Week sponsors, including BlackRock and Vanguard, were among the American financial institutions exposed for financing the destruction of the Amazon and Indigenous land at a press conference this week held by Indigenous leaders from the Amazon region and environmental and human rights group Amazon Watch.
- [Ecuador Defends the Rights of Its People and Rejects Another Chevron Scheme!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0928-ecuador-defends-the-rights-of-its-people-and-rejects-another-chevron-scheme) - Several days ago we asked you to take urgent action to tell the government of Ecuador to hold Chevron accountable for its deliberate Amazon pollution, before a legal deadline. Great news: it did!
- [Through the Looking Glass in Chevron's Delusional Kangaroo Court](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2013/1113-through-the-looking-glass-in-chevrons-delusional-kangaroo-court) - Try to imagine an Ecuadorian oil company submerging Alabama in toxic wastewater and then when the people of Alabama successfully sued the company to pay for a cleanup, a random judge in Ecuador declares the verdict invalid.
- [The Risks of Investing in Petroperú](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0919-the-risks-of-investing-in-petroperu) - This risk assessment describes the political, social, financial, environmental, and legal risks associated with investing in Petroperú. It also compiles the perspective of some communities that could be affected by the threat of oil operations by Petroperú, in particular, the Achuar People of the Pastaza River and the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation.
- ["Blood Gold" Exposé Details How Leading Electronics and Automotive Companies Could Be Sourcing Illegal Amazonian Gold](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0919-blood-gold-expose-details-how-leading-electronics-and-automotive-companies-could-be-sourcing-illegal-amazonian-gold) - “The Indigenous peoples of the Amazon are the true guardians of the forest, and our rights must be respected,” said Toya Manchineri of COIAB.
- [Complicity in Destruction IV](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0222-complicity-in-destruction-iv) - In the latest edition of the Complicity in Destruction series, research by APIB and Amazon Watch found that international financiers, including BlackRock, Vanguard and Capital Group, poured USD $54.1 billion into eight large mining companies, including Vale, Anglo American, and Belo Sun.
- [Blood Gold: Complicity in Destruction V](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0919-blood-gold-complicity-in-destruction-v) - Gold is used in electrical connections and circuit boards for a multitude of electronic products, including cell phones, laptop and desktop computers, the servers of tech giants, and in electric cars. Research has shown that upwards of 47% of Brazil’s gold exports could be of illegal origin.
- [Joaquin Phoenix Makes Film with Extinction Rebellion and Amazon Watch](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0206-joaquin-phoenix-makes-film-with-extinction-rebellion-and-amazon-watch) - Sônia Guajajara, Executive Coordinator of the Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples said: "This film is very important for us at this moment. It demonstrates the artists' engagement in Amazon protection by showing the key role Indigenous peoples play in defending the forests, the planet, and life itself."
- [In Memory of Daniela Alejandra Yépez Jácome](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0917-in-memory-of-daniela-alejandra-yepez-jacome) - Everyone at Amazon Watch is deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague Alejandra Yépez. We express our deepest condolences to her family and all who knew her and worked with her.
- [Press Conference: Amazonian Leaders Expose U.S. Financiers Behind Amazon Destruction at NYC Climate Week](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0914-amazonian-leaders-expose-u-s-financiers-behind-amazon-destruction-at-nyc-climate-week) - Indigenous leaders from the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon invite you to a press conference during Climate Week NYC 2022. In the context of Climate Week’s theme, Getting It Done, the delegates will discuss ways they are "getting done" protection of the Amazon rainforest.
- [Amazonía Against the Clock: A Regional Assessment on Where and How to Protect 80% by 2025](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0905-amazonia-against-the-clock) - The Amazon is in the midst of a tipping point crisis as deforestation and high degradation combined have already reached 26% of the region. However, preserving 80% of the Amazon by 2025 is still possible.
- [Ecuador Declares Temporary Moratorium on New Oil and Mining Concessions](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0913-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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0909-vanguard-funds-indigenous-rights-violations-in-perus-amazon) - 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.
- [Two Indigenous Men and One Boy Are Killed as Violence Against Indigenous People Increases in Run-up to Brazilian Elections](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0907-two-indigenous-men-and-one-boy-are-killed-as-violence-against-indigenous-people-increases-in-run-up-to-brazilian-elections) - Brasília, Brazil - In a weekend of violence against Indigenous peoples in Brazil, three Indigenous people were killed, two in the state of Maranhão and one in the state of Bahia, and two Indigenous adolescents were shot and seriously injured.
- [The Voices of Amazonian Peoples Led This Year's Pan-Amazon Social Forum](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0907-the-voices-of-amazonian-peoples-led-this-years-pan-amazon-social-forum) - The forum strongly condemned the so-called development paradigm, in which governments and large corporations are complicit in destruction with projects that privatize profits and socialize losses over Amazonian peoples and territories.
- [Oil in the Peruvian Amazon: Obscene Profits Through Immoral Strategies](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0830-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 at Record Levels Again, the Amazon Cannot Survive Another Bolsonaro Term](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0823-set-ablaze-at-record-levels-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 Brazil and the Amazon itself but the global climate.
- [Indigenous Lawyer from the Brazilian Amazon Builds Solidarity and Support in DC](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0804-indigenous-lawyer-from-the-brazilian-amazon-builds-solidarity-and-support-in-dc) - “The problems in our region are not new but the violence has escalated to unprecedented levels because under Bolsonaro, illegal operations have gone unpunished.”
- [Civil Society Groups Say UN-backed TNFD Proposal Risks Opening a New Frontier for Corporate Greenwashing on Nature](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0803-civil-society-groups-say-un-backed-tnfd-proposal-risks-opening-a-new-frontier-for-corporate-greenwashing-on-nature) - “Under TNFD’s proposed framework businesses are fully entitled to continue to back the destruction and degradation of nature and human rights – so long as it doesn’t affect their profits."
- [Ecuador's Yasuni-ITT Proposal](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2011/0819-ecuadors-yasuni-itt-proposal-precedent-and-practicality) - Time is ticking for Yasuni in Ecuador, one of the most bio-diverse forests on the planet. Only a small percentage of the funds have been raised, and Correa has set a December deadline.
- [From Local to Global: Peruvian Earth Defenders Confront Deutsche Bank in Germany](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0801-from-local-to-global-peruvian-earth-defenders-confront-deutsche-bank-in-germany) - 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.
- [A Kichwa Victory Against Big Oil and Government in New Documentary](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2012/1011-a-kichwa-victory-against-big-oil-and-government-in-new-documentary) - The Kichwa people of Sarayaku won two major victories this year: in April, for the first time in their history, the government acknowledged responsibility for illegally licensing an oil company to do business on indigenous territory without the community's consent; and in July the ICHR ruled that the government must consult with indigenous communities prior to such enterprises and pay for physical and ‘moral' damages to the community.
- [Amazon Watch and Empowered By Light Help Indigenous Communities Embrace Clean Energy](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0925-amazon-watch-and-empowered-by-light-help-indigenous-communities-embrace-clean-energy) - "These communities are true climate leaders" said Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director at Amazon Watch. "Lighting the way for our climate and our forests, these indigenous earth defenders know that the solution to climate change must include stopping the destruction of the Amazon rainforest."
- [Is Vanguard Sinking the Climate Ship?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0712-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.
- [Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira: Indigenous Lawyer Who Coordinated Search Will Travel to DC to Build Congressional Support for Justice](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0708-dom-phillips-and-bruno-pereira-indigenous-lawyer-who-coordinated-search-will-travel-to-dc-to-build-congressional-support-for-justice) - The attorney for The Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley, Eliesio Marubo, is traveling to the U.S. for meetings with members of Congress, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the State Department, journalists, and allies. The objective of his visit is to build Congressional support for action and accountability for Dom and Bruno’s murders and raise awareness among U.S. policymakers about narco-trafficking and violent threats to Indigenous Peoples in Brazil’s Javari Valley.
- [All the Ways You Can Support Amazon Watch](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1220-all-the-ways-you-can-support-amazon-watch) - When you make a tax-deductible donation to Amazon Watch, you can count on your contribution being put to work effectively and immediately. As we work to achieve climate justice and a just transition for all, we always center Indigenous voices in the movement.
- [“Coloring” Brazil’s Indigenous Movement](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0705-coloring-brazils-indigenous-movement) - 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 Economic and Climate Justice Victories, Ending National Strike](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0630-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 areas.
- [Citi: Still Financing Indigenous Rights Violations and Biodiversity Loss in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0629-citi-still-financing-indigenous-rights-violations-and-biodiversity-loss-in-the-amazon) - Citi’s financial support to the Ecuadorian government is directly linked to oil drilling on and near Indigenous territories in the Amazon, where community leaders have repeatedly voiced opposition to such projects.
- [Ecuadorian National Strike: United Nations and International Human Rights Bodies Must Compel Lasso to Prevent Further Violence](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0624-ecuador-national-strike-un-must-compel-lasso-to-prevent-further-violence) - “Ecuador is in a state of emergency due to socio-economic and racial inequities and violent repression from the state in response to National Strike. It is urgent that the U.N. and other international human rights bodies denounce this and support a de-escalation to prevent further violence and loss of life."
- [Statement: Solidarity with Indigenous Uprising for Economic and Climate Justice in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0614-solidarity-with-indigenous-uprising-for-economic-and-climate-justice-in-ecuador) - “We are witnessing a human rights crisis being escalated by the Ecuadorian government. Other countries, like the U.S., rely on oil commodities from Ecuador and must speak up for human rights and end their complicity as consumers. We call for justice and demand that Iza be released.”
- [Ecuador National Strike: Young Kichwa Person Dead Due to Tear Gas Canister Launched by Police](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0623-ecuador-national-strike-young-kichwa-person-dead) - “Amazon Watch condemns the violence and calls on the international community to uplift demands from Indigenous communities and civil society to address economic inequities and end oil and mining extraction on Indigenous lands."
- [Stop The Money Pipeline Coalition Responds to IEA’s Energy Report](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0622-stop-the-money-pipeline-coalition-responds-to-ieas-energy-report) - “Global finance cannot be allowed to continue to heat the planet beyond habitability, violate the rights of Indigenous peoples and frontline communities, and demolish vital ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest."
- [The Business Case for Indigenous Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0622-the-business-case-for-indigenous-rights) - As the effects of climate change worsen and concern grows, financial regulators are turning their attention to how companies report on climate-related risks. One crucial factor that businesses and investors may overlook is Indigenous and tribal peoples’ rights.
- [The Disappearance of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips Demonstrates the Impunity Granted to Illicit Activities Under Bolsonaro](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0614-disappearance-of-bruno-pereira-and-dom-phillips-demonstrates-impunity-under-bolsonaro) - The heartbreaking disappearance of Brazilian Indigenous rights advocate Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips has once again revealed that under Bolsonaro the Amazon has been handed over to illicit networks and industries.
- [Indigenous Peoples Refuse to Be Ignored](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0617-indigenous-peoples-refuse-to-be-ignored) - "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."
- [ÚLTIMA HORA: Activistas para la Amazonía despliegan pancartas dirigidas al Gobernador Newsom y al Presidente Lasso durante la Cumbre de las Américas](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0609-ultima-hora-activistas-para-la-amazonia-despliegan-pancartas-dirigidas-al-gobernador-newsom-y-al-presidente-lasso-durante-la-cumbre-de-las-americas) - Activistas de Stand.earth y Amazon Watch desplegaron dos pancartas de 15X12 metros en el Puente Queensway en Long Beach, California, para exigir a los líderes mundiales que participan en la Cumbre de las Américas que tomen medidas para detener la expansión inminente de la frontera petrolera en el Amazonía.
- [BREAKING: Amazonía Advocates Deploy Massive Banners Targeting Governor Newsom and President Lasso During Crucial Summit of the Americas](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0609-breaking-amazonia-advocates-deploy-massive-banners-targeting-governor-newsom-president-lasso-during-crucial-summit-of-the-americas) - Activists from Stand.earth and Amazon Watch have deployed two massive 50'x40' banners on the Queensway Bridge in Long Beach to demand Summit of the Americas leaders take action to stop the imminent expansion of Amazon oil drilling.
- [Indigenous Amazonian Delegation, Climate Activists Rally Outside Summit of the Americas Calling on Leaders to Protect the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0608-indigenous-amazonian-delegation-climate-activists-rally-outside-summit-of-the-americas-calling-on-leaders-to-protect-the-amazon) - Organizers build altar drawing attention to rights violations, pollution, corruption, deforestation, and land-theft in rainforest by industry and enabled by governments
- [Statement in Solidarity With the Families of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips and Demand for Justice](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0616-statement-in-solidarity-with-the-families-of-bruno-pereira-and-dom-phillips-and-demand-for-justice) - Let’s remember Bruno and Dom alive, in the middle of the Amazon with Indigenous peoples, walking through the forest and singing the Kanamari song. Let us remember the courage of these men and their love for the Amazon and its peoples, their shared mission to defend the forest and life, tirelessly denouncing the criminals who plunder natural resources and violate the rights and lives of Indigenous peoples. We all owe it to Bruno and Dom to continue as defenders of the Amazon, its peoples, and its future.
- [Carbon Offset Briefer: A LEAF Out of an Old Book](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0606-carbon-offset-briefer-a-leaf-out-of-an-old-book) - Carbon offsets are false solutions to the climate crisis, do not address the root causes of deforestation, and often cause conflict within and harm to Indigenous communities.
- [Statement: Calls to Protect Rainforest Front and Center at Summit of the Americas for Amazonian Presidents](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0610-calls-to-protect-rainforest-front-and-center-at-summit-of-the-americas) - "Biden’s pitiful offer of $12 million to protect the Brazilian, Colombian, and Peruvian Amazon shows the value of Bolsonaro. It is shameful that the United States offers this amount, given the scale of complexities in this region."
- [The Anti-Chevron Movement Gains New Allies](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0531-the-anti-chevron-movement-gains-new-allies) - 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.
- [Immersed in Crisis, Peru Neglects Amazon's Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0603-immersed-in-crisis-peru-neglects-amazons-destruction) - Peru has descended into one of the worst political crises in its history and protection of its Amazon rainforest is failing, according to a report published Thursday.
- [New Report by Human Rights Coalition in Ecuador Exposes Mounting Threats Against Rights Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0615-report-by-human-rights-coalition-in-ecuador-exposes-mounting-threats) - Quito, Ecuador – Today, Ecuador's Alliance for Human Rights delivered a hard-hitting new report to government authorities and the Ombudsman's Office on the critical situation of rights defenders in the country.
- [Davos: Indigenous Leaders Call on Banks to Stop Funding Amazon Oil Expansion](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0524-davos-indigenous-leaders-call-on-banks-to-stop-funding-amazon-oil-expansion) - On the heels of World Biodiversity Day and in connection to an upcoming panel on the Amazon at Davos, tipping point scientists, Indigenous leaders, and international organizations are calling on banks and financial institutions that have gathered for the World Economic Forum in Davos to end financing for oil expansion in the Amazon.
- [Statement: Chevron Management Uses AGM to Disregard Human Rights, Climate, Requests from Congress, and Billions It Owes to Communities Around the World](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0525-chevron-uses-agm-to-disregard-human-rights-climate-congress-and-billions-it-owes-to-communities) - Chevron faced a barrage of shareholder proposals as well as opposition to the election of directors Ron Sugar and Michael Wirth, and failed to respond to the most pressing questions from shareholders about its practices.
- [Hope and Danger in the Colombian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0524-hope-and-danger-in-the-colombian-amazon) - 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.
- [Community Protest Saturday at Chevron Richmond Refinery on 9th Annual Global Anti-Chevron Day](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0518-community-protest-saturday-at-chevron-richmond-refinery-on-9th-annual-global-anti-chevron-day) - Saturday, May 21, 2022, is the 9th annual Global Anti-Chevron Day. Communities in Richmond, CA affected by Chevron will join other communities around the world to share their stories about the impact of the oil company’s environmental destruction and human rights violations in advance of Chevron’s annual shareholder’s meeting on May 25, when the company management will face a barrage of critical shareholder resolutions.
- [Peruvian Government Commits to Expel Narcotrafficking Settlers and Return Lands to Indigenous Communities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0510-peruvian-government-commits-to-expel-narcotrafficking-settlers-and-return-lands-to-indigenous-communities) - 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.
- [Chevron Investor Briefing: Science Group, Community Leaders, and Shareholder Advocates Discuss Chevron's Track Record on Financial Risk](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0512-chevron-investor-briefing) - In advance of Chevron’s Annual General Meeting of shareholders,scheduled for May 25, community advocates, shareholder groups, and corporate accountability experts held an online briefing for investors, the public, and the media.
- [GeoPark Oil Company (GPRK) a High-Risk Investment, Report by Human Rights and Environmental Organization Details](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0512-geopark-oil-company-gprk-a-high-risk-investment-report-by-human-rights-and-environmental-organization-details) - GeoPark's current attempts to expand operations into the Colombian and Ecuadorian Amazon are creating serious human rights and environmental challenges for the company and risks for investors, Amazon Watch detailed in a 19-page risk alert published today, coinciding with GeoPark’s quarterly earnings call for investors.
- [Business Journalists Rush to Rescue Chevron from Its Ecuador Disaster](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/0930-business-journalists-rush-to-rescue-chevron-from-its-ecuador-disaster) - Chevron got a little help from its friends in the corporate media last week. It is clear that business journalists will come out of the woodwork to defend the company from attacks on their own kind, even if the truth about Chevron’s human rights violations is sacrificed in the process.
- [Statement on BNP Paribas Pledge to End New Financing for Amazon Oil Drilling](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0504-statement-on-bnp-paribas-pledge-to-end-new-financing-for-amazon-oil-drilling) - “BNP Paribas’ decision to stop financing new oil production in the Amazon is the first of its kind and a major milestone for us as Indigenous peoples. This decision affirms what we have been calling for – that financing oil extraction in the Amazon is putting our lives, lands, and cultures at risk, and the health of our entire planet, and must stop. But we need other banks to follow suit. No one should be bankrolling oil extraction and destruction in the Amazon.”
- [Four Ways Wall Street's Annual General Meetings Impact the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0503-four-ways-wall-streets-annual-general-meetings-impact-the-amazon) - 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](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0428-massive-belo-sun-gold-mine-project-blocked-in-brazil) - 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!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0426-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.
- [Citigroup AGM: Bank Called Out for Amazon Oil Financing](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0426-citigroup-agm-bank-called-out-for-amazon-oil-financing) - “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. We are calling for an end to all new extraction on our lands, and as our ancestors and science now affirm, we must keep fossil fuels in the ground."
- [Frontline Leaders Call on BlackRock and Vanguard to Adopt Indigenous Rights and Deforestation Policy](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0427-frontline-leaders-call-on-blackrock-and-vanguard-to-adopt-indigenous-rights-and-deforestation-policy) - “The destruction of the Amazon rainforest is a threat to humanity and to the natural systems on which it depends. Indigenous Peoples are the best protectors of the Amazon, and we will continue to defend our rights and our territories from the extractive industries and threaten Indigenous Peoples and the rainforest.”
- [Environmental Lawyer Targeted by Chevron Freed After More Than Two Years Under House Arrest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0426-environmental-lawyer-targeted-by-chevron-freed-after-more-than-two-years-under-house-arrest) - After 993 days, Steven Donziger is finally free. On Monday, the embattled lawyer, who has been targeted by Chevron for years in a Kafka-esque court struggle, finished a six-month sentence, which came on the heels of more than two years under house arrest.
- [Stand.earth and Amazon Watch Deploy 75-foot Banner Demanding Gavin Newsom End Amazon Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0422-stand-earth-and-amazon-watch-deploy-75-foot-banner-demanding-gavin-newsom-end-amazon-destruction) - Sacramento, CA — Today, activists from Stand.earth and Amazon Watch deployed a 75-foot banner from Sacramento’s iconic Tower Bridge to demand California governor Gavin Newsom stand up to Big Oil and end California’s role in the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest.
- [Annual Indigenous Free Land Camp Occupies Brasília](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0419-annual-indigenous-free-land-camp-occupies-brasilia) - “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.”
- [Amazon Watch 2020-2021 Annual Report](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0415-2020-2021-annual-report) - It has been a groundbreaking and historic year in our work to protect and defend the Amazon. 2019 saw the devastation of the deforestation fires, which in turn brought a groundswell of support in defense of the Amazon. On the heels of this historic tragedy, and overwhelming support, we increased capacity and responded with renewed vigor in the knowledge that Amazon Watch’s mission is more critical than ever.
- [Amazon in Focus 2019 / 2017-2018 Annual Report](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0422-amazon-in-focus-2019) - Protecting and restoring the Amazon, indigenous rights, and the climate, requires greater unity across movements. Accomplishing the required transition from fossil fuels and protection of indigenous stewards of vital forests is the most urgent task we face today. We hope that you will join us in partnership this year and for many years to come.
- [Celebrate Earth Day with Amazon Watch!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0414-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.
- [Letter Calling on President Biden to Immediately Pardon Human Rights Lawyer Steven Donziger](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0315-letter-calling-on-biden-to-pardon-steven-donziger) - Steven Donziger’s prosecution is one more example of how far powerful interests are willing to go in their quest to silence those standing up for justice. They are trying to send a chilling message to environmental activists around the world that fighting against corporate interests can cost them their liberty and more.
- [From Wall Street to the Amazon: Big Capital Funds Mining-driven Deforestation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0222-from-wall-street-to-the-amazon-big-capital-funds-mining-driven-deforestation) - Major investment managers including BlackRock and Capital Group are among more than a dozen U.S. and Brazilian institutions heavily financing mining companies that are destroying Indigenous reserves and their inhabitants’ way of life in the Amazon.
- [Canadian Banks Injected $5.8 Billion in Credit and Investment into Mining Companies Tied to Forest Destruction and Human Rights Violations](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0412-canadian-banks-injected-5-8-billion-in-credit-and-investment-into-mining-companies-tied-to-forest-destruction-and-human-rights-violations) - Brazil’s President Bolsonaro is using a possible fertilizer shortage caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine to justify his attempt to ram contentious legislation through Congress.
- [Inspiration, Healing, and Resistance from Amazonian Women Defenders!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0328-inspiration-healing-and-resistance-from-amazonian-women-defenders) - On March 6, Indigenous women from across the Ecuadorian Amazon traveled to Puyo for the inauguration event of the Casa de Mujeres Amazónicas, a gathering and healing space for Indigenous women defenders of the Amazon. It is a safe space where women can strategize, create, share, and heal together, including work on programming to support women’s economic empowerment.
- [Petroperú’s Ongoing Threat to the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0412-petroperus-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.
- [Illegal Gold Rush Destroying Amazon Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/1211-illegal-gold-rush-destroying-amazon-rainforest) - "Illegal mining is a serious threat to the Amazon rainforest and the indigenous peoples who call it home," said Moira Birss of Amazon Watch, a U.S.-based non-profit group. "This report provides important new data and clearly demonstrates the scope of the problem, and as such is a call to action to regional governments and the companies that purchase the illegally-mined minerals to take bold, concrete action to stop the destruction."
- [Brazil Court Revokes Injunction Blocking Belo Monte Dam Operation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0201-brazil-court-revokes-injunction-blocking-belo-monte-dam-operation) - The ministry said a decision from the federal court in Brasilia lifted the earlier order blocking the beginning of power generation at Belo Monte, which had been planned for the coming weeks.
- [Collateral Damage – Oil Stains Peru's Amazon, Again](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0219-collateral-damage-oil-stains-perus-amazon-again) - History is repeating itself in the northern Peruvian Amazon, where three oil spills have been reported along the Northern Peruvian Pipeline since January 25th.
- [Amazon Watch Statement: Citi's New Environmental and Social Policy Falls Short](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0421-citis-new-environmental-and-social-policy-falls-short) - "If Citi truly cares about being a leader on climate and Indigenous rights, it must end corporate financing for fossil fuel expansion in the Amazon and around the world – particularly when that expansion is planned for the territories of Indigenous peoples."
- [Indigenous Peoples' Declaration for the Protection of the Amazon Sacred Headwaters](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/1015-declaration-for-the-protection-of-the-amazon-sacred-headwaters) - We, the Indigenous Peoples of Ecuador and Peru together with our allies, call on the global community for solidarity, as our very survival depends on the survival of the Amazon rainforest which is under constant and unprecedented attack.
- [Report: The Five Biggest Financiers of New Amazon Oil Boom](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0312-report-the-five-biggest-financiers-of-new-amazon-oil-boom) - Oakland, CA – A report released today by Amazon Watch shows how five American and British financial institutions are actively accelerating climate change and human rights abuses by providing billions of dollars in debt and equity financing for crude oil extraction projects in the western Amazon. Already, millions of acres of the western Amazon have been auctioned for oil extraction, with tens of millions more slated by the Peruvian, Ecuadorian, and Colombian governments.
- [Amazon Watch Statement: Goldman Sachs' Climate Action Is Not Enough](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0429-goldman-sachs-climate-action-is-not-enough) - "If Goldman truly wants to be a 'sustainability' leader, it must end corporate financing for fossil fuel expansion in the Amazon and around the world – particularly when that expansion happens on Indigenous territories."
- [Citigroup Fails to Rein in Oil and Gas Expansion to Address Amazon Rainforest Crisis in New Commitments](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0120-citigroup-fails-to-rein-in-oil-and-gas-expansion-to-address-amazon-rainforest-crisis) - Oakland, CA – Yesterday, finance giant Citigroup released an outline of its latest plans to achieve net zero in its energy and power portfolios. Despite these new commitments, Citi remains a major bankroller of oil and gas expansion in the Amazon biome – as it is the top financier of state-owned oil companies in the Amazon. This reality is incompatible with Citigroup’s claims to value climate sustainability.
- [Amazon Leaders Tell GeoPark CEO James Park: Leave Our Territory](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0701-amazon-leaders-tell-geopark-ceo-james-park-leave-our-territory) - Nelton Yankur Antich, president FENAP, which represents 45 communities located in both the Pastaza and Morona river basins, said, "We are here specifically to manifest our decision not to permit the entry of GeoPark into our territory."
- [Divide and Conquer: GeoPark Resurrects Nefarious Old Tactics](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0823-divide-and-conquer-geopark-resurrects-nefarious-old-tactics) - Let's say you're an oil company (because, you know, corporations are people, too). You have plans to drill in the Amazon rainforest. The government encourages you to go in, since it will get a share of your profits. There's just one problem: local indigenous communities are vehemently opposed, having seen nearby rivers polluted and people poisoned by other oil companies. What do you do?
- [#AdiosGeoPark: Peruvian Indigenous Peoples Expel Another Oil Company](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0721-adios-geopark-peruvian-indigenous-peoples-expel-another-oil-company) - Today, we celebrate a major victory after years of collaboration and hard work to fend off another multinational oil company that was supported by the world's largest investment firms and powerful governments.
- [“My Message for GeoPark? Don't Enter Achuar Territory.”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0610-my-message-for-geopark-dont-enter-achuar-territory) - "We don't want the oil company to enter our territory because they contaminate everything – the air we breathe, the forest from which we source our food. As our ancestors left our territory to us, we want to leave it for future generations."
- [Amazon Watch Statement on GeoPark's Withdrawal of Its Request for a Drilling Permit in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0621-statement-on-geoparks-withdrawal-of-its-request-for-a-drilling-permit) - Late on Thursday, June 20th, the Chile-based oil company GeoPark withdrew its request for an environmental permit to begin oil drilling in a concession area known as Block 64, located in the northern Peruvian Amazon. The company's about-face came after a concerted campaign of protests from indigenous Achuar and Wampi communities opposed to oil drilling on their territories, including detailed critiques of the environmental impact study originally submitted for consideration in early July of 2018.
- [An Earthquake Rocks GeoPark](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0702-an-earthquake-rocks-geopark) - "As the Achuar People, along with the Wampis Nation, we completely reject the entry of GeoPark into our territory. You all are aware of human rights and environmental law, yet you still insist on polluting our lands. Understand that no matter how much you insist on entering our territory, we are never going to allow oil companies to come in."
- [Indigenous Resistance Expels Oil Company GeoPark from Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0717-indigenous-resistance-expels-oil-company-geopark-from-peruvian-amazon) - "GeoPark's departure from Block 64 is a testament to the vision and persistence of the Achuar people and Wampis Nation. Let this be the final nail in Block 64's coffin," said Andrew Miller, Advocacy Director at Amazon Watch.
- ["Yo no estuve de acuerdo con la violencia": Manuin](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2009/0702-yo-no-estuve-de-acuerdo-con-la-violencia-manuin) - Lima, Perú – En entrevista exclusiva con Terra Magazine, habla Santiago Manuin Valera, líder de los awajún-wampis, detenido en un hospital de la ciudad de Chiclayo, tras la asonada en Bagua, en la que recibió una ráfaga de una ametralladora AKM en el estómago, lo que le causó ocho orificios y que su colón este s
- [Indigenous Tribe Halts Oil Drilling in Amazon – for Now](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0627-indigenous-tribe-halts-oil-drilling-in-amazon-for-now) - "The Achuar and the Wampis communities have an opportunity now to convince GeoPark that this project is fatally flawed, before the company attempts to push it forward and exacerbates socio-environmental conflicts in the rainforest."
- [COVID-19: Is GeoPark Contaminating Amazon Communities?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0512-covid19-is-geopark-contaminating-amazon-communities) - The Wampis Nation, one of the most organized Indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon, is calling out Chile-based oil company GeoPark for putting their communities at risk of the COVID-19 contagion. Leaders of the Wampis Nation have received information that GeoPark community-relations workers are violating Peru's national quarantine by continuing to visit communities as part of a divide-and-conquer strategy to fraudulently manufacture consent for oil operations.
- [Block 64: The Wampis Nation Denounces the Serious Socio-Cultural Impacts of GeoPark and PetroPeru's Maneuvers](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/1025-the-wampis-nation-denounces-the-serious-socio-cultural-impacts-of-geopark-and-petroperu) - The oil companies GeoPark and PetroPeru have no limits when it comes to forcing their operation in Block 64 in Loreto Region. In recent months these companies have increased their activities designed to confront a small handful of communities that support their project against the majority of communities that are opposed to the risk of seeing contamination in their territory, which is the patrimony inherited from our ancestors.
- [Statement on the Entry of GeoPark into the Wampis Nation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0823-statement-on-the-entry-of-geopark-into-the-wampis-nation) - The authorities of the communities of the Wampis Nation, found within the Morona district of the Loreto region, would like to address public opinion to express our rejection of the oil company GeoPark's entry into oil concession Block 64.
- [New Oil Company Enters Failed Block 64, Again](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0208-new-oil-company-enters-failed-block-64-again) - If you have followed Amazon Watch’s campaigns over the years, the name Block 64 might ring a bell. Over the course of almost 30 years, the Peruvian government has encouraged a steady parade of international oil companies to explore and exploit the oil concession, located near the border with Ecuador. All have hit a major obstacle: the vehement opposition of Indigenous peoples.
- [Citigroup “Climate Forward” Reputation Remains Tainted with Impacts of Fossil Fuel Financing in Amazon Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0301-citigroup-climate-forward-reputation-remains-tainted-with-impacts-of-fossil-fuel-financing-in-amazon-rainforest) - Ahead of Citigroup Investor Day, environmental campaigners at Amazon Watch and Stand.earth are releasing a report spotlighting the bank’s exposure and central role in providing financing and investments of tens of billions to oil and gas companies in the Amazon.
- [Pipe Dreams Versus People Power in Ecuador's Southern Rainforests](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/1214-pipe-dreams-versus-people-power-in-ecuadors-southern-rainforests) - Long before climate scientists were warning about rising global temperatures and the new imperative to keep all fossil fuels permanently in the ground, indigenous peoples in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon were already doing it.
- [Eyewitness Reports Accuse Peruvian Police of Disposing the Bodies of Dead Indigenous Protesters](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2009/0608-eyewitness-reports-accuse-peruvian-police-of-disposing-the-bodies-of-dead-indigenous-protesters) - Bagua, Peru (June 8, 2009) – In the aftermath of Friday's bloody raid on a peaceful indigenous road blockade near Bagua in the Peruvian Amazon, numerous eyewitnesses are reporting that the Special Forces of the Peruvian Police have been disposing of the bodies of indigenous protesters who were killed.
- [Climate Finance Groups Call on Financial Institutions to Heed IPCC Report Urging World to Stop Using Fossil Fuels](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0404-climate-finance-groups-call-on-financial-institutions-to-heed-ipcc-report-urging-world-to-stop-using-fossil-fuels) - “The latest IPCC report affirms what Indigenous peoples in the Amazon and across the world have been saying for decades: colonialism caused the climate crisis, and colonialism continues to worsen it today."
- [Protect the Amazon, Protect the Planet!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0331-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 mines.
- [Indigenous Communities Need Your Solidarity as Destructive Mining Bill Advances in the Brazilian Congress](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0324-indigenous-communities-need-your-solidarity-as-destructive-mining-bill-advances-in-the-brazilian-congress) - Indigenous peoples have repeatedly mobilized to oppose Bill 191/2020, and polls show that 86% of Brazil’s public is against mining on Indigenous lands. The Munduruku refer to it as "the project of death that is dividing our people and bringing violence [against those who] fight to defend our land."
- [Human Rights and Chinese Business Activities in Latin America](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0323-human-rights-and-chinese-business-activities-in-latin-america) - As part of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council, more than 60 civil society organizations released a new report that evaluates 26 projects backed by Chinese companies and capital across nine Latin American countries. The investigation found a pattern of failure to comply with international standards on human rights and the environment by the Chinese government.
- [We’re Ending Amazon Crude](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1021-were-ending-amazon-crude) - On November 1, climate activists and policy makers from all over the world will be convening at the 26th annual Conference of the Parties (COP) in Glasgow, Scotland to discuss global efforts to address the climate crisis.
- [Meet the Artist and Business Power Behind Our Movement to Protect the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0316-meet-the-artist-and-business-power-behind-our-movement-to-protect-the-amazon) - In many ways, Amazon Watch's community reflects the expansive ecosystem we work to protect, showing up in endlessly diverse ways to amplify Indigenous rights and resistance.
- [Amazonian Women Mobilize in Quito to Demand Justice and Support for Earth Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0319-amazonian-women-mobilize-in-quito-to-demand-justice) - Over 100 Amazonian women, representing multiple Indigenous nations across Ecuador, came together to march for the dignity of their peoples, to reclaim their songs and wisdom, to re-ignite their fight against extractivism, and to address social inequality and the rampant impunity for those who attack defenders of nature.
- [Over 100 Environmental and Human Rights Organizations Join Amnesty International's Call for Biden to Pardon Steven Donziger](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0315-over-100-environmental-and-human-rights-organizations-call-for-biden-to-pardon-steven-donziger) - “More than four months since a discerning opinion by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that found Steven Donziger’s detention to be arbitrary, U.S. judicial authorities have thus far failed to take any action to remedy the situation and implement the Working Group’s call to ensure Mr. Donziger’s immediate release.”
- [Justice Served in Ecuador!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0311-justice-served-in-ecuador) - “We have not committed any crime, we are defending our territory, the natural resources of all Ecuadorians. We guarantee food sovereignty, the protection of land and water”
- [Happy 25th Birthday, Amazon Watch!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0311-happy-25th-birthday-amazon-watch) - Amazon Watch is celebrating 25 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin! What started with our founder, Atossa Soltani, confronting Fernando Cardoso, then the president of Brazil, face-to-face on March 11, 1996, is now a powerful organization building upon that legacy and deepening our commitment to our long-term Indigenous partners.
- [What Are Carbon Offset Markets Selling? Not Solutions to Amazon Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0310-what-are-carbon-offset-markets-selling-not-solutions-to-amazon-destruction) - Corporate polluters have used offsets as an excuse to keep emitting, but there’s little evidence that offsets are actually slowing climate change. What’s more, offset programs have enabled land-grabbing and violations of Indigenous rights in the Amazon.
- [Amazon Watch Statement: Bolsonaro Trying to Ram Through Mining Bill on False Pretenses; Canadian Mining Company to Profit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0309-bolsonaro-trying-to-ram-through-mining-bill-on-false-pretenses) - Brazil’s President Bolsonaro is using a possible fertilizer shortage caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine to justify his attempt to ram contentious legislation through Congress.
- [Portraits of Women Defenders Uniting Across the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0303-portraits-of-women-defenders-uniting-across-the-amazon) - Indigenous women across the Amazon are coming together like never before to protect and defend our lives, rights, bodies, and territories in the face of ever-increasing threats.
- [Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Exposed in New Report: How a Notorious Law Firm Enables Corporate Exploitation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0307-gibson-dunn-crutcher-exposed-in-new-report) - A new report, "Unacceptable Shenanigans" - How Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Enables Corporate Exploitation, endorsed by ten national and international organizations, exposes how the notorious Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher law firm abets human rights violations by multinational corporations the world over.
- [Portraits: Women Defenders of the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/1220-portraits-women-defenders-of-the-amazon) - For decades, oil companies have taken advantage of the resource-rich land of the western Amazon, violating the basic human rights of the indigenous people while simultaneously inflicting harm and destroying the beautiful rainforest. Indigenous communities have responded with powerful messages, defending their land at all costs. At the forefront of this ongoing battle are the strong, resilient indigenous women Earth Defenders.
- [U.S. Financial Institutions Are Complicit in the Destruction of the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0222-us-financial-institutions-are-complicit-in-the-destruction-of-the-amazon) - “There must be a general understanding that Indigenous lands, traditional territories, and protected areas in the Amazon are not available for mineral exploration, nor should they be, both because there must be respect for our constitutional right to self-determination as Indigenous peoples over our territories, and because of our lands’ importance in combating climate change and guaranteeing life on the planet."
- [BlackRock, Vanguard Among Financiers That Poured $14.8 Billion into Mining Companies with Interests in Amazonian Indigenous Territories](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0222-blackrock-vanguard-among-financiers-that-poured-14-8-billion-into-mining-companies-with-interests-in-amazonian-indigenous-territories) - Brasília, Brazil – Today the Association of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), alongside environmental and human rights organization Amazon Watch, launched Complicity in Destruction IV: How mining companies and international investors drive Indigenous rights violations and threaten the future of the Amazon.
- [The Science Based Targets Initiative's Proposed Forests, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) Targets Are a Corporate Gift to Big Agribusiness, Say Environmental Organizations](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0217-the-science-based-targets-initiatives-proposed-flag-targets-are-a-corporate-gift-to-big-agribusiness) - Oakland, CA – Today, Amazon Watch and allied organizations submitted their opposition to the Science Based Targets Initiative’s (SBTi) newly-proposed Forests, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) emissions targets. The proposed FLAG targets are incompatible with the action necessary to address the climate crisis.
- [Standing Shoulder-to-Shoulder with Indigenous Women at Risk in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0315-standing-shoulder-to-shoulder-with-indigenous-women-at-risk-in-ecuador) - "We are marching for our lives! Our sisters are being threatened, our rights are being trampled, and our territories are being destroyed. We are here as women to defend the Amazon against extraction. Enough is Enough!"
- [Indigenous Rights Victories at Ecuador's High Court Deal Blow to Government’s Plans to Expand Oil and Mining ](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0215-indigenous-rights-victories-at-ecuadors-high-court-deal-blow-to-governments-plans-to-expand-oil-and-mining) - Ecuador’s plans to greatly expand oil and mining extraction in the Amazon hit a major snag last week as the nation’s Constitutional Court handed down multiple decisions that affirm Indigenous rights and limit extraction.
- [This Lawyer Should Be World-famous for His Battle With Chevron – But He’s in Jail](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0208-this-lawyer-should-be-world-famous-for-his-battle-with-chevron-but-hes-in-jail) - Most people have probably heard of Chernobyl, or the BP oil spill. You may also know about my legal battle over contaminated water in California, dramatized in the movie Erin Brockovich. Yet far fewer people have heard about what transpired in the Ecuadorian Amazon – though it’s considered by some activists, journalists, and members of US Congress to be one of the world’s worst environmental disasters.
- [A Journey to the Front Lines of Ecuador’s Next Oil Battle](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0330-a-journey-to-the-front-lines-of-ecuadors-next-oil-battle) - "In the rainforest, everything is possible. Here are our pharmacies. Here are our libraries. Here is our treasure, our life. Not only for us, for the entire world. So our future generations, your children, your children's children, can live and breathe clean air."
- [Amazon Watch Statement: Highest Ecuadorian Court Finds Decree 751 Unconstitutional, Would Have Allowed Oil Drilling in Area Protected for Isolated Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0202-highest-ecuadorian-court-finds-decree-751-unconstitutional) - Quito, Ecuador – In a reprieve for Indigenous peoples living in isolation inside of Ecuador’s Yasuní National Park, the country’s top court declared Decree 751 unconstitutional, permanently prohibiting drilling in the buffer zone.
- [Indigenous Communities Confront Ecuadorian Government and International Financiers at Oil and Energy Conference](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0201-indigenous-communities-confront-ecuadorian-government-and-international-financiers-at-oil-and-energy-conference) - Quito, Ecuador – Today the leaders of Ecuador’s Indigenous movement and the regional pan-Amazon Indigenous organization mobilized outside Ecuador’s Annual Conference for Oil and Energy to demand justice for communities affected by the recent disastrous Amazon oil spill and to denounce plans for new drilling.
- [Belo Sun Brings More Destruction to the Volta Grande do Xingu](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0125-belo-sun-brings-more-destruction-to-the-volta-grande-do-xingu) - The Volta Grande do Xingu is under imminent threat. Local communities and organized civil society have been responding to these aggressive attempts to hand over agrarian reform land to international mining company Belo Sun.
- [Signs of Hope in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2022/0113-signs-of-hope-in-the-peruvian-amazon) - Amid the onslaught of negative news, we welcome signs of progress. This Tuesday we received word that the confessed trigger-man in the fatal shooting of Indigenous leader Arbildo Meléndez has finally been captured. His widow, Zulema Guevara, has courageously fought for justice in her husband’s case, herself becoming the target of death threats.
- [Peruvian Indigenous Leaders Receive Death Threats](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1210-indigenous-leaders-receive-death-threats) - Eight Indigenous leaders from Ucayali and Huánuco have received threats for months from narco-trafficking mafias, land invaders, and illegal loggers. Several days ago, they were in Lima demanding protection from the Peruvian government. They fear for their lives.
- [Forests and Finance Coalition Warns Foreign Investors About the Risk of the Anti-Environment Agenda in the Brazilian Congress](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0819-forests-and-finance-coalition-warns-foreign-investors) - In a letter sent today to 80 international and Brazilian financial institutions, Forest & Finance Coalition, together with the Association of Indigenous People of Brazil (APIB), the Climate Observatory, and 45 allied organizations, warn about the risks of investments in Brazil in light of a suite of legislative changes being currently pushed in the Brazilian Congress.
- [FPIC: The Right to Decide](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2011/0202-fpic-the-right-to-decide) - This briefing paper focuses on the roles and responsibilities of companies, investors and finance institutions to identify, prevent and address the adverse human rights impacts of company operations.
- [Will Iván Duque Protect Environmental Defenders?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1118-will-ivan-duque-protect-environmental-defenders) - At COP26, President Duque of Colombia attempted to convince the world he is an environmental champion. But back in Colombia, armed gangs are threatening and murdering community leaders and environmental activists who have been trying to protect forests from destruction by mining, lumber and oil companies.
- [2021 Was a Year to Reflect, Reclaim, and Reconnect](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1223-2021-was-a-year-to-reflect-reclaim-and-reconnect) - 2021 was full of highs and lows as we entered our second year in physical isolation from one another. We celebrated 25 years as an organization with our community, in deep solidarity with Indigenous peoples. We reflected on all that we have accomplished together and what challenges remain ahead.
- [Women Wisdom Keepers and Healers: Ancestral Authorities of Life](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1221-women-wisdom-keepers-and-healers-ancestral-authorities-of-life) - Our Amazon Defenders Fund will continue mobilizing direct solidarity funds into the hands of Amazonian women wisdom keepers, healers, and ancestral authorities, who are resisting by practicing reciprocal and holistic interactions with the forest and Earth.
- [Indigenous Territories Taken Over by Organized Crime in the Central Peruvian Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1112-indigenous-territories-taken-over-by-organized-crime-in-the-central-peruvian-rainforest) - More than 24,000 hectares of land occupied by three native communities in the Huanuco region are being taken over by invaders as runways used for drug trafficking and coca fields increase on their lands.
- [Brazilian Government To Hand Over Public Lands to Canadian Company In Back Door Deal](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1217-brazilian-government-to-hand-over-public-lands-to-canadian-company-in-back-door-deal) - Oakland, CA – The federal agency tasked with land reform policy in Brazil, INCRA, has reduced the area of ​​a settlement created 22 years ago to make room for gold mining. The negotiation, settled with a contract signed recently with the Canadian company Belo Sun Mining Corp., was revealed last week.
- [Blue-Washing? GeoPark Tries to Launder Its Image Through U.N. Collaboration](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0506-blue-washing-geopark-tries-to-launder-its-image-through-un-collaboration) - "The oil companies are operating in the Amazon anyway, and we can help make sure they abide by human rights standards." Such was the rationale presented by the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Colombia, Jessica Faieta. The UNDP managed to get itself into quite a pickle and found itself in the uncomfortable position of trying to justify an ill-fated decision to outraged community partners.
- [The Amazon Sacred Headwaters: Indigenous Rainforest “Territories for Life” Under Threat](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/1209-the-amazon-sacred-headwaters) - At a time when the world needs to be racing to protect the Amazon, a new oil boom in the headwaters of the mighty Amazon River in Ecuador and Peru puts this area, known as the Amazon Sacred Headwaters, in great peril.
- [The Adventures of Donny Rico](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/0428-the-adventures-of-donny-rico) - To draw attention to Chevron's threat to open society and freedom of speech, Amazon Watch and Pulitzer Prize winning animator Mark Fiore present The Adventures of Donny Rico.
- [We Will Continue to Unite and Organize for the Amazon and Climate Justice, Despite COP26](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1122-we-will-continue-to-unite-and-organize-for-the-amazon-and-climate-justice-despite-cop26) - After two intense weeks in Glasgow for COP26, we are back home reflecting on the outcomes. While the Glasgow Pact does not meet the action needed to address the climate emergency, the civil society presence was truly inspiring. Indigenous peoples, frontline communities, women, and youth attended in full force organizing for climate justice and against the fossil fuel industry, which held significant influence over the official negotiations at COP26.
- [Rights Defenders Under Threat in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0615-rights-defenders-under-threat-in-ecuador) - The Alliance for Human Rights in Ecuador released a report revealing the intensifying dangers that rights defenders face as part of their struggles to protect and defend their territories, autonomy, and identity, and shining a spotlight on government and industry complicity to undermine their vital work. It was delivered to government authorities and the Ombudsman’s Office on the critical situation of rights defenders in the country.
- [The Chevron Tapes: Video Shows Oil Giant Allegedly Covering Up Amazon Contamination](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/0408-the-chevron-tapes-video-shows-oil-giant-allegedly-covering-up-amazon-contamination) - Another twist has emerged in a decades-long legal battle pitting residents of Ecuador's Amazon forest and their controversial trial attorney against one of the world's largest energy companies. Environmental advocates released a video today that they describe as evidence of attempts by Chevron to skirt Ecuadoran law and cover up contamination of the Amazon.
- [Crude Reality: One U.S. State Consumes Half the Oil from the Amazon Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1202-crude-reality-one-us-state-consumes-half-the-oil-from-the-amazon-rainforest) - Waorani leader Nemo Guiquita has been fighting the expansion of oil drilling in her tribe’s ancestral homeland for years. She said her grandmother, Nayuma, was the first Waorani to make contact with the outside world 60 years ago. “The rainforest for us is home,” Guiquita said. “It’s our life, our pharmacy, our everything.”
- [New Investigation Reveals California Fueling Amazon Rainforest Oil Drilling and Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1202-new-investigation-reveals-california-fueling-amazon-rainforest-oil-drilling-and-destruction) - “Oil extraction in our Ecuadorian Amazon has brought pollution, diseases, deforestation, destruction of our cultures, and the colonization of our territories. It is an existential threat to us, and it violates our fundamental rights as Indigenous peoples."
- [Linked Fates](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1202-linked-fates) - “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.”
- [Amazon Watch Statement: Ecuador’s Constitutional Court to Issue New Ruling on Indigenous Right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consultation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1130-ecuadors-constitutional-court-to-issue-new-ruling-on-indigenous-right-to-free-prior-and-informed-consultation) - “These cases are not isolated. There is not a single mining or oil project where these rights have been adequately complied with, so it is urgent that the Court rule in accordance with international human rights standards,” said Carlos Mazabanda, Amazon Watch Ecuador Field Coordinator.
- [Tlaib, Garcia Lead Letter Asking AG Garland, DOJ to Intervene in Donziger Case](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1130-tlaib-garcia-lead-letter-asking-ag-garland-doj-to-intervene-in-donziger-case) - “The Biden administration can’t claim to believe in the importance of climate action, much less climate justice, if it is unwilling to defend the rights of frontline communities and their advocates holding the fossil fuel industry accountable,” said Paul Paz y Miño, Associate Director at Amazon Watch.
- [Amazon in Focus 2021](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1123-amazon-in-focus-2021) - The Amazon is at a tipping point. It is not near, it’s here. To reverse/halt this tipping point, we have joined the call from Indigenous peoples and global scientists to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025. Not 2030 and definitely not 2050. The time to act is now!
- [Electoral Upheaval Rocks Ecuador, as Indigenous and Environmental Defenders Score Huge Gains](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0224-electoral-upheaval-rocks-ecuador-as-indigenous-and-environmental-defenders-score-huge-gains) - As an organization dedicated to advancing Indigenous rights and protecting the Amazon, we support the calls from our Indigenous partners for any new government to respect the clear mandate of Indigenous peoples for an end to new oil and mining extraction and guarantee their rights to territory, self-determination, and to live in an environment free of contamination.
- [The Real Reason Behind Bolsonaro’s Climate Promises](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1112-the-real-reason-behind-bolsonaros-climate-promises) - So far, Bolsonaro’s actions have spoken louder than any of the Brazilian delegation’s words. Back in Brazil, he lambasted a youth representative of Brazil’s indigenous community for going to COP26 only to “attack Brazil.” Surely she should have realized that the easiest way to hurt the country would have been to not attend the summit at all.
- [After Organizing Resistance, Indigenous Peoples and Allied Organizations in Brazil Win Key Victory Against Belo Sun](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0329-after-organizing-resistance-indigenous-peoples-and-allied-organizations-in-brazil-win-key-victory-against-belo-sun) - The Canadian mining company, Belo Sun, experienced a setback in its plans to open a massive gold mine in the Xingu river: it lost authorization to meet with Indigenous communities during the pandemic due to a pressure campaign by Indigenous leaders and human rights organizations. Belo Sun is hardly the first extractive company to put its profit margin over the lives of Indigenous peoples, but through swift organizing across our coalition of allied NGOs and Indigenous partners, we have secured an important victory.
- [“Alternative Development” in the Peruvian Amazon: Deforestation, Drugs, and Death](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1118-alternative-development-in-the-peruvian-amazon-deforestation-drugs-and-death) - Over the last few decades, the Peruvian Amazon has become a hotspot for coca cultivation. Drug traffickers in the region have shown a willingness to destroy the rainforest and kill anyone in the name of profit. Indigenous leaders working to protect their Amazonian communities from land invasions, deforestation, and violence come into the cross-hairs.
- [Brazilian Police Attack Indigenous Community Trying to Halt Illegal Mining on their Territory](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1117-brazilian-police-attack-indigenous-community-trying-to-halt-illegal-mining-on-their-territory) - Yesterday, Brazilian Military Police, including a squad of elite special police known as the BOPE, violently attacked a surveillance post maintained by the Macuxi people in the Indigenous community of Tabatinga, on Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Territory, Roraima state. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at peacefully assembled community members who were guarding access to their land to prohibit the entry of illegal miners.
- [COP26 Agreement Fails to Address Climate Emergency, Take Necessary Steps to Protect Amazon and Respect Indigenous Peoples’ Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1116-cop26-agreement-fails-to-address-climate-emergency-take-necessary-steps-to-protect-amazon-and-respect-indigenous-peoples-rights) - Glasgow, UK – Undermining global hopes for meaningful action, the 26th annual Conference of Parties (COP26) climate summit in Glasgow concluded over the weekend without successfully addressing key drivers of the climate crisis, among them the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and the role of fossil fuels.
- [Countdown to Deadline Glasgow for Our Rainforests and Climate!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0729-countdown-to-deadline-glasgow-for-our-rainforests-and-climate) - The global climate and ecological crises are more alarming than ever. The Amazon rainforest now emits more carbon than it absorbs due to rampant burning and deforestation. As people around the globe suffer through worsening climate catastrophes, financial institutions continue to fund the corporations perpetuating ecological destruction and human rights abuses. In response, the Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition has launched Deadline Glasgow: Defund Climate Chaos, a bold campaign in the lead-up to COP26 demanding an end to financial institutions' funding of climate destruction.
- [Oil Executives Deny Misinformation on Climate Change, Despite Evidence](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1102-oil-executives-deny-misinformation-on-climate-change-despite-evidence) - “Chevron has about 70 serious cases of environmental impunity in 31 countries worldwide, owing over $50 billion in settlement debts. When are you going to cut the check?” Tlaib said at the hearing. “You can poison the planet to make money, but we are going to defend the planet so we can live.”
- ["A Continuation of Colonialism": Indigenous Activists Say Their Voices Are Missing at COP26](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1103-a-continuation-of-colonialism-indigenous-activists-say-their-voices-are-missing-at-cop26) - As world leaders inside COP26 in Glasgow boasted about pledges to slash greenhouse gas emissions and end deforestation, Indigenous delegates gathered to commemorate activists killed for trying to protect the planet from corporate greed and government inaction.
- [ING Will Not Finance Oil in Peru Amid Indigenous Calls to End Amazon Trade](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1104-ing-will-not-finance-oil-in-peru-amid-indigenous-calls-to-end-amazon-trade) - The role of European lenders in backing the trade from the Amazon came under scrutiny in August 2020 after a report by advocacy groups Stand.earth and Amazon Watch looking at oil exports from the region to the United States.
- [Indigenous Delegates at COP26 Endorse Campaign Demanding Banks Exit Amazon Oil and Gas](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1104-indigenous-delegates-at-cop26-endorse-campaign-demanding-banks-exit-amazon-oil-and-gas) - The role of European lenders in backing the trade from the Amazon came under scrutiny in August 2020 after a report by advocacy groups Stand.earth and Amazon Watch looking at oil exports from the region to the United States.
- [Financial and Scientific Resources, Full Recognition and Respect of Indigenous Rights, Can Halt Further Degradation of the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1104-financial-and-scientific-resources-full-recognition-and-respect-of-indigenous-rights-can-halt-further-degradation-of-the-amazon) - Glasgow, UK – During climate talks at COP26 in Glasgow, experts and representatives of Indigenous nationalities shared their vision regarding what the strategies should be to stop the continuous degradation and deforestation of Amazonia, which have led the rainforest to a point of no return: 22% percent of the total area of the basin has been deforested and degraded.
- [NGOs Release Letter Accusing Brazilian State of Pará of Greenwashing Through Carbon Credit Schemes](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1109-ngos-release-letter-accusing-brazilian-state-of-para-of-greenwashing-through-carbon-credit-schemes) - Last Saturday, the government of Pará (along with other Amazon governors) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the LEAF Coalition to boost actions regarding sustainability and the bio-economy. While hailed by its advocates as an innovative step forward in halting deforestation, there are serious greenwashing concerns regarding the effort.
- [COP26: Frontline Communities Confront JPMorgan Chase on Violating Indigenous Rights and Financing the Climate Crisis](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1111-cop26-frontline-communities-confront-jpmorgan-chase-on-violating-indigenous-rights-and-financing-the-climate-crisis) - Glasgow, Scotland – Indigenous land defenders gathered outside the JPMorgan Chase offices in Glasgow’s financial district today to demand the bank stop financing fossil fuel extraction.
- [Brazilian Indigenous Leader Faces Renewed Attack Upon Returning from the COP26 Summit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1116-brazilian-indigenous-leader-faces-renewed-attack-upon-returning-from-the-cop26-summit) - Oakland, CA – Last Saturday, Brazilian Indigenous leader Alessandra Korap Munduruku had her house invaded in the Amazonian city of Santarém, days after returning from the COP26 summit in Glasgow.
- [Statement of Amazonian Indigenous Women in Defense of Life, Territory, and "Good Living" (Buen Vivir)](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0208-statement-of-amazonian-indigenous-women-in-defense-of-life-territory-and-good-living) - We, Amazonian indigenous women, representatives of the Sapara and Shiwiar Nationalities, the Kichwa Kawsak Sacha and Sarayaku Peoples, and the communities of the Bobonaza Basin, want to express our deep concern with the contract of exploitation and exploration signed by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons with the company Andes Petroleum for Blocks 79 and 83 that directly affect the Sapara, Kichwa, Shiwiar, and Sarayaku territories.
- [As Donziger Is Jailed for Fighting Chevron, Congress Calls for His Release](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1028-as-donziger-is-jailed-for-fighting-chevron-congress-calls-for-his-release) - Chevron thought it would get away with its crimes after Kaplan’s 2014 decision. But Donziger didn’t give up and neither did the people of Ecuador. Now they have a rapidly-growing international movement behind them not only calling for Donziger’s freedom but that the executives of Chevron should be on trial for their crimes. This was not Chevron’s plan.
- [Amazon Watch Statement: Investigation Finds "Alternative Development" Program Ties to Land Theft, Coca Plantations in Peruvian Amazon Indigenous Territories](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1105-investigation-finds-alternative-development-program-ties-to-land-theft-coca-plantations-in-peruvian-amazon-indigenous-territories) - “The investigation clearly illustrates how Peruvian authorities violated Amazonian Indigenous peoples’ rights to their own territories, exposing them to land invasions, violence, and death."
- [Flyovers Document Destruction of Brazilian Amazon by Deforestation and Fires, Contrary to Bolsonaro's Speech at the UN](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0921-flyovers-document-destruction-of-brazilian-amazon-by-deforestation-and-fires) - São Paulo, Brazil – Today, the Amazon in Flames Alliance, led by environmental organizations Amazon Watch, Greenpeace Brazil, and the Brazilian Climate Observatory launched images of a flyover showing the extent of deforestation and fires destruction in the Amazon. The images were released as President Bolsonaro presented a speech at the 76th UN General Assembly, as the Amazon rainforest remains shrouded in smoke and fire by arsonists and unchecked corporate greed, fueled by Bolsonaro's policies and rhetoric
- [Ecuador's Consultation Process for Indigenous Lands Comes Under the Microscope](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1105-ecuadors-consultation-process-for-indigenous-lands-comes-under-the-microscope) - Conflicts with mining companies have become even more serious, says Carlos Mazabanda, Ecuador field coordinator for Amazon Watch, as the state looks to expand its mining sector and relieve some of its dependence on oil. Many communities have been divided by mining companies, while conflicts in the southern province of Morona Santiago have resulted in the death and arrest of several Shuar Indigenous people trying to resist projects in their territory.
- [Banking on Amazon Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0708-banking-on-amazon-destruction) - In Amazon Watch and Stand.earth’s latest report, Banking on Amazon Destruction, researchers compare the Environmental and Social Risk (ESR) policies of target banks to their actions. Together, we are calling on banks to exclude all types of finance (including investment) for any company engaging in the oil industry in the Amazon, setting markers to end new financing by 2022 and existing financing by 2025.
- [Isolated Indigenous Peoples Under Threat of Oil Expansion](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1102-isolated-indigenous-peoples-under-threat-of-oil-expansion) - In late October, Ecuador’s right-wing president Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency, citing rising violent crime. But the surprise move also conveniently suspended civil liberties just as civil society was gearing up to protest his economic and policy proposals seeking to implement neoliberal reforms and a business-friendly environment for the oil and mining industry.
- [Breaking: Donziger's Appeal Denied, Must Report to Prison Wednesday](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1026-breaking-donzigers-appeal-denied-must-report-to-prison-wednesday) - New York, NY – After an unprecedented 800+ days of home detention, human rights attorney Steven Donziger, who helped win the historic $9.5 billion judgment against Chevron for deliberate pollution of the Ecuadorian Amazon for over two decades, was sentenced to six months in prison.
- [A New 100-Page Report Raises Alarm over Chevron's Impact on Planet](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1028-a-new-100-page-report-raises-alarm-over-chevrons-impact-on-planet) - “It says horrible things about large companies, multi-national companies,” said environmental anthropologist Nan Greer in an interview. “It says that they can completely walk around international laws, national laws, the laws of their domicile.”
- [Lawyer Who Sued Chevron over “Amazon Chernobyl” Ordered to Prison After 800+ Days of House Arrest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1027-lawyer-who-sued-chevron-over-amazon-chernobyl-ordered-to-prison-after-800-days-of-house-arrest) - “Chevron and these two judges, really allies of the fossil fuel industry, are trying to use me as a weapon to intimidate activists and lawyers who do this work,” says Donziger. “I need to be prosecuted by a neutral prosecutor, not by Chevron.”
- [Forests, Fires, and Finance: How Financial Institutions Are Fanning the Flames](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0831-forests-fires-and-finance-how-financial-institutions-are-fanning-the-flames) - We are living in a world on fire. Over the past year, over 1,000 major fires have ravaged the Amazon rainforest, destroying millions of acres. At the same time, the North American west has seen its most destructive wildfire season in recorded history. Unlike the fires across North America and Europe, major fires in the Amazon are typically set deliberately to clear areas that have been deforested, often as a result of land grabs of Indigenous territories to benefit the agribusiness, mining, and fossil fuel industries. The resulting carbon emissions from forest destruction and fossil fuel extraction contribute to climate change, exacerbating the hot and dry conditions that feed increasingly severe wildfires in North America and across the rest of the world. In short, the destruction of the Amazon and violation of the land rights of its Indigenous peoples drives a vicious cycle of global climate chaos.
- [How Chevron Made #FreeDonziger a Rallying Cry for the End of Oil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0810-how-chevron-made-freedonziger-a-rallying-cry-for-the-end-of-oil) - Chevron did not realize that in its persecution of Donziger it would mobilize tens of thousands to demand accountability against its pollution in Ecuador, and around the world. Last Friday, rallies calling for Donziger's immediate release took place in over a dozen cities including, New York, Los Angeles, Richmond, CA, Miami, San Antonio, Seattle, Jacksonville, Boston, Chicago, Vancouver and Toronto, Canada, Tel Aviv, Israel and also in Quito, Ecuador.
- [Yanomami in the Brazilian Amazon Respond to Persistent Attacks from Illegal Miners, Remain Without Federal Protection](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0610-yanomami-in-the-brazilian-amazon-face-persistent-attacks-from-illegal-miners) - Roraima, Brazil – Illegal miners fired shots at yet another Yanomami village. On June 5, criminal miners entered Indigenous territory and threw bombs towards the Maikohipi village, in the Palimiú region, where seven Yanomami communities are located.
- [Ten Years Ago, Ecuadorian Communities Won a Historic $9.5B Victory Against Chevron](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0211-ten-years-ago-ecuadorian-communities-won-a-historic-victory-against-chevron) - February 14, 2011, was a monumental day in the history of environmental justice, corporate accountability, and human rights. This Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of an Ecuadorian court's groundbreaking judgment holding Chevron, one of the world's largest corporations, accountable for deliberate pollution in the Amazon. This civil court victory was the first of its kind and forever changed the range of possibilities for corporate accountability and environmental justice. We must lift up this date and moment for the unprecedented victory that it represents.
- [The Amazon Rainforest-Sized Loophole in Net Zero](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0719-the-amazon-rainforest-sized-loophole-in-net-zero) - Trading forest protection for continued greenhouse gas emissions presents a false and dangerous "solution" to the climate crisis. Instead, emissions must be drastically reduced, forests must be protected for their own sake, Indigenous forest stewardship must be recognized and respected, and the root causes of deforestation – namely commodity extraction and production in forests – must be halted.
- [Amazon Watch Statement on the State of Emergency Declared by Ecuador's President Lasso](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1020-statement-on-the-state-of-emergency-declared-by-ecuadors-president-lasso) - “We denounce the Ecuadorian government’s use of this State of Emergency as a pretext to quell opposition to its proposed policy reforms and silence Indigenous, union, and workers’ rights to peacefully protest. Such militarization has a clear purpose – to restrict the right of freedom of association, expression, and peaceful protest – which can lead to an escalation of violence and the criminalization of defenders of human rights and the rights of nature."
- [Stay Connected, Stay Active for the Amazon on the NooWorld App](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0817-stay-connected-stay-active-for-the-amazon-on-the-nooworld-app) - In solidarity with Indigenous peoples and allies from around the world, we're launching a Global Week of Action for the Amazon from September 5 - 11 via the NooWorld app. NooWorld is a social platform made by activists, for activists to build worldwide solidarity for climate justice. By joining us, you'll gain a community of people who are also learning about different threats to the Amazon and our climate. You bring your voice and solidarity, and we'll bring you opportunities to join in on collective action from the Amazon to the San Francisco Bay Area to anywhere online.
- [U.S. Lawyer Steven Donziger Speaks from House Arrest in NYC After Suing Chevron for Amazon Oil Spills](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0315-lawyer-speaks-from-house-arrest-after-suing-chevron-for-amazon-oil-spills) - Decades of reckless oil drilling by Chevron have destroyed 1,700 square miles of land in the Ecuadorian Amazon, but the company has refused to pay for the damage or clean up the land despite losing a lawsuit ten years ago.
- [The Amazon Rainforest Has Been on Fire for Three Weeks. Here's Why You're Only Hearing About It Now.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0821-amazon-rainforest-has-been-on-fire-for-three-weeks-heres-why-youre-only-hearing-about-it-now) - "Indigenous people of the Amazon have been sounding the alarm about risks to the rainforest for years, and resisting the destruction, sometimes at the cost of their own lives," said Moira Birss. "Unfortunately, it seems the Amazon has to burn before the world pays attention."
- [Chevron's Massive Pollution in Ecuador Frames Death of Legendary Nurse Rosa Moreno](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0105-chevrons-massive-pollution-in-ecuador-frames-death-of-legendary-nurse-rosa-moreno) - Rosa Moreno, the legendary nurse in Ecuador who spent three decades treating children and others afflicted with cancer in the area of Chevron's oil pollution in the Amazon rainforest, has now herself succumbed to cancer. One might reasonably question whether Chevron's refusal to clean up its pollution in Ecuador played a role in this tragic event.
- [Statement of the Sápara Women's Association on Oil Exploration in Their Territory](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0209-statement-of-the-sapara-womens-association-on-oil-exploration-in-their-territory) - The Association of Women of the Sapara Indigenous Nation of the Ecuadorian Amazon denounces the government of Ecuador which signed two contracts through the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, represented by the secretary of Hydrocarbons, Ivonne Fabara, and the president of Andes Petroleum Ecuador, Zhao Xinjun.
- [Building People Power to End Investment in Amazon Crude](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0312-building-people-power-to-end-investment-in-amazon-crude) - Building People Power to End Investment in Amazon Crude is a 4-page refresher for activists who want to better understand the role that major financial institutions play in escalating the climate crisis. It includes detailed data from the latest Amazon Watch research on the total debt and equity financing provided by five major firms to companies extracting crude oil from the western Amazon and directly violating Indigenous rights in the process.
- [Investing in Amazon Crude](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0312-investing-in-amazon-crude) - This report outlines in detail the ways that five of the world's most powerful financial institutions are actively contributing to climate change by providing debt and equity financing for crude oil extraction projects in the Amazon. It highlights key examples of on-the-ground Indigenous resistance to oil extraction, which is not only terrible for the climate but also a major financial risk for these institutions.
- [Nativos Achuar Tienen Plomo y Cadmio en Sus Organismos](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2006/0505-nativos-achuar-tienen-plomo-y-cadmio-en-sus-organismos) - M�s de dos mil pobladores ind�genas que viven a orillas del r�o Corrientes, en la provincia de Maynas, por zona de Trompeteros, padecen de intoxicaci�n por cadmio y plomo, sustancias qu�micas que son arrojadas al r�o por empresas que explotan petr�leo, alert� el congresista Jorge Mera R
- [Statement in Solidarity With Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Facing the Novel Coronavirus](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0408-statement-in-solidarity-with-amazonian-indigenous-peoples-facing-the-novel-coronavirus) - In solidarity with Indigenous organizations, federations and nationalities of the Amazon who have expressed deep concern about the impending threat of COVID-19 in their ancestral territories and communities, we demand integrated, effective, and culturally adequate state responses to this crisis. This begins with an immediate moratorium on any activity that includes the entering of foreign persons into Indigenous territories, the development of mining activities, logging, oil exploration and extraction, industrial agriculture, religious proselytization, or increased militarization, especially in transborder territories under pressure from armed actors and organized crime.
- [Jair Bolsonaro Launches Assault on Amazon Rainforest Protections](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0102-jair-bolsonaro-launches-assault-on-amazon-rainforest-protections) - "There will be an increase in deforestation and violence against indigenous people," said Dinaman Tuxá, the executive coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous People of Brazil. "Indigenous people are defenders and protectors of the environment."
- [Bolsonaro Wants to Plunder the Amazon. Don't Let Him.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0123-bolsonaro-wants-to-plunder-the-amazon-dont-let-him) - Mr. Bolsonaro's rise to power will test companies' promises to be responsible. Will leading global agribusiness companies be complicit in Mr. Bolsonaro's assault on the Amazon and its people, thus sacrificing their commitments, their reputation and our climate? And will financial institutions like BlackRock heed their own calls for companies to pursue purpose and not just profit? Or will they put short-term profits ahead of the planet's future?
- [U.S. Judge Kaplan Held Investments In Chevron When He Ruled for Company in Ecuador Pollution Dispute](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/1029-judge-kaplan-held-investments-in-chevron-when-he-ruled-for-company) - New York, NY – The U.S. federal judge who ruled in favor of Chevron in the company's campaign to block collection of its $9.5 billion environmental liability in Ecuador held investments in the oil company at the time of his decision, documents reveal.
- [As President Bolsonaro Takes Power, Brazil's Indigenous Movement Prepares to Resist](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0101-as-president-bolsonaro-takes-power-brazils-indigenous-movement-prepares-to-resist) - The inauguration of right-wing zealot Jair Bolsonaro to Brazil's presidency ushers in a dangerous era for human rights, environmental safeguards, and the rule of law in the world's fourth-largest democracy.
- [Ecuador's Crackdown on Critics on Full Display as COP20 Climate Conference Begins](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2014/1205-ecuadors-crackdown-on-critics-on-full-display-as-cop-20-climate-conference-begins) - A delegation from the environmental collective Yasunidos finally arrived to Lima, Peru today after a week of harassment and intimidation by Ecuadorian police and military that sought to prevent them from crossing the border to attend the COP20 climate conference, and thrust the Ecuadorian government's continued domestic crackdown on civil society critics into the international spotlight.
- [Ecuador's New Presidential Administration Opens Doors to Finance and Transnational Corporations to Expand Extraction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0916-ecuadors-new-administration-opens-doors-to-finance-and-corporations-to-expand-extraction) - During his first 100 days in office, Ecuador’s new president, Guillermo Lasso, made it clear that his government’s economic policy will be based on extractivism. According to the new administration, natural resources, such as oil, gas, and minerals, found in Ecuadorian subsoil are "essential," given the economic situation he inherited due to poor management by his predecessors, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the related oil price collapse. Extractivism has yet to become the golden egg Ecuador’s past presidents expected. Lasso’s plan to double down on it as Ecuador’s only option for economic recovery is a dangerous gambit, considering its dependence on commodities is a major reason for its current economic crisis. It was not that long ago that oil was valued at negative $37 a barrel.
- [New Report: Chevron's Global Record of Denial and Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1013-new-report-chevrons-global-record-of-denial-and-destruction) - Washington, DC – A new report entitled Chevron’s Global Destruction: Ecocide, Genocide, and Corruption was released today amid a firestorm of criticism directed toward the multinational corporation. The report’s author, Nan M. Greer, Ph.D., documents how Chevron, the world’s number one producer in greenhouse gas emissions among all investor-owned oil companies, “violates domestic and international laws with impunity” country by country.
- [Flying Over the Amazon in Flames](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1012-flying-over-the-amazon-in-flames) - In partnership with Brazilian allies – the Climate Observatory and Greenpeace Brazil – Amazon Watch organized a flight over the Amazon rainforest with experts and key journalists to expose fires, deforestation, illegal mining, and cattle ranching in September. This initiative was central to our Amazon Ceasefire campaign and the shocking results of the flyover helped the project to evolve into the Amazon in Flames Alliance, strengthening our belief that the protection of the Amazon must be a collective effort.
- [This Attorney Took On Chevron. Then Chevron-Linked Judges and Private Prosecutors Had Him Locked Up.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0812-this-attorney-took-on-chevron-then-chevron-linked-judges-and-prosecutors-had-him-locked-up) - "It's scary going after a large corporation [and] it's scary going after governments because they have so much power and so much influence that they can do a lot of damage to someone's life," Raveson said. "If the lawyers who bring [environmental justice cases like Donziger's] are subject to biased determinations as to whether or not they should be punished ... it's going to have a deterrent effect on lawyers to bring these kinds of cases."
- [Protecting Indigenous People Key to Saving Amazon, Say Environmentalists](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1004-protecting-indigenous-people-key-to-saving-amazon-say-environmentalists) - "What we are seeing is an attack on indigenous people, on their rights, their lives and territories," said Leila Salazar-Lopez, executive director of Amazon Watch. "Indigenous people are the best protectors of the Amazon forest and of biodiversity around our planet ... because they have intrinsic spiritual and cultural connections to the land."
- [Is Chevron's Vendetta Against Steven Donziger Finally Backfiring?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1004-is-chevrons-vendetta-against-steven-donziger-finally-backfiring) - There are signs that Chevron has gone too far, and that relentlessly pursuing a human rights lawyer is damaging its international reputation. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is only the latest sign of concern and anger. Sixty-eight Nobel Laureates have shown their solidarity; another 475 lawyers and human rights defenders have signed a letter that calls his prosecution "one of the most important corporate accountability and human rights cases of our time." Representative Jim McGovern said after the prison sentence that "it's the executives at Chevron," not Donziger, "who should be behind bars."
- ["Narcos Are Looking for Me": Deadly Threats to Peru's Indigenous Leaders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0406-narcos-are-looking-for-me-deadly-threats-to-perus-indigenous-leaders) - Indigenous communities in Peru’s central Amazon are experiencing an increase in violence, threats and harassment as drug gangs target their land to grow coca, the plant used to make cocaine. COVID-19 restrictions have made the remote region even more vulnerable by slowing state efforts to protect land and eradicate illegal coca cultivation.
- [Indigenous Leaders Push New Target to Protect Amazon from Deforestation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0905-indigenous-leaders-push-new-target-to-protect-amazon-from-deforestation) - "We invite the global community to join us to reverse the destruction of our home and by doing so safeguard the future of the planet," said José Gregorio Diaz Mirabal, lead coordinator for COICA, which represents Indigenous groups in nine Amazon-basin nations.
- [Indigenous Warrior Women Take Fight to Save Ancestral Lands to Brazilian Capital](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0910-indigenous-warrior-women-take-fight-to-save-ancestral-lands-to-brazilian-capital) - Sônia Guajajara, a prominent indigenous leader, said: "These are all highly orchestrated measures which are designed to take away the land rights of indigenous people and open these lands up for exploitation … It's all about profit and money. We champion biodiversity, keeping the forest standing, which is precisely what ensures us life. All they think about is development built on destruction."
- [Ecuadorian Amazonian Women Join the Second National March of Indigenous Women in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0915-ecuadorian-amazonian-women-join-the-second-national-march-of-indigenous-women-in-brazil) - "We know that our home is under attack every single day. Oil, mining, logging, hydroelectric exploitation, and highways are advancing and destroying the Amazon. Like a virus, industry is destroying the lands where our ancestors are buried, destroying trees, mountains, rivers and lagoons. Our territories are the extension of our bodies. Nature is one. The Amazon is one!"
- [Environmental Justice and Human Rights Organizations Address Global Leaders Ahead of COP26: Carbon Offsets Don't Stop Climate Change](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1006-environmental-justice-and-human-rights-organizations-carbon-offsets-dont-stop-climate-change) - Oakland, CA – Today, a broad coalition of over 170 NGOs, advocacy groups, and grassroots organizations spanning the globe released a statement opposing the usage of carbon offset programs, declaring that carbon offset programs are false solutions that will not solve the climate crisis.
- [Statement: Offsets Don't Stop Climate Change](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1006-statement-offsets-dont-stop-climate-change) - We call on global policy makers to reject offset schemes and embrace real climate solutions that will keep fossil fuels in the ground, support sustainable food systems, and end deforestation, while eliminating pollution in frontline communities.
- [They Owned an Island, Now They Are Urban Poor: The Tragedy of Altamira](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0206-they-owned-an-island-now-they-are-urban-poor) - "I had a better life than anyone in São Paulo. If I wanted to work my land, I did. If I didn't, the land would be there the next day. If I wanted to fish, I did, but if I'd rather pick açaí, I did. I had a river, I had woods, I had tranquility. On the island, I didn't have any doors. I had a place ... And on the island, we didn't get sick."
- [Native Brazilians Try to Close Major Illegal Mining Site Polluting River in Pará](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0205-native-brazilians-try-to-close-major-illegal-mining-site-polluting-river-in-para) - Tired of waiting for the government to take action against the major illegal mining sites located in the Munduruku Indigenous Territory and in the Crepor National Forest, Munduruku warriors and leaders organized an expedition to drive non-indigenous prospectors out of the area.
- [Does BlackRock Practice What It Preaches for the Social Good?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0126-does-blackrock-practice-what-it-preaches-for-the-social-good) - Amazon Watch's Executive Director Leila Salazar-López said, "Statements about climate risk and social purpose are no substitute for this concrete action. Divesting from Amazon crude, with its egregious environmental and human rights implications, is one good place to start."
- [Why It's Time for Amazon.com to Protect the Real Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0208-why-its-time-for-amazon-com-to-protect-the-real-amazon) - Amazon.com is one of the world's largest retailers, ships millions of packages around the world every day, and prides itself on innovation – including expanding its own vehicle fleet. So why hasn't it been a pioneer in greening its transport operations? Why has it remained silent on the protection of the biome that serves as its namesake? It's disappointing to say the least.
- [International Organizations Call for Accountability Following Attack on Amazonian Land Defender Patricia Gualinga](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0208-call-for-accountability-following-attack-on-amazonian-land-defender-patricia-gualinga) - "If the intent to attack and threaten me was to instill fear to paralyze me, it failed. Following this incident, I am more motivated than ever to stand strong and work to defend the rights and territories of Sarayaku and all of the Amazon threatened by extraction," said Patricia Gualinga in reference to the recent attack.
- [A Gold Mine Swallowed Their Village. This Amazon Tribe Is Here to Take It Back](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0214-a-gold-mine-swallowed-their-village-this-amazon-tribe-is-here-to-take-it-back) - "Game used to be very easy here – pig, deer, tapir. But it is all gone due to the machines and pollution. Now, only one stream still has fish, but they are all sick from mercury. This damage will remain forever."
- [Ecuador Votes to Reduce Oil Exploitation in Yasuní National Park](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0212-ecuador-votes-to-reduce-oil-exploitation-in-yasuni-national-park) - A decisive battle is just beginning for Indigenous peoples and ecologists who have been watching helplessly as state-owned oil company Petroamazonas settles into Yasuní National Park, one of the world's most biodiverse areas, to take advantage of its oil reserves.
- [Could This Be a Turning Point for Ecuador?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0220-could-this-be-a-turning-point-for-ecuador) - Moreno has his work cut out for him to get the country out from under the long shadow of Correa, and it remains to be seen how long Ecuadorians will give him to accomplish this challenging task. He should embrace the indigenous movement's call for no new expansion of extractive industries and permanent protection for their territories and join the growing list of countries like Costa Rica, Ireland, France, and others that are moving towards a managed decline of fossil fuels and towards a just transition for their economy to meet Paris climate goals.
- [Ecuador to Offer New Oil Concessions Despite Government Pledge to the Contrary](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0301-ecuador-to-offer-new-oil-concessions-despite-government-pledge-to-the-contrary) - Quito, Ecuador – Ecuador's Minister of Hydrocarbons announced this week that the government will auction sixteen oil concessions in the country's remote southern rainforests, despite adamant indigenous opposition and a recent, explicit government promise to the contrary.
- [​​Letter from ​Leading Environment and Human Rights Groups​: ​Ending Amazon Crude ​Is ​Key to Fossil-Free Movement](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0305-leading-environment-and-human-rights-groups-agree-ending-amazon-crude-key) - We write to you – entities involved in the processing, use, regulation, and financing of Amazon crude – to request that you take action to stem the influx of Amazon crude oil into the United States in order to stop Amazon destruction, respect indigenous rights, and prevent runaway climate change.
- [Ending Amazon Crude Key to Fossil-Free Movement, Say Leading Environmental and Human Rights Groups](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0305-ending-amazon-crude-key-to-fossil-free-movement-say-environmental-and-human-rights-groups) - Over fifty environmental and human rights organizations have signed on to an open letter in support of Amazon Watch's campaign to End Amazon Crude, recognizing it as a crucial component of the global movement to keep fossil fuels in the ground and protect the climate and indigenous rights.
- [Indigenous Amazonian Women: Defending Mother Earth](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0307-indigenous-amazonian-women-defending-mother-earth) - On March 21st, 2016, International Women's Day, an Amazonian women's alliance was born when indigenous women from seven nationalities – Kichwa, Sápara, Shiwiar, Shuar, Achuar, Andoa, and Waorani – joined forces for the first time, marching together in defense of their rights, rainforests, and future generations.
- [Indigenous Women March in Ecuador, Vow to "Defend Our Territory"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0309-indigenous-women-march-in-ecuador-vow-to-defend-our-territory) - About 350 Indigenous women from across the Ecuadorian Amazon gathered here yesterday to celebrate International Women's Day, and, they say, to fight back against a system that violates their rights. Many women spoke out specifically against the extractive industries operating in their territories.
- [Colombian Land Defenders: "They're Killing Us One By One"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0309-colombian-land-defenders-theyre-killing-us-one-by-one) - "They go on television saying that everything in Colombia is fine, that the war is over. The truth is that public order is only fine for those who have money, but for campesinos like us, it's worse than it was before."
- [Social-Good Deficiency?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0315-social-good-deficiency) - The latest ESG push came from BlackRock's CEO Larry Fink sending an ultimatum to corporations across the country to make social good part of the overall business strategy plans or else. Turns out, BlackRock has investments in companies that are drilling in the Amazon, according to the nonprofit Amazon Watch.
- [World Water Day: Deadly Plight of Brazil's River Defenders Goes Unheard](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0322-world-water-day-deadly-plight-of-brazils-river-defenders-goes-unheard) - Alessandria Munduruku described how women have moved to the forefront of the community's campaign to protect territory. "The government doesn't care for us, only for agribusiness so our struggle is very difficult. We are up against illegal mines, loggers, ports, roads, agribusiness and investors from China and Canada," she said. "The men are weak, but we have a different vision. We think more about our children and grandchildren. The best thing for them is to protect the river and forest."
- [Amazonian Indigenous Women Take Demands for End to Oil and Mining Directly to Ecuador's President](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0323-amazonian-women-give-president-fifteen-days-to-respond-to-their-demands) - Quito, Ecuador – After presenting to Ecuador's President Moreno their demands to end natural resource extraction in their Amazon rainforest territories in a meeting in the presidential palace late Thursday, a delegation of Amazonian indigenous women announced they will give him fifteen days to provide concrete responses. The women also called for an end to the threats and attacks against Earth Defenders including themselves. Dozens of other women and allies rallied outside.
- [What Do You Get for Beating Chevron in Court? A “Two-by-Four Between the Eyes” and Six Months in Jail](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1005-what-do-you-get-for-beating-chevron-in-court-a-2-by-4-between-the-eyes-and-six-months-in-jail) - "It is emblematic of the larger trend of silencing activists, many of whom are fighting for the solutions desperately needed to combat the global climate crisis exacerbated by multinational fossil fuel companies. Donziger's fate could have lasting effects on environmental and corporate accountability activists, against whom threats and legal harassment are already escalating. While today may come as a blow to the environmental community, we know we cannot shy away. We must double down before it's too late."
- [Human Rights Lawyer Steven Donziger Sentenced to Maximum, Six Months in Prison](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1001-human-rights-lawyer-steven-donziger-sentenced-to-maximum-six-months-in-prison) - New York, NY – Today, judge Loretta Preska sentenced Steven Donziger to the maximum sentence of six months in federal prison for the petty misdemeanor contempt of court charges filed by judge Lewis Kaplan, a pro-Chevron former tobacco industry lawyer. The charges were prosecuted by corporate law firm Seward & Kissel, appointed by Kaplan himself. The firm has known ties to Chevron. Preska was hand-picked by Kaplan to try the case.
- [Depths of Fossil Fuel Industry's Power Over U.S. Government Exposed in Chevron/Donziger Case](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/1001-depths-of-fossil-fuel-industrys-power-over-us-government-exposed-in-chevron-donziger-case) - "We are alarmed by human rights lawyer Steve Donziger's sentencing today. While the severity of Donziger's fate may seem unprecedented, it is emblematic of the larger trend of silencing activists, many of whom are fighting for the solutions desperately needed to combat the global climate crisis exacerbated by multinational fossil fuel companies," said Annie Leonard, co-Executive Director Greenpeace USA.
- [Ecuador Wages Legal Attack on Indigenous Plaintiffs Who Won $9.5 Billion-Dollar Legal Victory Against Chevron ](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0924-ecuador-wages-legal-attack-on-indigenous-plaintiffs-who-won-legal-victory-against-chevron) - Despite facing five decades of some of the world's worst oil-related contamination at the hands of Chevron and winning a historic 28-year legal battle that has yet to result in a clean up of its toxic legacy, Indigenous plaintiffs in the case are now under legal attack from its own government. In an effort to appease Chevron and court investors for oil industry expansion plans, the Attorney General reactivated a discredited investigation accusing Indigenous plaintiffs of bribing the judge that ruled in their favor based on a preponderance of the evidence, much of which was Chevron's own evidence showing elevated levels of soil and water contamination.
- [Impacts of Mining Project "Mirador" in the Ecuadorian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0806-impacts-of-mining-project-mirador-in-the-ecuadorian-amazon) - Using satellite imagery, GIS data, and remote sensing analysis, this interactive multimedia presentation is a tool for tracking and analyzing the effects of the the "Mirador" project, an open pit mine with the purpose of extracting copper, silver and gold, in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.
- [Flyovers Confirm Southern Amazonas Is New Deforestation Frontier in Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0923-flyovers-confirm-southern-amazonas-is-new-deforestation-frontier-in-brazilian-amazon) - "We saw all the stages of the deforestation process one after the other: The extraction of high-value timber, the burning of vegetation to grow pasture, and cattle herds occupying areas that until recently were covered by forest," says Rômulo Batista, spokesperson for the Greenpeace Brazil Amazon campaign.
- [Climate Week: Banks Called to Exit Amazon Oil and Gas by Indigenous and Environmental Organizations](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0921-banks-called-to-exit-amazon-oil-and-gas-by-indigenous-and-environmental-organizations) - New York, NY – A virtual Climate Week event held today highlighted the critical role U.S. and European banks must play in ending oil and gas financing in the Amazon rainforest. The event, led by international environmental advocacy groups and Amazon Indigenous leaders, revealed a new "Exit Amazon Oil and Gas" campaign and exclusion policy that banks must immediately implement to help protect this globally important rainforest.
- [The Global Week of Action: A Call from Indigenous Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0914-the-global-week-of-action-a-call-from-indigenous-partners) - The Amazon has already lost 17 percent of its forest cover and an additional 17 percent of its rainforests have been degraded. If deforestation increases and surpasses the 20-25 percent threshold, this vital ecosystem will reach an irreversible tipping point of ecological collapse. The Amazon rainforest, as we've known it, could dive into the process of "savannafication.' In response to this emergency in the Amazon and a call from Indigenous peoples to show solidarity, Amazon Watch hosted a Global Week of Action for the Amazon from September 5-11, in collaboration with the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, the Global Amazon Assembly, the Pan-Amazon Social Forum, and many more coalition members from around the world.
- ["The Struggle of Indigenous Peoples Is a Struggle for the Future of Humanity"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0902-the-struggle-of-indigenous-peoples-is-a-struggle-for-the-future-of-humanity) - Last week, six thousand Indigenous people of 176 distinct ethnicities from all regions of Brazil set up camp in the heart of Brazil's capital to insist that their existence and voices be recognized and respected by the government. They traveled for days on packed buses, some under the threat of ambushes, to be united for the "Struggle for Life" camp, the country's largest Indigenous mobilization in the last 30 years, to demand Brazil's Supreme Court reject the so-called "marco temporal" clause. If upheld, this deceptive legal theory would invalidate the land claims of Indigenous groups who did not physically occupy their territories when the new constitution was signed in 1988. Amazon Watch took part in this powerful historic moment in the struggle of Indigenous peoples in Brazil.
- [The Struggle for Life Camp Is a Movement for Our Future](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0824-the-struggle-for-life-camp-is-a-movement-for-our-future) - This week, Indigenous peoples from across Brazil are assembling in Brasília for a national demonstration they have named the Struggle for Life Camp. This is the second national Indigenous gathering taking place in the capital of Brazil this year. As they did this past June, Indigenous groups from the five regions of the country will set up camp in the heart of Brasília, in the center of the capital's federal ministry complex, to insist that their existence and voice be recognized and respected by federal authorities and institutions.
- [Fires Rage Over the Amazon and the Entire World. But There Is Still Time to Act!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0812-fires-rage-over-the-amazon-and-the-entire-world-but-there-is-still-time-to-act) - From the U.S. to Brazil, Siberia to Turkey, Italy to Greece, we're witnessing fires raging across the globe, consuming forests, lives, wildlife, and our future. The combination of extreme heat and prolonged drought have in many regions led to the worst fires in almost a decade and come as the IPCC handed down a landmark report on the escalating climate crisis. It's all connected. The burning season of Amazon forest has also begun. A historic drought, rampant deforestation, and lax environmental regulations mean this year is likely to be a devastating year for fires.
- [Munduruku Victory: Anglo American Agrees to Withdraw 27 Mining Research Permits in Territories Following Sustained Pressure by Indigenous Movement](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0721-munduruku-victory-sustained-pressure-forces-anglo-american-to-withdraw-mining-permits) - After months of pressure campaigns in solidarity with our partners, British mining company Anglo American finally responded to the demands of Indigenous peoples and took action. It withdrew 27 mining research permits which were slated to overlap Indigenous lands in Brazil, including the Munduruku territory of Sawré Muybu. Now, we need to make sure its words are converted into action. Right now, mining is one of the most significant and growing threats against Indigenous peoples and their lands.
- [Is Your Bank Using Your Money to Profit from Amazon Destruction?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0708-is-your-bank-using-your-money-to-profit-from-amazon-destruction) - The Amazon rainforest is at the tipping point – rapidly approaching an ecological point of no return when, if enough deforestation occurs, the forest will no longer be able to sustain itself, triggering a massic dieback of plant and animal species, and deregulating global climate and temperature patterns. We must take immediate action to protect the Amazon right now, and we can start by Ending Amazon Crude.
- [The Wind Industry Threatens the Amazon and Its Next Generation of Earth Defenders: Indigenous Girls](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0706-the-wind-industry-threatens-the-amazon-and-its-next-generation-of-earth-defenders) - As nations seek to position themselves as world leaders in the fight against climate change and the transition to renewable energy, some have invested heavily in wind farm construction. China is one of the nations stepping up to act on climate, and in 2020 it added more wind farm capacity than the rest of the world combined. In an ideal scenario, the demand for balsa wood for windmill construction would be excellent news the Amazonian communities where it grows. Instead, increased demand brought an expansion of the black market and its illegal networks.
- [IUCN Approves Indigenous Peoples' Global Call to Action to Protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025 to Avoid Catastrophic "Tipping Point" of No Return](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0910-iucn-approves-indigenous-peoples-global-call-to-action-to-protect-80-of-the-amazon-by-2025) - Marseille, France – Members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have approved motion 129, a call-to-action titled "Avoid the point of no return in the Amazon by protecting 80% by 2025." The motion – which was approved after several debates – was proposed by the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) and various civil organizations. This coalition calls for a global pact to protect the world's largest tropical forest, which is on the verge of reaching a point of no return.
- [Thousands of Indigenous Women Will March in Brazil This Week](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0908-thousands-of-indigenous-women-will-march-in-brazil-this-week) - Brasília, Brazil – While supporters of far-right President Bolsonaro took to the streets yesterday to slam Brazil's Supreme Court and cast doubt on the integrity of next year's elections, a more important mobilization was taking place in Brasília for the future of our planet. Delegations of Indigenous women were arriving in Brazil's capital throughout the day for the Second National March of Indigenous Women, with the theme "Original women: Reforesting minds for the healing of the Earth."
- [We Demand the Annulment of Unconstitutional Executive Decrees That Seek to Intensify Hydrocarbon and Mining Extraction in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0819-we-demand-the-annulment-of-unconstitutional-pro-extraction-executive-decrees-in-ecuador) - Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso issued Executive Decrees 95 and 151 which immediately formalize profound transformations of Ecuador's oil and mining policies. These documents have raised our concern about the violation of our essential rights to participate in decisions that may affect us. These new policies risk serious and irreparable damage by expanding the extractive frontier and ignoring existing social conflicts.
- [European Bank Intesa Commits to Exclude Amazon Oil from Headwaters Region of Ecuador, Peru](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0802-european-bank-intesa-commits-to-exclude-amazon-oil-from-headwaters-region-of-ecuador-peru) - "Intesa's new commitment to exclude oil from the Amazon Headwaters region shows how banks can expand Amazon-specific exclusion policies beyond just trade financing. While the policy falls short of the call for banks to extend Amazon oil exclusions to the entire Amazon Biome, it illustrates how geographic exclusions are a necessary part of banks' climate commitments, in order to safeguard globally important ecosystems from oil expansion and to foster the just transition called for by Indigenous leaders in the Amazon," said Angeline Robertson, Senior Investigative Researcher at Stand.earth Research Group.
- [Investor Alert: Belo Sun Discloses Misleading Information to Investors Regarding Controversial Gold Mining Project in the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0729-belo-sun-discloses-misleading-information-to-investors-regarding-gold-mining-project) - Oakland, CA – In a complaint to the Ontario Securities Commission, an international coalition of civil society organizations calls attention to the repeated dissemination of misleading information by Belo Sun Mining Corp (TSXV:BSX), including statements by CEO Peter Tagliamonte, downplaying socio-environmental, legal, and financial risks of the company’s “Volta Grande” project along the Xingu River.
- [Victory: Anglo American Agrees to Withdraw 27 Mining Research Applications in Territories Following Sustained Pressure By Indigenous Movement](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0713-victory-anglo-american-to-withdraw-27-mining-research-applications-in-indigenous-territories) - Pará, Brazil – British mining company Anglo American has formally committed to withdraw 27 approved applications to research minerals inside Indigenous territories located in the states of Mato Grosso and Pará from the Brazilian National Mining Agency (ANM). The commitment was announced on May 24, after pressure from the Munduruku people, the Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), and Amazon Watch.
- [Report: Global Banks Fail for Financing, Investment in Oil and Gas in the Amazon Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0708-report-global-banks-fail-for-financing-investment-in-oil-and-gas-in-the-amazon-rainforest) - San Francisco, CA – A new scorecard and report released today by environmental advocacy groups Stand.earth and Amazon Watch fails global banks for their financing and investment in the oil and gas industry in the Amazon rainforest, revealing that despite sustainability commitments and risk management screening processes, banks remain highly exposed to the risk of funding corruption, human rights violations, environmental harms – and ultimately, climate chaos – due to their ongoing relationships with companies and traders operating in the region.
- [From Ecuador's Amazon to President's Palace, Indigenous Women Demand End to Drilling](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0323-from-ecuadors-amazon-to-presidents-palace-indigenous-women-demand-end-to-drilling) - "We will return to our communities and wait for a response from the government," said Zoila Castillo, vice-president of the parliament of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon. "If we do not receive a response in two weeks, we will be back."
- [U.S. Senators Send Letters to BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase on Amazon Crude](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0326-us-senators-send-letters-to-blackrock-and-jpmorgan-chase-on-amazon-crude) - "As the Senators' letter reminds us, climate change also poses a significant financial risk to the economy, especially for the fossil fuel industry and its financial backers. Investing in companies with particularly controversial operations, like those located on indigenous territories in the Amazon rainforest, poses an outsized risk because of local opposition. Not only that, but these projects may violate international and national laws requiring free, prior and informed consent of indigenous communities."
- [Investor Eye on the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0514-0514-spring-2020-investor-eye-on-the-amazon) - The Investor Eye on the Amazon newsletter serves as a resource for socially-responsible investors, industry analysts, and researchers looking to better understand the risks associated with financing climate-damaging industries in the Amazon, and what they can do to protect the region.
- [Investor Eye on the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0402-investor-eye-on-the-amazon) - The Investor Eye on the Amazon provides an update on our campaigns targeting corporations with ties to dirty industry in the Amazon, and it aims to serve as a resource for socially-responsible investors, industry analysts, and researchers looking to better understand the risks associated with investment in extractive industries - and their own portfolios’ ties to these industries - in the Amazon and beyond.
- [Institution Protecting Indigenous Rights in Brazil Under Attack](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0403-institution-protecting-indigenous-rights-in-brazil-under-attack) - FUNAI's duty is to protect and promote the rights of Brazil's native peoples. Among its chief responsibilities is to identify, title, and supervise the country's vast array of indigenous territories. Yet the right to ancestral lands free from industrial activity - 98.5% of which fall within the Amazon's diverse ecosystems - presents an obstacle to the expansion of Brazil's burgeoning agribusiness sector, which has worked to neutralize FUNAI's efficacy by slashing its budget and compromising its independence.
- [Record Environmental Judgement Moves to Ontario Superior Court in Toronto](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0405-record-environmental-judgement-moves-to-ontario-superior-court-in-toronto) - Toronto, Canada – This morning, Friends of the Earth Canada, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund of the United Steelworkers of Canada, and Amazon Watch filed an application to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice calling on the court to unseal documents in the historic legal effort to enforce one of the largest environmental judgments in history.
- [NGOs Denounce Tapajós Basin Intimidation, Violence, Brazil Inaction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0404-ngos-denounce-tapajos-basin-intimidation-violence-brazil-inaction) - Thirty-eight national and international NGOs issued a strongly worded statement demanding the Brazilian government uphold environmental laws, act on indigenous rights violations, and end escalating intimidation by the builders of hydroelectric dams on the Teles Pires River. Also condemned was the Temer administration's failure to prosecute illegal loggers and gold miners threatening violence against Tapajós River riverine communities.
- [Colombia's Top Court Orders Government to Protect Amazon Forest in Landmark Case](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0406-colombias-top-court-orders-government-to-protect-amazon-forest-in-landmark-case) - In its ruling, the court recognized Colombia's Amazon as an "entity subject of rights", which means that the rainforest has been granted the same legal rights as a human being.
- [A Village in Ecuador's Amazon Fights for Life as Oil Wells Move In](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0404-a-village-in-ecuadors-amazon-fights-for-life-as-oil-wells-move-in) - To an outsider visiting the rainforest of Ecuador's Yasuní National Park, one of the most biologically diverse places on earth, it seems almost inconceivable that Baihua and his people have survived as hunter-gatherers there in the 21st century – and even harder to believe they'll be able to do so for much longer.
- [Indigenous Amazonian Leaders at U.N. to Demand an End to Resource Extraction and Threats Against Rights Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0413-indigenous-amazonian-leaders-at-un-to-demand-an-end-to-resource-extraction-and-threats) - Indigenous representatives from several nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon will attend the17th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York City from April 16 to 27.
- [New Report Shines Light on Dark Days for Amazon Earth Defenders in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0418-new-report-shines-light-on-dark-days-for-amazon-earth-defenders-in-ecuador) - The Human Rights Watch report found that the Correa government "amassed broad powers to curb public debate of its policies on the environment and other pressing issues..[then] abused these powers to harass, intimidate, and punish Ecuadorians who opposed oil and mining projects that the president endorsed...and used the criminal justice system to target environmentalists and indigenous leaders to be prosecuted."
- [Why California's Oil Policy Matters for the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0419-why-californias-oil-policy-matters-for-the-amazon) - About half of the oil exports from the Western Amazon Basin come to California to be processed by refineries and used by consumers in the state. This means that more oil from the Amazon rainforest is used in California than anywhere else in the world, and California's demand for this toxic crude oil is literally driving continued destruction across the Amazon.
- [Shipibo Medicine Woman Gunned Down in Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0420-shipibo-medicine-woman-gunned-down-in-peruvian-amazon) - Amazon Watch is saddened and outraged by the news of the brazen assassination of the recognized Shipibo medicine woman Olivia Arévalo. We express our condolences to her family in community of and stand in solidarity with the indigenous organizations that are denouncing this horrific act.
- [The Toxic Mess Under Chevron's Corporate Veil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0425-the-toxic-mess-under-chevrons-corporate-veil) - A hearing in a critically important case for the future of environmental protection, corporate accountability, and human rights took place in Toronto, Canada last week. At issue was an argument essential to corporate accountability: can individuals harmed by a corporation "pierce the corporate veil" to force it to account for judgements from countries where the corporation holds no assets?
- [As the U.S. Turns Its Back, Poor Countries Can Expect More Volatile Temperature Swings](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0504-as-the-us-turns-its-back-poor-countries-can-expect-more-volatile-temperature-swings) - It's not just the U.S. that's welching on its promise. Despite some encouraging signs, says Amazon Watch's Christian Poirier, global action is lacking. "I think a lot of it has to do with environmental racism," Poirier says.
- [Chase AGM: Dozens of Indigenous and Frontline Community Representatives Call for an End to Bank Financing of Extreme Fossil Fuels](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0515-indigenous-and-frontline-communities-call-for-an-end-to-financing-of-extreme-fossil-fuels) - The quickly growing international campaign pressuring JPMorgan Chase to end its massive funding of extreme fossil fuels continued to escalate today as a delegation representing Indigenous and nonindigenous communities from Canada to Ecuador and across the U.S. gathered at Chase's annual shareholder meeting in Plano, Texas.
- [Amazonian Leaders Call on California to Go Fossil Fuel-Free at Chevron's Richmond Refinery](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0517-amazonian-leaders-call-on-california-to-go-fossil-fuel-free-at-chevrons-richmond-refinery) - Richmond, CA – Indigenous leaders from the Ecuadorian Amazon joined Bay Area allies at Chevron's Richmond Refinery on Thursday morning to call on California's political leadership to phase out oil and gas production and processing in the state, including its importation of crude oil drilled in the Amazon rainforest.
- [Chevron's SLAPP Suit Against Ecuadorians: Corporate Intimidation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0511-chevrons-slapp-suit-against-ecuadorians-corporate-intimidation) - In perhaps the most vindictive SLAPP in history, Chevron – one of the world's largest corporations, with over $260 billion in assets – found a sympathetic New York judge to accept a RICO lawsuit against the victims of its vast oil pollution in Ecuador's Amazon basin.
- [Statement in Support of the Shipibo Conibo People and the March Against Racism and for Indigenous Dignity in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0517-statement-in-support-of-the-shipibo-conibo-people-and-the-march-against-racism) - The tragic murder of Olivia Arévalo and the Canadian man who killed her in the Peruvian Amazon have unleashed great sadness and a series of xenophobic defamations against the Shipibo Conibo people in mainstream media and on social networks, including from a sitting member of Congress, that have deepened the discrimination and hostility against the Shipibo people, particularly Shipibo women.
- [The Erin Brockoviches of Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0518-the-erin-brockoviches-of-ecuador) - By fighting to protect their traditional land, indigenous women are making an innovative argument that the lives of the people and the wellbeing of the environment are inextricably linked – and a battle for one is a battle for the other.
- [Global Campaign Exposes BlackRock for Devastating Climate Impacts of Investments](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0524-global-campaign-exposes-blackrock-for-devastating-climate-impacts-of-investments) - New York, NY – Some of the country's largest environmental and human rights groups issued a challenge to BlackRock at its annual shareholder meeting yesterday, daring the world's largest asset manager to take greater leadership on climate change following ambitious statements by BlackRock's CEO calling on corporations to pursue ends beyond pure short-term profit.
- [ENI-AGIP Oil Project Threatens Indigenous Territories in the Ecuadorian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0530-eni-agip-oil-project-threatens-indigenous-territories-in-the-ecuadorian-amazon) - "This attack is a reprisal for the struggle that I've been waging to defend life and our territories against the threat that is still being pushed upon us, fossil fuel exploitation in our territories."
- [Chevron CEO Challenged to Change Course at Shareholder Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0530-chevron-ceo-challenged-to-change-course-at-shareholder-meetings) - San Ramon, CA – At Chevron’s annual general meeting today, institutional shareholders and environmental and human rights organizations representing shareholders presented newly-appointed CEO Michael Wirth with arguments for why he should change course on the company’s history of environmental and social irresponsibility.
- [Building Power: Telling Stories of Resistance and Resilience to a Global Audience](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0601-building-power-telling-stories-of-resistance-and-resilience-to-a-global-audience) - When Gloria spoke to shareholders, the room paid rapt attention. Many had never heard an indigenous person speak about the impacts that oil drilling and climate change would have on their way of life. An issue that had seemed abstract became real, and the impact of their investment decisions gained a human face. Creating this personal connection, whether with corporate executives, policymakers, or fellow activists, is an incredibly effective way to bring about change.
- [The "Real Tragedy" in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0607-the-real-tragedy-in-ecuador) - In the end, Chevron's unethical legal thuggery will circle back to bite the new CEO Michael Wirth not only because it's based on false evidence and lies, but also because it has exposed him as someone no better than the executives at Texaco who made the fateful decision to deliberately pollute the Amazon in the first place.
- [Award-Winning Film Yasuni Man Screened in LA with Special Guests](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0614-award-winning-film-yasuni-man-screened-in-la-with-special-guests) - Yasuni Man is an award-winning documentary by filmmaker Ryan Killackey that tells the story of the Waorani people and their ancestral land, which, though one of the most biodiverse forest on earth, is threatened by extractive industries. Obviously, Yasuní National Park and Biosphere Reserve is one of the worst places on the planet to drill for oil. Amazon Watch has had the privilege of working closely with the filmmaker and we are immensely proud of the enormous success that the film has achieved.
- [Silencing Human Rights and Environmental Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0615-silencing-human-rights-and-environmental-defenders) - The saga of cases of litigation initiated by Chevron following serious pollution in the Amazonian region of Ecuador is an infamous illustration of such legal tactic. The serious pollution created by oil spillage has led to a series of multiple country-based legal strategies by Chevron to avoid resp onsibility. After losing a case in Ecuador where Chevron was ordered to pay $9 billion to affected communities, the company sued the affected Ecuadorians and their lawyers back in the United States under the federal anti-racketeering law (known as RICO).
- [Worldwide Solidarity with Indigenous Leaders Threatened by Chinese Mining Project in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0621-worldwide-solidarity-with-indigenous-leaders-threatened-by-chinese-mining-project-in-ecuador) - This morning in Quito, indigenous, campesino, and civil society organizations delivered an international sign-on letter signed by 132 organizations and individuals to the Chinese embassy expressing concern over Ecuagoldmining, a Chinese mining company allegedly involved in the kidnapping, illegal detainment, violent assault, and assassination attempt of three indigenous leaders last month.
- [US/China Trade War Could Boost Brazil Soy Export, Amazon Deforestation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0621-us-china-trade-war-could-boost-brazil-soy-export-amazon-deforestation) - "We are the ones who care for nature," says Alessandra Munduruku, a young Munduruku indigenous leader in the Brazilian Amazon. "It isn't someone coming from on high who's going to teach us about caring for the forest."
- [Earth Defenders Risk Life and Limb to Protect the Amazon Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0621-earth-defenders-risk-life-and-limb-to-protect-the-amazon-rainforest) - This World Rainforest Day, we're honoring the indigenous Earth Defenders who are risking life and limb every day. Ecuador, in particular, is a dangerous place to be an Earth Defender. In addition to criminalization – baseless criminal charges used to silence dissent – more and more Earth Defenders are being threatened and physically assaulted.
- [​​Letter to Ecuadorian President Moreno in Support of the Sapara Nation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0627-letter-to-ecuadorian-president-moreno-in-support-of-the-sapara-nation) - We write you to express our support for the Sapara Nation and for their demand for an end to any and all oil activities in their territory, whether now or in the future.
- [The Shiwiar Nation of Ecuador Raises Its Voice Against Oil Drilling in Its Territory](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0709-the-shiwiar-nation-of-ecuador-raises-its-voice-against-oil-drilling-in-its-territory) - "It was not a consultation, they came only with offers that we know are false. We were not in any way consulted as our rights say. As Shiwiar we had already spoken out against this project of oil exploitation and since we also opposed this supposed consultation, hydrocarbons entered our territory using indigenous people living in the city. "
- [Government Crackdown on Illegal Amazon Gold Mining Could Backfire for Brazil's Munduruku](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0628-government-crackdown-on-illegal-amazon-gold-mining-could-backfire-for-brazils-munduruku) - "Once again, the [police] operation did not do its work." Given the grave socio-environmental impacts of organized crime in the Amazon, the Brazilian government must reign in local mafias, be they miners, loggers, or land grabbers. However, it cannot do this with isolated actions, nor by allowing its informants – in this case imperiled indigenous leaders – to suffer the brunt of retributions.
- [Brazil's Political Storm Driving Amazon Deforestation Higher](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0710-brazils-political-storm-driving-amazon-deforestation-higher) - Many experts aren't surprised by these land-grabber assaults, even though the Apyterewa preserve lies within the area of influence of the giant Belo Monte dam built on the Xingu River, and even though one of the conditions for the dam's construction, agreed to in 2010, was that the government protect this territory and evict all illegal intruders living there. Even before the dam was built, critics warned that the authorities would not be able to fulfill this commitment, and that pressure on protected areas near the dam would rise.
- [The Last Guardians: A Must-Watch Film Highlights the Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0713-the-last-guardians-a-must-watch-film-highlights-the-indigenous-fight-for-environmental-justice) - Now available for download and streaming, The Last Guardians takes viewers to the Ecuadorian Amazon to further understand the struggle of indigenous community members as they defend their land and culture against the threats they face from extractive industries.
- [CalPERS Investment Policy Change a Win for Indigenous Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0713-calpers-investment-policy-change-a-win-for-indigenous-peoples) - The California Public Employees’ Retirement System has quietly approved extensive changes to its Governance and Sustainability Principles, including a ground-breaking recognition of the right of indigenous peoples to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). CalPERS, the largest public pension in the U.S with $356 billion in assets under management, included the revisions as part of its new Total Fund Policy.
- [Join Us on September 8th to RISE for the Climate!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0718-join-us-on-september-8th-to-rise-for-the-climate) - On September 8th, Amazon Watch staff, Ecuadorian indigenous leaders, and hundreds of thousands of people around the world will rise to demand that our elected leaders take real climate action to get us off of fossil fuels in speedy and equitable fashion.
- [Visionary "Living Forest" Proposal to Be Launched by Kichwa People of Sarayaku in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0719-visionary-living-forest-proposal-to-be-launched-by-kichwa-people-of-sarayaku) - The Kichwa People of Sarayaku will officially launch its Kawsak Sacha, (Living Forest) proposal in Ecuador this July 2018 with a four-day exhibition and conference in Quito that will showcase Sarayaku's way of life, culture, and vision and will involve a formal presentation to the Ecuadorian government and international dignitaries.
- [Indigenous Federation to GeoPark: Peru Project a Big Risk](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0726-indigenous-federation-to-geopark-peru-project-a-big-risk) - San Lorenzo, Peru – A federation of indigenous communities deep in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest affirmed its rejection of planned oil operations in its ancestral territory ahead of Friday's annual shareholder meeting of GeoPark.
- [Protesters Occupy Ecuador's Environment Ministry Over Expanded Oil Drilling in Yasuní National Park](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0801-protesters-occupy-ecuadors-environment-ministry-over-expanded-oil-drilling-in-yasuni) - Quito, Ecuador – Environmentalists occupied the lobby of Ecuador's Environmental Ministry on Tuesday to protest a pending environmental license that would open the Ishpingo oil field inside the world-renowned Yasuní National Park.
- [Chinese/Western Financing of Roads, Dams Led to Major Andes Amazon Deforestation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0802-chinese-western-financing-of-roads-dams-led-to-major-andes-amazon-deforestation) - "We are seeing some of the same manifest destiny-style development schemes that characterized the region decades ago. It is rapidly turning the Amazon from carbon sink to carbon source at the time the climate ­– and planet – can least afford it," said Kevin Koenig of Amazon Watch.
- [Helping the Achuar Say #AdiosGeoPark](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0803-helping-the-achuar-say-adios-geopark) - A new chapter has opened in the Peruvian Achuar effort to keep their Amazonian territory free of oil companies with the official launch of the #AdiosGeoPark campaign. An important tool in this new campaign is the short but powerful video produced by Vagabond Films in conjunction with filmmaker Charles Gay.
- [Ecuador's Indigenous Activists Are Under Attack. Will the Government Protect Them?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0808-ecuadors-indigenous-activists-are-under-attack) - As indigenous peoples from across Ecuador commemorate the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on August 9th, activists will demand that Ecuador's President Lenín Moreno fulfills his promise to protect them and their territories. The day comes as a string of recent threats and attacks against indigenous human rights defenders has highlighted the risks they face.
- [International Coalition Asks Ecuador's President Moreno to Protect Earth Defenders from Attacks](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0809-international-coalition-asks-ecuadors-president-moreno-to-protect-earth-defenders-from-attacks) - Quito, Ecuador – Today, International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, an international coalition launched a campaign calling on Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno to implement three policies to protect Earth Defenders – those who dedicate their lives to protecting human rights and nature, many of whom are indigenous leaders.
- [Sarayaku Launches Living Forest Proposal – ¡Viva Kawsak Sacha!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0810-sarayaku-launches-living-forest-proposal-viva-kawsak-sacha) - In late July, the Kichwa People of Sarayaku officially launched their visionary Kawsak Sacha (Living Forest) proposal to the world. It was an incredibly beautiful, energizing, and historic moment to witness!
- [Belo Monte: There Is Nothing Green or Sustainable About These Mega-dams](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0809-belo-monte-there-is-nothing-green-or-sustainable-about-these-mega-dams) - Belo Monte is just one of many dams across the globe that have been justified – and funded – as sustainable pursuits. Yet, this conflates the ends with the means. Hydroelectricity may appear relatively 'clean' but the process in which a mega-dam is built is far from it.
- [Trade Tribunal Validates Corporate Abuse of Amazonians by Ruling in Chevron's Favor](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0907-trade-tribunal-validates-corporate-abuse-of-amazonians-by-ruling-in-chevrons-favor) - "It is absurd that an international trade tribunal can circumvent a sovereign democratic nation's independent judiciary. Ecuadorian courts were essentially found guilty of considering the evidence against Chevron and holding the company to account," said Amazon Watch Associate Director Paul Paz y Miño.
- [Climate Leadership Means Keeping Fossil Fuels in the Ground in Tropical Forests and Beyond](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0907-climate-leadership-means-keeping-fossil-fuels-in-the-ground-in-tropical-forests-and-beyond) - Protecting tropical forests is key to mitigating climate change. When California Governor Jerry Brown convenes the Global Climate Action Summit next week, he should seize the opportunity to make an announcement that will help address one of the root causes of both deforestation and climate change: a phase out of oil and gas production in California.
- [In the Declaration of Yarinacocha, Shipibo Healers Organize to Resist Spiritual Extractivism](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0907-in-the-declaration-of-yarinacocha-shipibo-healers-organize-to-resist-spiritual-extractivism) - Last April, a Canadian ayahuasca tourist rode a motorbike into the Amazonian township of Victoria Gracia, sought out the venerated 81-year-old Shipibo healer Maestra Olivia Arévalo Lomas, pulled out a gun and shot her dead. The fallout from the murder is emblematic of a common problem, what we are framing as spiritual extractivism.
- [Thousands March in San Francisco to Draw Attention to Global Climate Change Ahead of World Summit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0909-thousands-march-in-san-francisco-to-draw-attention-to-global-climate-change) - “I come from the living forest,” said Mirian Cisneros, president of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon. “I also come from a people that have fought for years and years against the threat of oil drilling. I am here in this large march with brothers and sisters from the whole planet because we understand that we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground in the Amazon rainforest and everywhere.”
- [Thousands March in Rise for Climate Demonstration in San Francisco](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0909-thousands-march-in-rise-for-climate-demonstration-in-san-francisco) - Mirian Cisneros, president of the Kichwa people of Sarayaku in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador had a simple plea to the United States: respect indigenous people's rights and stop extracting fuels from their land. "We must leave fossil fuels underground, both in the Amazon forest and the whole world," Cisneros said.
- [Indigenous, Frontline Community Groups and Climate Leaders Decry Greenwashed Climate Summit, Deliver Open Letter to Gov. Brown](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0910-indigenous-frontline-community-groups-and-climate-leaders-decry-greenwashed-climate-summit) - San Francisco, CA – On day three of the Solidarity to Solutions Week countering the upcoming Global Action Climate Summit, frontline leaders hosted a rally and delivered an open letter rejecting the Governor's Climate and Forest Task Force and demanding its cancellation.
- ["They Won't Be Able to Eat Their Money"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0911-they-wont-be-able-to-eat-their-money) - "The planet depends on us; the Earth, the rivers, the mountains, the trees provide us with oxygen, and we need to ensure that we protect them. We need to listen to each other's voices, we need to understand that climate change doesn't just affect indigenous people – it affects all of us. We must have the will to change. We're committing suicide in this moment."
- [Complicity in Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0911-complicity-in-destruction) - Despite their importance, the Brazilian Amazon and its peoples are suffering the worst assault in a generation. Deforestation is mounting steadily while hard-fought environmental and human rights protections, critical to the future of the rainforest, are under serious attack. Indigenous and traditional communities themselves suffer disproportionate violence and repression for defending their rights and forests.
- [New Report: Northern Consumers Finance Assault on Brazilian Amazon and Its Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0911-new-report-northern-consumers-finance-assault-on-brazilian-amazon-and-its-peoples) - Oakland, CA – A hard-hitting report published today unmasks key Brazilian political actors behind an ongoing assault on the Amazon rainforest and exposes the global corporate and financial entities that support them. The report from Amazon Watch reveals how the supply chains of leading brand names like Coca-Cola, and the portfolios of asset managers such as BlackRock, finance the political agenda of a powerful congressional bloc whose actions imperil the world's largest rainforest, indigenous rights, and global climate stability.
- [Brazilian Legislators Break Law, Attack Amazon, Trade Freely with World: Report](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0911-brazilian-legislators-break-law-attack-amazon-trade-freely-with-world) - A report published this week by Amazon Watch reveals that six prominent Brazilian politicians – members of the bancada ruralista agribusiness lobby and all but one up for election in October – have been found guilty of serious environmental, economic, and social crimes and offenses.
- [Uncontacted Tribes at Risk Amid "Worrying" Surge in Amazon Deforestation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0920-uncontacted-tribes-at-risk-amid-worrying-surge-in-amazon-deforestation) - Ilegal loggers and militias cleared an area three times the size of Gibraltar in Brazil's Amazon this year, threatening an "uncontacted" indigenous tribe.
- [The Amazon on the Brink](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0926-the-amazon-on-the-brink) - If the government's retrenchment on environmental protection continues, there may soon be nothing to stop the chain saws on the Amazonian frontier, where the rule of law can be weak and land is frequently seized and cleared illegally. This has implications beyond Brazil. The Amazon's lush forests make up the largest reserve of carbon dioxide on the surface of the earth. This potent greenhouse gas is released when forests are burned or bulldozed and left to decay.
- [Environmental Campaign Targets BlackRock Amid Claims of "Climate Destruction"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0926-environmental-campaign-targets-blackrock-amid-claims-of-climate-destruction) - An environmental campaign has criticised BlackRock for allegedly being the "largest owner of fossil fuel companies and single largest contributor to climate destruction", and singled out CEO Larry Fink as failing to manage the business in line with his own expectations of stocks the firm invests in.
- [BlackRock Targeted as Largest Driver of Climate Destruction in New Campaign](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0926-blackrock-targeted-as-largest-driver-of-climate-destruction-in-new-campaign) - New York, NY – A campaign launching today is holding BlackRock accountable as the single largest contributor to climate destruction. The campaign, BlackRock's Big Problem, asserts that as the world's biggest owner of fossil fuel companies, BlackRock is putting the planet on a path towards runaway climate change. The campaign launches as world leaders in climate policy, solutions and finance gather in New York for Climate Week.
- [Environmental Groups Oppose Chevron's Use of Dirty Tricks to Evade Justice in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0927-environmental-groups-oppose-chevrons-use-of-dirty-tricks-to-evade-justice-in-ecuador) - Oakland, CA – Two environmental NGOs filed formal petitions this week before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights and the New York Bar opposing Chevron's attempts to use the legal system to attack those pushing the company to address its toxic legacy in the Amazon.
- [U.S. Congress Resists the Bolsonaro-Trump Duo of Devastation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0503-us-congress-resists-the-bolsonaro-trump-duo-of-devastation) - A match made in Hell? Two individuals with the least regard for the environment and minority rights might be joining forces to "develop" the Amazon. In March, Brazil's new extreme right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro met with his role model Donald Trump at the White House. One of their discussion topics was how to collaborate on the Amazon.
- [Amazon Watch Statement Regarding Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0507-global-assessment-report-on-biodiversity-and-ecosystem-services) - "This sobering report shows that the time for protecting biodiversity is running out. From the Amazon to the Arctic, dirty industrial development and human greed is destroying critical ecosystems and harming the communities that depend on the land. As indigenous peoples have reminded us for years: our own survival as human beings is fundamentally tied to the health of our environment."
- [Terra Livre Mobilization Propels Brazil's Indigenous Movement to the Forefront of Resistance to Bolsonaro](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0509-terra-livre-propels-brazils-indigenous-movement-to-the-forefront-of-bolsonaro-resistance) - "The economic project of the Bolsonaro government answers to powerful financial interests, to private corporations, many of them international, including agribusiness and mining interests, among others. Therefore, it is a highly beholden government that is anti-national, predatory, ethnocidal, genocidal and ecocidal."
- [Amazon Watch Statement Regarding the Decision to Delay Licensing of Ecuadorian Oil Blocks 86 and 87](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0510-statement-regarding-decision-to-delay-licensing-of-ecuadorian-oil-blocks-86-and-87) - "The decision to put a hold on auctioning blocks 86 and 87 shows that the advocacy made by Shiwiar, Sapara, and Kichwa indigenous peoples to protect their territories, that are part of the best preserved tropical forests in the country, has been successful. While we celebrate this victory, we know that the next step must not be further 'socializations.' It must instead be the permanent cancellation of these oil blocks, which communities have already roundly rejected."
- [Defending Rights, Building Unity, and Protecting the Amazon Sacred Headwaters](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0212-defending-rights-building-unity-and-protecting-the-amazon-sacred-headwaters) - In the remote, roadless rainforest territories along the border between Ecuador and Peru, over a dozen indigenous nationalities have launched an initiative to permanently protect about 60 million acres from industrial extraction and stop the drivers of deforestation. Dubbed the Amazon Sacred Headwaters, the initiative seeks to present a united front against the pressures on these indigenous territories and address climate change by keeping forests standing and fossil fuels in the ground.
- [Indigenous Communities Reject Oil Drilling in Block 10](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0927-indigenous-communities-reject-oil-drilling-in-block-10) - "I come from the Amazon, and my people have long defended the rainforest from threats like oil drilling, which would destroy our forest home. We know that a majority of oil exported from the Amazon comes to California to be processed, also harming the communities near refineries and contributing to global climate change," said Mirian Cisneros, current president of the Sarayaku.
- [Human Rights and Land Rights Defenders Under Threat in Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0701-human-rights-and-land-rights-defenders-under-threat-in-ecuador) - "We are not terrorists. We are Ecuadorians. But we don't have peace of mind because we are threatened. No Ecuadorian should be persecuted by foreigners and we are being persecuted by these companies. That is our fear," shared Josefina Tunki. Faced with the emerging threats against human rights and land rights defenders, the Ecuadorian government should adopt measures that guarantee defenders the protection and agency to carry out their activities freely, promoting a culture of peace and a safe environment, free from violence, threats, and ultimately requiring the full recognition of their work to defend their rights, territories, and environment.
- [Victory for Indigenous Peoples as Brazil's Supreme Court Rejects Attempts To Limit Indigenous Land Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0819-victory-for-indigenous-peoples-as-brazil-court-rejects-attempts-to-limit-indigenous-rights) - In a major victory for indigenous peoples, Brazil's Supreme Court ruled unanimously this week in favor of indigenous land rights in two separate lawsuits, setting an important legal precedent.
- [Do You Invest with BlackRock, Vanguard, or State Street? Tap Into Your Power to Help Protect the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0629-do-you-invest-with-blackrock-vanguard-or-state-street) - Together, BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard hold $46 billion in debt and equity in oil companies currently operating in the Amazon rainforest. While the prospect of moving the world's largest asset managers to divest from climate destruction may seem daunting, it's not impossible. That's where you come in. Client investors have power.
- [Brazilian Meat Company JBS Issues "Sustainability-linked" Bonds and the Forests and Finance Coalition Responds](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0623-brazilian-meat-company-jbs-issues-sustainability-linked-bonds) - Moira Birss, Climate and Finance Director at Amazon Watch, said, "After giving itself an extension on its previous commitment to end Amazon deforestation a decade ago, JBS is now trying to hoodwink investors with a 'sustainability-linked' bond that isn't even tied to emissions from its supply chains. JBS has zero credibility when it comes to forest protection and respect for Indigenous land rights, and investors who truly want to ensure the Amazon remains standing should stay far away from this greenwash."
- [Peaceful Indigenous Protest in Brasilia Met With Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets, and Police in Riot Gear](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0622-peaceful-indigenous-protest-in-brasilia-met-with-tear-gas-rubber-bullets) - Brasilia, Brazil – Today, a group of Indigenous peoples, assembled in Brasilia as part of the "Rise for the Earth Camp," were attacked by "shock troop" police as they peacefully protested bill 490, a new proposed law that if enacted would definitively strip Indigenous land rights. The protest, including children and elders, to the Constitutional, Justice, and Citizenship Commission congressional building, was proceeding without conflict when heavily armed police emerged from the building, indiscriminately firing tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd. Two protesters were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, while at least a dozen others with minor wounds were treated at the health tent of the Rise for the Earth Camp.
- [The Tipping Point Is Here. This Is Our Plan to Make It a Turning Point.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0622-the-tipping-point-is-here-this-is-our-plan-to-make-it-a-turning-point) - Just a few years ago we thought we had ten years to act on climate change and that the tipping point of the Amazon was at 50% deforestation, but corporations and governments have either been slow to act or failed altogether. The reality is that the climate crisis and the tipping point are here now. We have just a few years – not decades – to turn this around. We have no time to waste.
- [The Amazon Is Burning and We Must Stand With Indigenous Peoples to Protect It](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0926-the-amazon-is-burning-and-we-must-stand-with-indigenous-peoples-to-protect-it) - This short video, launched during Climate Week, is an effort to broaden the public's understanding about not only what is happening in the Amazon, but also what we can do about it as a global community. The time has truly never been more pressing, as the Amazon, the "lungs of the Earth," approaches a tipping point. As many more people sign the pledge to protect the Amazon, the movement will grow in strength.
- [2021-2025 Strategic Plan to Protect and Defend the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0607-protect-and-defend-the-amazon) - In honor of Amazon Watch's 25th anniversary, our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan builds upon 25 years of work to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives and territories of Indigenous peoples. We commit to work in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and a growing global movement calling for urgent action to permanently protect the Amazon, defend the defenders, and advance climate justice.
- [Rise for the Earth!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0617-rise-for-the-earth) - This week, thousands of Indigenous people from over 43 Indigenous nations are marching in Brasilia to call attention to the multiple emergencies they face and the Brazilian government’s complete failure to protect and uphold Indigenous rights. Among their demands is the immediate withdrawal of the anti-Indigenous and anti-environment legislative agenda being pushed in the Brazilian Congress right now.
- [A Predator Called Gunvor in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0605-a-predator-called-gunvor-in-the-amazon) - The Geneva-based trader Gunvor has imposed itself as one of the main players in Amazonian crude without winning a single tender. With financial support from Swiss banks, Gunvor convinced Ecuador to become heavily indebted to Asian state-owned companies, pushing the country to drill even deeper into its natural reserves to reimburse them. Toxic emissions, uncontrolled oil spills – local populations live in misery. The US and Ecuadorian judicial authorities are now investigating the payment of bribes by the Gunvor network.
- [Challenges Ahead for Indigenous Earth Defenders in Peru](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0615-challenges-ahead-for-indigenous-earth-defenders-in-peru) - With a vaccination rate that is already surpassing 120,000 patients per day, Peru is finally showing glimmers of hope that it will overcome the worst of the pandemic. However, a glance towards the Peruvian Amazon shows a different reality. Recovery from COVID-19 in this biodiverse region will be difficult and Indigenous communities will need international support.
- [Civil Society to the United Nations Development Programme: Sever Ties to the Oil Industry](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0607-civil-society-to-the-united-nations-development-programme-sever-ties-to-the-oil-industry) - New York, NY – Prompted by the recent alliance in Colombia between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and GeoPark, an oil company credibly accused of human rights and environmental malfeasance in the Amazon rainforest, an international group of more than forty organizations wrote to the UNDP Executive Board on Friday, June 4. The letter called on it to sever all ties with the fossil fuel industry and to use this week's annual meeting to stop any ongoing and future collaboration with the fossil fuel industry.
- [BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street Invested $46 Billion in Amazon Oil Companies Tied to Indigenous Rights Violations and Rainforest Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0603-blackrock-vanguard-and-state-street-invested-46-billion-in-amazon-oil-companies) - "As long as the world's largest investors choose to place profits over people by continuing to pour money into the fossil fuel industry in the Amazon, our entire planet is at risk. BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard must end their complicity in Indigenous rights abuses, forest destruction, and climate chaos," said Moira Birss, Climate and Finance Director at Amazon Watch.
- [Investing $46 Billion in Client Money on Amazon Destruction](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0603-investing-46-billion-in-client-money-on-amazon-destruction) - The “Big Three” manage trillions of dollars of investments for individual and institutional investors all over the world, including pension funds and university endowments. Together they control nearly 20 trillion dollars. By investing in oil companies with horrific environmental and human rights records, they are not only flagrantly ignoring scientific experts, but also actively supporting the Indigenous and human rights abuses, forest destruction, biodiversity loss, and further climate chaos inherent in oil production in the Amazon rainforest.
- [Investing in Amazon Crude II](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0603-investing-in-amazon-crude-ii) - Three of the world's largest asset managers – BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street – with trillions of dollars under their control, invest in oil companies with horrific environmental and human rights records across the Amazon Basin. Right now, these asset managers hold a large amount of risk by actively contributing to Indigenous and human rights abuses, forest destruction, biodiversity loss, and climate chaos. The "Big Three" can't claim to be climate champions while steering client money into oil drilling in the rainforest.
- [Mounting Violence by Brazil's Criminal Miners Endangers Indigenous Leaders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0602-mounting-violence-by-brazils-criminal-miners-endangers-indigenous-leaders) - Unchecked environmental destruction and violence are increasing rapidly on the lands of the Munduruku people, whose forests and waterways are being destroyed by illegal miners. At least ten prominent Munduruku leaders have routinely faced death threats for their resistance to this devastating illicit activity and last week brought a new wave of terror and conflict to Pará state's Tapajós River basin.
- [The Climate Kids Are Alright: How Nine Girls Beat the Oil Industry in the Ecuadorian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0527-the-climate-kids-are-alright-how-nine-girls-beat-the-oil-industry-in-the-ecuadorian-amazon) - In a major victory for the environment, human rights, and our climate, nine Amazonian girls just put an end to the oil industry's gas flaring in the Ecuadorian Amazon! The practice has been hiding in plain sight across the Amazon rainforest for decades. For years, Amazon Watch has brought attention to flaring as a source of contamination through its campaigning and on-the-ground advocacy work alongside our long-term Indigenous partners.
- [The Chevron-Ecuador Case Is Critical to the Climate Justice Movement](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0525-the-chevron-ecuador-case-is-critical-to-the-climate-justice-movement) - Tomorrow, May 26, will be Chevron's 11th shareholder meeting since the company lost a historic $9.5 billion judgement for deliberately polluting the Ecuadorian Amazon. Since then, many more Ecuadorians have gotten sick and died awaiting justice, as Chevron pulled its assets from Ecuador and waged a retaliatory legal assault. It spent well over a billion dollars on lawyers and PR firms to attack its victims in Ecuador and the lawyers who helped defeat Chevron.
- [Amazon Watch Statement Denouncing Latest Attacks on the Yanomami by Illegal Miners](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0517-statement-denouncing-latest-attacks-on-the-yanomami-by-illegal-miners) - "The escalation of violence within the Yanomami Territory without any concrete action by the Brazilian government is unconscionable. For eight days, illegal miners have attacked the Palimiú village with gunshots and are using tear gas to disperse the people. Women and children are being targeted and killed. As a result of the first attack, two Yanomami children drowned from panic."
- [Illegal Gold Miners Attack and Burn Munduruku Village in the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0526-illegal-gold-miners-attack-and-burn-munduruku-village-in-the-brazilian-amazon) - "Brazil’s Indigenous peoples have suffered a campaign of terror and violence for weeks and Bolsonaro’s federal government has done nothing effective to protect them from the well-financed criminals brazenly invading their territories," said Christian Poirier, Program Director at Amazon Watch.
- [Chevron CEO and Executives Under Fire for Climate Destruction and Human Rights Violations at Annual Shareholder’s Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0526-chevron-ceo-and-executives-under-fire-for-climate-destruction-and-human-rights-violations-at-annual-shareholders-meeting) - San Ramon, CA – Chevron held its Annual General Meeting online once again, taking advantage of the opportunity to limit community engagement during the meeting. However, its CEO Mike Wirth did not succeed in curtailing scathing shareholder criticism from the Board of Directors. Instead, Chevron faced the most sweeping criticism for its actions in over a decade.
- [Communities Demand Accountability and an End to Chevron's Pollution](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0521-communities-demand-accountability-and-an-end-to-chevrons-pollution) - Oakland, CA – "Anti-Chevron Day" is a global day of action, every year on May 21, to remind the world of the impacts caused by the oil company in places such as the Ecuadorian Amazon, Myanmar, and the Bay Area. For the eighth consecutive year, a diverse coalition of groups calls upon the international community before Chevron's Annual General Meeting on May 26 so that together, in this global fight, we can combat impunity by corporations and secure recognition of the human rights violations against affected communities.
- [Steven Donziger Describes Contempt Case As a "Charade" As Trial Comes to a Close](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0517-steven-donziger-describes-contempt-case-as-a-charade-as-trial-comes-to-a-close) - As activists strive to hold fossil fuel companies responsible for their role in the climate crisis, there is growing popular recognition of the significance of Chevron's aggressive legal campaign against the environmental lawyer. But for the third time in the epic legal battle stemming from the pollution, the legal proceedings took place without a jury.
- [Colombian Civil Society Launch National Strike, Face Violent State Repression: Amazon Watch Statement](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0507-colombian-civil-society-launch-national-strike-face-violent-state-repression) - Amazon Watch expresses our solidarity with Colombian civil society and popular movements facing violent repression by state security forces, riot police (ESMAD), and the national army, since the national strike began on May 28. We are deeply concerned by reports of over 1,000 cases of violence, over 700 arbitrary arrests, at least 37 deaths, dozens of disappearances, and sexual assaults in the last week. While the tax reform which sparked the protests was revoked, Colombians continue to protest at great risk to their lives from violent state repression, "non-governmental" armed actors, and the 3rd wave of COVID-19.
- [Armed Conflict With Illegal Miners and Indigenous People Signals Risk of Imminent Massacre, According to Yanomami](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0511-armed-conflict-with-illegal-miners-and-indigenous-people-signals-risk-of-imminent-massacre-according-to-yanomami) - Brasilia, Brazil – Illegal miners in seven boats with weapons of different calibers attacked the Palimiú village within the Yanomami Indigenous Land, the largest in Brazil, yesterday in Roraima. The Yanomami struck back with arrows and shotguns. The actual number of injuries and possible deaths is not yet known.
- [Brazil's Bolsonaro Vowed to Work with Indigenous People. Now He's Investigating Them.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0504-brazils-bolsonaro-vowed-to-work-with-indigenous-people-now-hes-investigating-them) - The NGO Amazon Watch also slammed the Bolsonaro government for its "relentless attacks" on Indigenous peoples and the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest. "Funai was meant to protect Indigenous people, not to persecute Indigenous leaders who demand that their government fulfill their obligations to protect its people during a pandemic," said Brazil Program Director Ana Paula Vargas in a statement.
- [The Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Leader Sonia Guajajara Once Again Face Persecution by Bolsonaro](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0430-apib-and-sonia-guajajara-once-again-face-persecution-by-bolsonaro) - "Amazon Watch expresses complete support for our partner, a leader, and an example of the struggle for the rights of Indigenous peoples: Sonia Guajajara. We also extend our solidarity and support to APIB who tirelessly defend fundamental rights and democracy in Brazil against a government that today is known for its relentless attacks on Indigenous peoples and the destruction of the Amazon rainforest," said Ana Paula Vargas, Brazil Program Director of Amazon Watch.
- [Biden Listened to Civil Society and Chose the Amazon. It's Up to Us to Make Sure He Continues to Do So.](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0429-biden-listened-to-civil-society-and-chose-the-amazon) - We won a couple of battles in the last few days – and for that, we must celebrate – but the struggle to defend the Amazon rainforest and Indigenous peoples' rights continues. As we approach the next burning season in the Brazilian Amazon, we hope that Biden will call for accountability and leverage his new relationships to demand an end to the destruction. Otherwise, Biden will risk failing to reclaim the country's essential role as a leader on climate.
- [Rest in Power, María Taant](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0427-rest-in-power-maria-taant) - In our Indigenous worldviews, our grandmothers and grandfathers have taught us that when our people die, they return to the jungle...in other spirits, in other beings. In each encounter with María Taant, a Shuar leader from the Ecuadorian Amazon, she mentioned a boa that protected us. We heard what turned out to be her last song, in which she sang to us in Shuar: Kinkia Pangui nuachitjai, which means, "I am a boa woman."
- [United Nations Development Programme in Colombia Announces Agreement with Oil Company GeoPark](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0427-united-nations-development-programme-in-colombia-announces-agreement-with-oil-company-geopark) - "Partnerships between UN agencies and oil companies seriously undermine the United Nations’ moral authority on climate and environmental issues. But UNDP Colombia isn’t just partnering with your run-of-the-mill oil company polluting the Amazon Rainforest. In Colombia, the UNDP is working with GeoPark which local communities have consistently accused of collaborating with the Comando de la Frontera paramilitary group that is threatening their leaders – including Amnesty International priority case Jani Silva – with assassination."
- [U.S. Representatives to DOJ: Intervene in Case Against Donziger, Lawyer Who Helped Win Historic $9.5 Billion Judgment Against Chevron](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0427-us-reps-to-doj-intervene-in-case-against-lawyer-who-helped-win-judgment-against-chevron) - "Too often Indigenous and frontline communities are denied the justice they deserve after racist fossil fuel pollution and corporate violence put their lives and livelihoods at risk," said Congresswoman Cori Bush. "Steven Donziger's successful lawsuit on behalf of Indigenous communities in Ecuador was a remarkable exception. His bravery and brilliance will inspire others to fight back against corporate power. Chevron's subsequent attacks on him are a threat to safety, justice, and accountability."
- [Statement on Bolsonaro's Speech at the Leaders Summit on Climate](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0422-statement-on-bolsonaros-speech-at-the-leaders-climate-summit) - Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director of Amazon Watch made the following statement about Bolsonaro's speech: "Bolsonaro once again lied to the international community. He said he strengthened regulatory bodies to protect the environment, when in fact, he weakened them. Bolsonaro boasted about increasing the budget of these regulatory bodies when in fact, Ibama (Brazil's environmental agency) and FUNAI (the country's national Indigenous agency) were strangled financially by the Bolsonaro administration and prevented from taking action to stop deforestation and other threats to the Amazon rainforest.”
- [Request for Urgent Action for the Murder of Indigenous Governor Sandra Liliana Peña Choqué](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0421-request-for-urgent-action-for-the-murder-of-sandra-liliana-pena-choque) - On April 20th, Sandra Liliana Peña Choqué, governor of the La Laguna Reserve in Siberia of the Caldono municipality in the department of Cauca, was cowardly murdered in her home. Sandra Liliana emphatically led the assemblies and traditional authorities determined to self govern her ancestral territory which was gravely attacked by regular and irregular armed actors that attempted to gain control through strategies of displacement and other methods.
- [Leonardo DiCaprio, Katy Perry, Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, Rosario Dawson, Alyssa Milano, Joaquin Phoenix, Sônia Braga, Misha Collins, Caetano Veloso, and Gilberto Gil Among Celebrities Demanding Biden Not Broker Any Deals with Bolsonaro on the Amazon Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0420-actors-and-celebrities-demand-biden-not-deal-with-bolsonaro-on-the-amazon-rainforest) - Washington, D.C. – Leonardo DiCaprio, Katy Perry, Uzo Aduba, Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo, Rosario Dawson, Alyssa Milano, Orlando Bloom, Joaquin Phoenix, Sigourney Weaver, Misha Collins Sônia Braga, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Alice Braga, Wagner Moura, and Fernando Meirelles are among a growing list of international artists supporting demands from Brazil and the U.S. calling on Biden to choose: the Amazon rainforest or Bolsonaro.
- [Forced to Resist in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0415-forced-to-resist-in-the-peruvian-amazon) - A year has passed since the assassination of Indigenous Earth Defender Arbildo Meléndez, a leader of the Cacataibo people in the Peruvian Amazon. On Sunday, April 12, 2020, Arbildo went into the rainforest to hunt and never returned with food for his family. The next day his wife, Zulema Guevara, went searching for him and found his body. In between tears, she begged two young men nearby to help her carry him out of the rainforest. Zulema has been demanding justice for her husband Arbildo ever since.
- [Statement on Natixis Policy to Halt Trade Financing of Ecuadorian Amazon Crude Oil by April 2022](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0416-natixis-policy-to-halt-trade-financing-of-ecuadorian-amazon-crude-oil-by-april-2022) - French corporate and investment bank Natixis published a commitment to end trade financing in Ecuadorian crude oil. While joining a growing list of banks making Amazon statements this year, the announcement marks Natixis as the only bank to update its policy to officially include all Ecuadorian oil and gas in its list of exclusions, after a groundbreaking report by Stand.earth and Amazon Watch in 2020 exposed $10 billion USD in trade financing by European banks.
- [Indigenous Peoples Fight for Justice a Year After Devastating Oil Spill](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0408-indigenous-peoples-fight-for-justice-a-year-after-devastating-oil-spill) - Hundreds of Ecuadorian Indigenous people took to the streets of the Amazonian town of Coca yesterday to demand justice for the ongoing impacts of the country's largest oil spill in recent history. Amazon Watch’s team in Ecuador, alongside coalition partners, has been leading advocacy campaigns and maintaining pressure on the government and big banks financing the trade of this toxic commodity. The team is also supporting the communities seeking justice through technical assistance and legal strategy for the lawsuit, providing media support, and direct funding to affected communities.
- [Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Demand Justice One Year After Ecuador Oil Spill](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0407-amazonian-indigenous-peoples-demand-justice-one-year-after-ecuador-oil-spill) - Coca, Ecuador – This morning, hundreds of Indigenous Kichwa people from the Ecuadorian Amazon marched through the city of Coca to mark one year since the country’s largest oil spill in recent history. On April 7, 2020, 672,000 gallons of crude oil and fuel spilled from the country’s two major pipelines, the OCP and SOTE operated by the OCP Consortium and Petroecuador respectively, contaminating the Coca and Napo rivers, and their source of water and food. There has not been full remediation nor redress for local communities.
- [Deal with Bolsonaro Would Condone Brazil’s Tragedy, NGOs Tell Biden](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0406-deal-with-bolsonaro-would-condone-brazils-tragedy-ngos-tell-biden) - Brasilia, Brazil – A group of 199 Brazilian civil society organizations released today a letter to the U.S. government warning that a forthcoming cooperation deal between the United States and the Bolsonaro administration could bring risks for the environment, human rights, and democracy.
- [Frontline Activists from Around the World Escalate Pressure on BlackRock](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0406-frontline-activists-from-around-the-world-escalate-pressure-on-blackrock) - BlackRock’s new announcements recognizing the need to reach near-zero-emissions are a step in the right direction that comes after years of campaigning by Indigenous leaders and civil society organizations, but without clear accountability measures, they remain empty promises.
- [U.S. Representatives to Biden Administration: Speak Up for Indigenous Rights in the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0329-us-representatives-to-biden-administration-speak-up-for-indigenous-rights-in-the-brazilian-amazon) - Washington, DC - The Biden Administration should express concern to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro about the explosive situation facing the Munduruku Indigenous people in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, 12 members of the U.S. House of Representatives said today in a letter to U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Todd Chapman, led by Rep Raúl Grijalva (Arizona).
- [The Ongoing Persecution of Steven Donziger](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0330-the-ongoing-persecution-of-steven-donziger) - Chevron's strategy could be backfiring. Over the past few months, a global movement has grown to defend Donziger and his Ecuadorean clients. Some 55 Nobel Prize winners signed a letter defending Donziger; 475 lawyers and human rights defenders released a similar appeal. A blue-ribbon legal Monitoring Committee is closely following Donziger's case; the group includes Nadine Strossen, the former head of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Michael Tigar, the distinguished defense attorney and human rights activist.
- [Our Voice Is Our Power](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1126-our-voice-is-our-power) - Indigenous women in the Amazon have been at the forefront of the fight against climate change and the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, and today we are stepping up into new leadership roles, successfully forcing out extractive industries and companies from our sacred territories.
- [Bolsonaro's Disingenuous Charm Offensive in Washington](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0318-bolsonaros-disingenuous-charm-offensive-in-washington) - What does Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro – dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics" – do now that Donald Trump no longer occupies the White House? Steadfastly loyal to Trump, Bolsonaro was one of the last heads of state to recognize Joe Biden's victory. Now, Bolsonaro's diplomatic agents have launched a PR campaign in light of this new political reality in Washington, D.C. in an attempt to curry favor with the incoming administration.
- [Statement on Monitoring Illegal Mining Activities Along Our Baunilha Stream: "We Are Not Standing Idly by!"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0305-statement-on-monitoring-illegal-mining-activities-along-our-baunilha-stream) - We are fighting as our ancestors fought for the demarcation of our land – they walked without tiring, and so we will fight tirelessly. This stream belongs to us. This territory belongs to us. The pariwat say that the Munduruku have no spirits any longer – they only have traders. Only we do have the spirits of our ancestors with us, and we are resisting because our ancestors also resisted – this is how we will preserve our future generations.
- [Statement on Monitoring Illegal Mining Activities in Our Baunilha Stream](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0321-statement-on-monitoring-illegal-mining-activities-in-our-baunilha-stream) - We urgently demand that government agencies comply with their constitutional duties. If something happens to our people, we blame the Brazilian government. Even after receiving numerous reports of invasions and destruction of our territory in the middle of a pandemic, it fails to act and allows our people to be killed at the hands of a heavily armed criminal gang, associated with a few Indigenous individuals involved in mining activities.
- [Attack on Brazilian Indigenous Women's Association Signals Dangerous Escalation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0326-attack-on-brazilian-indigenous-womens-association-signals-dangerous-escalation) - Jacareacanga, Pará, Brazil – The Munduruku people of the Amazon's upper Tapajós valley are facing escalating threats by armed illegal "wildcat" miners, known as garimpeiros. Yesterday, the Wakoborun Association office in Jacareacanga, Pará state, was attacked, burned, and defaced. The violence occurred shortly after a protest organized by garimpeiros, who also made death threats to Indigenous women who are opposed to mining.
- [Indigenous Leaders and Goldman Prize Recipients Send Open Letter Demanding BlackRock Act on Deforestation and Human Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0323-indigenous-leaders-and-goldman-recipients-send-open-letter-to-blackrock-on-deforestation) - San Francisco, CA – Today, over 80 renowned Indigenous and frontline activists from around the world issued a public letter criticizing BlackRock's role in violating the land rights and human rights of Indigenous peoples and other traditional communities. The signatories, including several recipients of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, point to BlackRock's continued large-scale investments in fossil fuel and deforestation-linked companies that violate human rights, and demand that the asset manager cease these investments.
- [BlackRock Must Commit to Indigenous Rights – Not Just Climate Change](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0319-blackrock-must-commit-to-indigenous-rights-not-just-climate-change) - "In Brazil the operations of corporations like the ones we mention above, into which BlackRock directs substantial investments on behalf of clients, have profound negative impacts on our communities, our forests, and the climate," APIB wrote. "You therefore have a responsibility for our future. And if the Amazon is destroyed, the future of the entire planet is at risk."
- ["I've Been Targeted With Probably the Most Vicious Corporate Counterattack in American History"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0318-ive-been-targeted-with-probably-the-most-vicious-corporate-counterattack-in-american-history) - Donziger is a human rights lawyer who, for more than 27 years, has represented the Indigenous peoples and rural farmers of Ecuador against Texaco – since acquired by Chevron – which was accused of dumping at least 16 billion gallons of toxic waste into the area of the Amazon rainforest in which they live. Cancer is now highly prevalent in the local population. Some have called it the "Amazon Chernobyl." They first filed suit in New York in 1993, but Texaco lobbied, successfully, to move the proceedings to Ecuador. In 2011, the team of Ecuadorian lawyers Donziger worked with won the case, and Chevron was ultimately ordered to pay $9.8 billion.
- [A Community-Centered Response to Violence Against Asian American Communities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0318-a-community-centered-response-to-violence-against-asian-american-communities) - On March 16, eight people were killed at three different spas in North Georgia including six Asian women. We are heartbroken by these murders, which come at a time when Asian American communities are already grappling with the traumatic violence against Asian Americans nationwide, fueled by the United States’ long history of white supremacy, systemic racism, and gender-based violence.
- [BlackRock to Press Companies on Human Rights and Nature](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0317-blackrock-to-press-companies-on-human-rights-and-nature) - Environmental group Amazon Watch welcomed BlackRock's moves but said they didn't go far enough. BlackRock failed to identify transparent expectations, time lines and consequences for company inaction on these issues, according to Moira Birss, Amazon Watch's Climate and Finance Director. "BlackRock should adopt a definitive no-deforestation and human rights policy with clear accountability mechanisms that result in concrete improvements for communities, ecosystems, and the planet," Birss said.
- [Ecuador Court Orders End to Gas Flaring by Oil Industry in Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0309-ecuador-court-orders-end-to-gas-flaring-by-oil-industry-in-amazon) - "I'm very happy because, finally, justice has been served. We're going to restore nature, for all the sick children, for the people, for the parents who have fought to stay healthy, for the families that have also kept fighting if only to grow a few crops, for the families who live under the flares and have had to abandon their land," says 10-year-old Leonela Moncayo.
- [Brazilian Government Authorizes In-person Meeting Between Mining Company Belo Sun and Indigenous Peoples Impacted by Its Proposed Project](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0312-brazilian-government-authorizes-in-person-meeting-between-mining-company-belo-sun-and-indigenous-peoples-impacted-by-its-proposed-project) - Pará, Brazil – In a white paper published on February 10, 2021, the Brazilian National Indigenous Foundation provided details on "health protocols" so that Canadian mining company, Belo Sun, can hold meetings to present and validate its Environmental Impact Study to Indigenous residents from the Indigenous Lands located in Pará state – Arara da Volta Grande do Xingu and Paquiçamba – in-person and virtually.
- [A Mistake or Cunning Strategy? We Demand Answers from Anglo American!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0311-a-mistake-or-cunning-strategy-we-demand-answers-from-anglo-american) - Anglo American is once again evading explanations for its intentions to mine on Indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon. On November 20, 2020, Anglo American stated that it had given up all applications for mining exploration inside Indigenous lands in Brazil. Following the release of the Complicity in Destruction III report by the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples and Amazon Watch, the company said it would contact the Brazilian Mining Agency (ANM) to update its applications.
- [Women Defenders Unite to Protect the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0309-women-defenders-unite-to-protect-the-amazon) - Across the Amazon Basin, Indigenous women are uniting and organizing in defense of life, rights, and territories while confronting increasing threats. Amazonian women defenders are on the front lines of defense and response to both the climate and COVID-19 emergencies. This is in addition to leading resistance against extractive industries, agribusiness expansion, and government policies that incentivize fires, land-grabbing, and attacks against Earth defenders. Amazonian women defenders are guiding solutions for a better future and call upon all of us to listen to their voices and show our solidarity.
- [The Right to Live in Peace in the Peruvian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0305-the-right-to-live-in-peace-in-the-peruvian-amazon) - Over the last seven years the Indigenous community of Unipacuyacu – inhabited by members of the Kakataibo people within the central region of the Peruvian Amazon – has lost five of their people at the hands of land-grabbers, who are linked to drug networks. This is the price they have paid for not ending their pursuit to secure legal titles for their ancestral territories.
- [Overt Racism Fuels Chevron's Big Lie](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0309-overt-racism-fuels-chevrons-big-lie) - First, let’s acknowledge that it is extremely detrimental to the ongoing effort for justice for the people of Ecuador that the press routinely ignores that Chevron admitted to deliberately dumping over 16 billion gallons of toxic oil-waste into the Amazon as a cost-saving measure over the course of decades while operating under its Texaco brand. It never once apologized nor made any meaningful effort to clean up that toxic waste nor assist any of the people it poisoned. Full stop.
- [Justice for Isac Tembé!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0219-justice-for-isac-tembe) - Last Friday, February 12th, Isac Tembé left his home on the Alto Rio Guama Indigenous Territory, in the northeast of the Amazonian state of Pará, to go hunting nearby with a group of friends. He never returned. The young Indigenous leader was murdered; shot point-blank in the chest by a member of Brazil's military police, on his own land.
- [International Organizations Demand DOJ Review Chevron's Retaliatory Litigation Against Human Rights Attorney Steven Donziger](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0217-international-organizations-demand-doj-review-chevron-litigation-against-donziger) - Thirteen international human rights and environmental watchdog organizations sent an open letter to the U.S. Department of Justice asking it to launch a high-level review of the retaliatory "SLAPP" lawsuits Chevron brought against the lawyer who helped 30,000 Indigenous peoples and farmer communities in Ecuador win a landmark $9.5 billion judgment against the company for massive oil pollution.
- [Mining Company Anglo American States It Does Not Rule Out Mining on Indigenous Lands in the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0209-mining-company-anglo-american-states-it-does-not-rule-out-mining-on-indigenous-lands-in-the-brazilian-amazon) - British mining company Anglo American responded to the open letter from the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples (APIB) and Amazon Watch, in which the organizations demanded that the mining company make a public commitment not to carry out mining activities on Indigenous lands in Brazil, regardless of changes to Brazilian legislation. In its response, Anglo American states: "We cannot make a commitment to rule out any mining activities on Indigenous Lands in Brazil."
- [Indigenous Organizations and Human Rights Organizations Respond to PetroEcuador Statement on End to Trade Financing of Oil from the Ecuadorian Amazon by European Banks](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0203-indigenous-organizations-and-human-rights-organizations-respond-to-petroecuador-statement) - Quito, Ecuador – Indigenous Organizations and Human Rights Organizations celebrate the decision of the four European banks to exclude Ecuadorian oil trade from their financing portfolios. This crude is extracted from the Amazon and primarily destined for refineries in the U.S. These decisions recognize that in Ecuador, oil companies and the government fail to comply with international environmental and social policies and standards and violate human rights and the rights of nature in the Amazon – one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.
- [COVID-19 Threatens the Future of the Amazon and Its Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0202-covid-19-threatens-the-future-of-the-amazon-and-its-peoples) - Due to the inaction and discrimination by Amazonian governments, Indigenous peoples have called upon international allies to show solidarity at this critical moment to protect Indigenous rights and lives. They have called on allies – including Amazon Watch – to unite and work together to raise awareness and solidarity funding to ensure medicine, oxygen tanks, logistics, and communication channels are available to serve the most vulnerable populations.
- [Ecuadorian Court Signals End to Gas Flaring in Amazon Oil Operations](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0129-ecuadorian-court-signals-end-to-gas-flaring-in-amazon-oil-operations) - Quito, Ecuador – Ecuadorian judges ruled this week in favor of nine girls who sued the government over rights violations from the oil industry practice of gas flaring at oil production sites in the country's Amazon region.
- [Ecuadorian Amazon: Three European Banks Stop Funding Trade of Oil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0125-ecuadorian-amazon-three-european-banks-stop-funding-trade-of-oil) - Marlon Vargas, president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon, believes "the decision of these banks to stop financing trade of Amazon crude from our territories is a major milestone in our effort to protect our lands, our lives, and our cultures. For too long, the oil industry has wreaked havoc on our peoples, violated our rights, felled our forests, taken our territories, and created climate chaos."
- [COVID-19: Indigenous Amazonian Leaders Denounce Inequitable Access to the Vaccine and Premeditated Inaction of Governments in the Face of the New Strain of Coronavirus in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0126-covid-19-indigenous-amazonian-leaders-denounce-inequitable-access-to-the-vaccine) - Quito, Ecuador – Leaders of the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) denounced discriminatory policies regarding the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and accused governments in the region of not responding to the needs of Indigenous peoples in the face of the spreading Brazilian strain of the virus. COICA has issued a call for action to the international community to support raising humanitarian funds and rapidly responding to the crisis given government inaction.
- [BlackRock's Big Problem Responds to Larry Fink's 2021 Letters](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0126-blackrocks-big-problem-responds-to-larry-finks-2021-letters) - Oakland, CA – Today, BlackRock released CEO Larry Fink's annual letter to CEOs as well as a letter to its clients. The letters spelled out the next steps the world's largest asset manager will be taking to address the climate crisis. While today's letters indicated several steps in the right direction for the financial giant, it falls short of the visionary financial leadership that is needed to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis.
- [European Lenders Exit Amazon Oil Trade After Scrutiny by Campaigners](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0124-european-lenders-exit-amazon-oil-trade-after-scrutiny-by-campaigners) - Credit Suisse, Dutch lender ING and France's BNP Paribas have decided to stop financing the trade in crude oil from Ecuador, the banks said on Monday, following pressure from campaigners aiming to protect the Amazon rainforest. The role of European lenders in backing the trade came under scrutiny in August, when a report by advocacy groups Stand.earth and Amazon Watch named six European banks as major financiers of Ecuadorean oil exports to U.S. refineries.
- [European Banks Quit Ecuador's Amazonian Oil Trade](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0125-european-banks-quit-ecuadors-amazonian-oil-trade) - "The banks identified in our report faced serious allegations of double standards for making climate pledges while continuing to finance the trade of Amazon oil," said Moira Birss, climate and finance director at Amazon Watch.
- [BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, ING to Exclude Exports of Ecuadorian Amazon Oil from Trading Activities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0125-bnp-paribas-credit-suisse-ing-to-exclude-exports-of-ecuadorian-amazon-oil) - Geneva, Switzerland – European banks BNP Paribas Group, Credit Suisse, and ING – collectively responsible for financing the trade of $5.5 billion USD in Amazon oil to the U.S. since 2009 – have committed to the immediate exclusion of new Ecuadorian Amazon oil from their trading activities, in emails sent to environmental organizations Stand.earth and Amazon Watch. The banks are expected to roll out binding policies in the coming months, with BNP Paribas already posting its commitment on its website.
- [In "Dire" Plea, Brazil's Amazonas State Appeals for Global COVID Assistance](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0121-in-dire-plea-brazils-amazonas-state-appeals-for-global-covid-assistance) - "[W]e ask for your support in the midst of this emergency fight against COVID-19 in our state. The situation is dire, and our fear is that the same situation we are seeing in the capital Manaus will reach the inland of Amazonas, the traditional and indigenous populations that are in situation of greater vulnerability because of the distance and logistics involved in deploying rapid responses during this crisis."
- [The U.S. Rejoining the Paris Agreement Must Be Accompanied by the Protection of the Rights of Indigenous Earth Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0120-us-rejoining-the-paris-agreement-must-include-protection-of-indigenous-earth-defenders) - Andrew Miller, Amazon Watch's Advocacy Director, made the following statement on the occasion of the U.S. re-joining the Paris Agreement: "The Biden-Harris Administration's decision that the United States will re-join the Paris Agreement is an encouraging first step toward the fulfillment of its commitment to address the climate crisis. Among many urgent domestic and international
- [Brazilian Indigenous Leaders Issue Call for BlackRock to Adopt a Forests and Indigenous Rights Policy](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0111-brazilian-indigenous-leaders-issue-call-for-blackrock-to-adopt-a-forests-and-indigenous-rights-policy) - The Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples sent an open letter to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, calling on the asset management firm to adopt a comprehensive Forests and Indigenous Rights policy. The letter comes days before the expected release of Fink's annual letter, in which he often announces policy changes at the companies BlackRock invests in and will announce a recent pledge from BlackRock to further clarify its approach to deforestation.
- [Brazil Alters Indigenous Land Demarcation Process, Sparking Conflict](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2017/0210-brazil-alters-indigenous-land-demarcation-process-sparking-conflict) - With the issuance of a federal decree in mid-January, Brazil's government announced major changes to the procedure by which it formally demarcates indigenous lands – a move applauded by the ruralistas industrial agriculture lobby and large landowners, but greeted with alarm by indigenous land rights activists.
- [Crude Politics: Is Chevron Involved in a Billion Dollar Bait-and-Switch in Ecuador?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2011/1221-crude-politics-is-chevron-involved-in-a-billion-dollar-bait-and-switch-in-ecuador) - With Chevron running out of legal options to avoid its $18 billion liability in Ecuador, the company may be taking corporate malfeasance and greenwashing to a whole new level.
- [Defend Democracy! Denounce White Supremacy!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0107-defend-democracy-denounce-white-supremacy) - At Amazon Watch, we are deeply disturbed by the violence that threatened democracy and the peaceful transfer of power in the United States of America yesterday. As an international human rights and environmental organization based in the U.S., Amazon Watch denounces the white supremacist violence and attempted coup at the United States Capitol, incited by the President and some of his supporters in Congress. We support calls for urgent and immediate action, including the removal of President Trump from office.
- [The Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples (APIB) Denounces Mining Giant Anglo American's Intention to Prospect in Amazonian Indigenous Territories](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2021/0105-apib-denounces-anglo-americans-intention-to-prospect-in-amazonian-indigenous-territories) - The Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples and Amazon Watch issued a letter to mining giant Anglo American calling on it to make a public commitment not to conduct mining activities on Indigenous lands in Brazil, regardless of changes in Brazilian legislation.
- [Resisting Another Record-Breaking Year of Deforestation and Destruction in the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1210-resisting-another-record-breaking-year-of-deforestation-and-destruction-in-the-brazilian-amazon) - Over the past year, Bolsonaro's government failed once again to present a plan to curb deforestation and instead further emboldened land grabbers to destroy the rainforest. Evidence points to the greatest loss of trees in the Brazilian Amazon since 2008. The destruction of the Amazon is linked to Indigenous rights violations and conflicts on Indigenous territories. This International Human Rights Day, we call on the world to fight for Indigenous rights and self-determination. Our ability to protect the Amazon and our climate depend on it.
- [Together We Stepped Up for the Amazon in 2020!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1228-together-we-stepped-up-for-the-amazon-in-2020) - 2020 was defined by fundamental challenges and transformations. We've all had to adapt and create a new way of living and connecting. Most of us could have never imagined that caring for one another would involve so much isolation. It has become commonplace to call these times unprecedented, but Indigenous peoples had already warned us that destroying Mother Earth would have devastating consequences on our lives. More specifically, they told us that deforestation could unleash diseases that we've never known of. They showed us that pandemics and the destruction of the world's rainforests are interconnected and that we must act now if we are to avoid future crises for humanity and the planet.
- [Letter from the Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples and Amazon Watch to Anglo American](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1222-letter-from-apib-and-amazon-watch-to-anglo-american) - We invite Anglo American to make a public commitment to refrain from carrying out any mining activities on Indigenous lands in Brazil, regardless of changes in Brazilian legislation, in line with its human rights and biodiversity protection commitments, in particular the Declaration of ICMM's position on Mining and Protected Areas.
- [What Do You Get When You Beat Chevron in Court? 500 Days of Home Detention](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1222-what-do-you-get-when-you-beat-chevron-in-court-500-days-of-home-detention) - "As my physical world has shrunk, the online world has expanded by multiples of thousands. And once I get through this, I have no doubt that Chevron will be paying this judgment such that thousands of Indigenous people and rural communities will have a clean environment and thousands of lives will be saved. That's what this is ultimately about."
- [Complicity in Destruction III](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1027-complicity-in-destruction-iii) - New report by @amazonwatch & @ApibOficial reveals that 6 U.S. firms invested $18 billion in companies destroying the Amazon rainforest. @blackrock @vanguardgroup @jpmorgan @bankofamerica @citi #DimensionalFundAdvisors #ComplicityInDestruction
- [The Shuar Arutam Will Not Be Deterred and Have Already Decided: No Mining!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1208-the-shuar-arutam-will-not-be-deterred-and-have-already-decided-no-mining) - "The mining companies are dividing our organization. They are harassing the leaders of the PSHA who oppose mining projects. For this reason, we are exercising our right to self-determination. We have decided not to allow large-scale mining projects in our territory. We demand that the concessions that have been granted in our territory without our knowledge be canceled."
- [Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon Spikes to 12-Year High](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1130-deforestation-in-brazilian-amazon-spikes-to-12-year-high) - "The unchecked destruction of the Brazilian Amazon under the Bolsonaro regime threatens not only the future of the forest, but our collective future as well. In today's vast levels of deforestation, we see the fruition of Bolsonaro's disastrous agenda. Environmental crime runs rampant as state environmental agencies are laid to waste. Every square mile of forest loss pushes the Amazon and the global climate closer to an irreversible tipping point."
- [Amazon Watch Testifies to U.S. Congress on Indigenous Rights in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1120-amazon-watch-testifies-to-us-congress-on-indigenous-rights-in-the-amazon) - Amazon Watch's Executive Director, Leila Salazar-López, joined allied human rights organizations to testify today to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on the status of the human rights of Indigenous peoples in the Americas. She spoke specifically to the situation of Indigenous rights in the Amazon Basin.
- [U.N. Lambasts Latin America for Abusing Indigenous Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2018/0111-un-lambasts-latin-america-for-abusing-indigenous-rights) - "Criminalization is really about using the justice system to stop indigenous peoples from pursing their own activities and their own actions against projects that are destructive to them."
- [Manufacturing Consent: Ecuador to Draft New Bill on the Consultation of Indigenous Peoples, Without Consulting Them](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1118-manufacturing-consent-ecuador-to-draft-new-fpic-bill-without-indigenous-consultation) - "We demand that an FPIC law be put forth in harmony with and respect for our peoples and nations and our ways and time frames for discussion, analysis, and decision-making. We are not going to acquiesce to an illegitimate law written from their desks in Quito," said a CONFENIAE statement. "Since this will be a law regarding the collective rights of Indigenous peoples and nations, we ourselves must be the ones who put forth and define that law. Any law that sidesteps dialogue with us will not be valid and will not be enforceable in the territories of the Indigenous peoples and nations."
- [Will President-elect Biden Protect the Amazon and Stop the Money Pipeline?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1113-will-president-elect-biden-protect-the-amazon-and-stop-the-money-pipeline) - President-elect Joe Biden managed to turn out a significant progressive base to secure the 2020 presidential election. For many voters, his commitments to address environmental and racial justice after several years of actions, protests and calls from activists led to grassroots mobilizations that delivered the presidency and a few flipped states to the democratic party. With this mandate, a Biden-Harris administration should take bold steps to address the causes of climate change and its impacts on frontline communities both here in the U.S. and in places like the Amazon, where U.S. companies operate and provide financing.
- [Protecting the Amazon Rainforest Crucial to Climate Success for President-elect Biden](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1107-protecting-the-amazon-rainforest-crucial-to-climate-success-for-president-elect-biden) - "The political and economic interests behind the destruction of the Amazon rainforest – including Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro – are losing a powerful ally with Trump’s election defeat. This is unequivocally good news for the rainforest and her peoples, which are under a sustained assault," said Leila Salazar-López, Amazon Watch Executive Director.
- [Statement on Violence and Deprivation of Freedom Against Forest Defender Salomé Aranda](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1030-statement-on-violence-and-deprivation-of-freedom-against-forest-defender-salome-aranda) - As the network of Amazonian Women, we express our total rejection of violence and deprivation of liberty that Salomé Aranda – our sister, leader, and defender of the Amazon rainforest – is suffering. We demand her immediate release and that a transparent investigation be carried out on the situation of systematic violence that our sister has experienced at the hands of her partner.
- [American Financiers Invested More Than US$18 Billion in Companies Linked to Indigenous Rights Violations in the Brazilian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1027-american-financiers-invested-billion-in-companies-linked-to-indigenous-rights-violations) - Brasília, Brazil and Oakland, USA – U.S.-based financial institutions play a key role in enabling the destructive actions of companies linked to violations of Indigenous rights and conflicts in Indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon, according to a new report published today by the Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples (APIB) and Amazon Watch.
- [Amazon Fires Mapping: Exposing the Destruction with Data](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1022-amazon-fires-mapping-exposing-the-destruction-with-data) - Bolsonaro and his henchmen would have us believe that "the Amazon doesn't catch fire," "the Amazon isn't burning," or even that "Africa is burning much more than Brazil." Yet these flimsy arguments cannot withstand the accurate documentation of how this year's heartbreaking burning season has laid waste to Brazilian ecosystems while incinerating the country's once-touted environmental credentials along with the credibility of its so-called leaders.
- [In the U.S. Elections, the Amazon Rainforest Is Also on the Ballot](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1020-in-the-u-s-elections-the-amazon-rainforest-is-also-on-the-ballot) - This election in the United States could well be the most consequential of our lifetimes. Racial justice issues are on the ballot. Climate change is on the ballot. The future of the American democratic experiment – as flawed as it has been – is on the ballot. And yes, the Amazon rainforest is also on the ballot.
- [Amazonian Indigenous Leader Alessandra Korap Munduruku Wins RFK Human Rights Award](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1014-amazonian-indigenous-leader-wins-rfk-human-rights-award) - Washington, D.C. – Alessandra Korap Munduruku, a prominent Indigenous community leader from the Brazilian Amazon, will be recognized with the annual RFK Human Rights Award on Thursday, October 22nd. This global recognition comes among mounting threats targeting her and the Munduruku community, driven by illegal miners, loggers, and land grabbers, in a climate of impunity explicitly encouraged by the Bolsonaro government.
- [Thousands of Indigenous People in the Ecuadorian Amazon in Urgent Need After Extreme Floods](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/0318-thousands-of-indigenous-people-in-the-ecuadorian-amazon-in-urgent-need-after-extreme-floods) - As Indigenous peoples prepare for COVID-19, historic storms in the Ecuadorian Amazon have caused rivers to rise and have flooded communities including Sarayaku, Pacayaku, and Teresa Mama on the Bobonaza River. This has led to the collapse of bridges and destruction of homes, schools, and gardens to grow food and medicine.
- [Overflight Uncovers Environmental Destruction of Munduruku Indigenous Territory](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1009-overflight-uncovers-environmental-destruction-of-munduruku-indigenous-territory) - On September 17, Amazônia Real, in partnership with Amazon Watch, witnessed this attack on the rainforest, Indigenous peoples, smallholder farmers, and biodiversity from up above during a flyover. From the sky, smoke from the fires obscures the environmental destruction on the ground – a combination of extensive deforested areas, pasture farms, and vast illegal mining sites. These activities cause a ripple-effect of ecological damage, from the pollution of rivers, worsening health conditions, to an increase in social conflicts.
- [The Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples Receives Letelier-Moffit Human Rights Award](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1001-apib-receives-letelier-moffit-human-rights-award) - International awardee APIB is a collective movement of indigenous populations across Brazil. Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's politics are threatening to the well-being of Brazil's Indigenous, Afro-descendant, women and LGBTQ+ population, in addition to the health of the Amazon Rainforest and the planet. APIB represents the strongest Indigenous political force in Brazil today.
- [A Hopeful Message from the Future from Gael García Bernal and Emma Thompson](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1001-a-hopeful-message-from-the-future-from-gael-garcia-bernal-and-emma-thompson) - Our planet is on fire and we cannot breathe. From the criminal arson ravaging the Amazon rainforest for profit to the wildfires raging on the West Coast of the United States due to escalating climate chaos, our planet and communities are under attack. These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of broken systems that perpetuate the destruction of the environment, place profit over people, and enable systemic racism. We must unite our calls and movements to protect the Amazon, defend Indigenous rights, and demand racial and climate justice.
- [The Amazon's Frontline Defenders Are Under Siege. Where Are Their Reinforcements?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1006-the-amazons-frontline-defenders-are-under-siege-where-are-their-reinforcements) - Like in the United States, President Bolsonaro of Brazil's incendiary language discredits and all but sanctions persecution of select minority groups. In his address to the UN Assembly last month, Bolsonaro implicated "Brazilians of indigenous ancestry" for the Amazon's raging fires and deforestation. The previous year, he singled out Chief Raoni, memorably maligning him from the UN floor.
- [Can Our Culture Survive Climate Change?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1002-can-our-culture-survive-climate-change) - Our lives are inextricable from the natural world. The creatures of the rainforest protect us, and in turn we protect them. We are the only buffers protecting our thinning forests. Our battle is not just for the future. It's for the present.
- [Artists, Activists, and Storytellers Join Forces to Release a Hopeful New Animated Short Film](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2020/1001-artists-activists-and-storytellers-join-forces-to-release-a-hopeful-new-animated-short-film) - Oakland, CA – At a time when everyday life feels like an apocalyptic Hollywood movie, a new animated short film Message from the Future II: The Years of Repair imagines a future in which we emerge from our current crises to build back a better society. Produced by The Leap and The Intercept, the nine-minute film launched online today including a high-profile cast of narrators: Opal Tometi, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Emma Thompson, actress and writer, Gael García Bernal, actor and activist, and Nigerian poet and activist Nnimmo Bassey.
- [Tired of Superheroes? Here Are Some Movies With Real Heroes Fighting for Our Future](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/1209-tired-of-superheroes-here-are-some-movies-with-real-heroes-fighting-for-our-future) - Check out one of the stunning new films recently released about the Amazon and the heroic environmental defenders protecting it and defending us from climate change.
- ["Yes, I Lied": Vindicating Villagers, Star Chevron Witness Busted for Perjury](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1028-yes-i-lied-vindicating-villagers-star-chevron-witness-busted-for-perjury) - In what is being called "a dramatic turn" in a protracted legal battle, documents publicized Monday reveal that the star witness in a case pitting rainforest villagers against a multinational oil giant has admitted to lying under oath in an effort to help Chevron avoid paying a $9.5 billion judgment for deliberate pollution of the Ecuadorian Amazon.
- [This Epic Environmental Lawsuit Just Got a Bit More Complicated](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1106-this-epic-environmental-lawsuit-just-got-a-bit-more-complicated) - During the tribunal, Chevron's key witness admitted that there is no evidence to corroborate allegations that he received bribes or that he acted as a ghostwriter in the judgment against Chevron. He also conceded, in cross-examination, that elements of his sworn testimony were exaggerated and, in other cases, simply false.
- [Amazon Rainforest Defense Now Part of Activists' Global Strategy to Defeat Fossil Fuel Industry](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1029-amazon-rainforest-defense-now-part-of-activists-global-strategy-to-defeat-fossil-fuel-industry) - The fate of the world's climate and the Amazon Rainforest are intertwined. That was the message brought by Amazon Watch founder and board president Atossa Soltani to a session of the annual Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, CA on October 23rd.
- [Ecuador's Oil Polarizes the Country](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1028-ecuadors-oil-polarizes-the-country) - Oil is one of Ecuador’s most controversial and polarizing topics. On one hand the country is dependent on oil for income, while on the other, oil drilling is a perceived threat to livelihoods in communities where drilling ensues. Testimony given before an international tribunal released Monday, calls into question the legitimacy of Chevron’s star witness in a two-decade long legal battle over oil contamination in the Ecuadorean Amazon.
- [Fierce Determination: Learning from an Indigenous Woman Warrior](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1106-fierce-determination-learning-from-an-indigenous-woman-warrior) - "The land is for the people who are living in the rainforest...My territory is already contaminated. How can I back down? How will my children live a healthy life? How will future generations live?"
- [A New Amazon Highway Threatens Some of the Rainforest's Last Uncontacted Tribes](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1112-a-new-amazon-highway-threatens-some-of-the-rainforests-last-uncontacted-tribes) - Peru’s congress took a landmark vote that potentially compromises Manu National Park, the country’s most famous Amazonian protected area, and the neighboring Amarakaeri Indigenous Reserve, home to some of the last uncontacted tribes anywhere in the world. But the regional authorities aren’t waiting: Construction is already underway, even without the necessary environmental impact study or other permits.
- [Can the Paris Talks Save the Amazon?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1119-can-the-paris-talks-save-the-amazon) - With tens of thousands of climate officials converging on Paris at the end of the month to seek an international agreement on global warming, environmentalists are reviving a controversial plan to protect a pristine stretch of the Amazon's Yasuni National Park, which teems with biodiversity and is home to tribes living in voluntary isolation.
- [Solidarity for Victims of Violence in Beirut and Paris](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1117-solidarity-for-victims-of-violence-in-beirut-and-paris) - Our hearts go out to all the victims of the violent attacks in Beirut and Paris last week, to their loved ones and all those in the path of violence in response to these attacks. We condemn these acts of senseless violence.
- [Brazil Authorizes Operation of the Belo Monte Dam, Disregarding the Rights of Affected Communities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1125-brazil-authorizes-operation-of-the-belo-monte-dam) - Altamira, Brazil – The Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) today authorized the Belo Monte Dam’s operating license, which allows the dam's reservoirs to be filled.
- [From North Dakota to Paris With Love](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1125-from-north-dakota-to-paris-with-love) - The declaration makes several demands of governments: the end of subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, that the wealthier countries of the world promise to fund a "just transition to a clean and renewable energy economy for all" and, most importantly, that fossil fuels be kept in the ground by ending exploration and new extraction. The goal, explains Andrew Miller of the San Francisco–based Amazon Watch, is to change the discourse at the COP – most of the climate-related commitments countries have made to date have focused largely on the consumption side of the fossil fuel problem, continuing to ignore the critical production and supply sides.
- [Peru's Lawmakers Continue To Block Titling for Indigenous Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1121-perus-lawmakers-continue-to-block-titling-for-indigenous-peoples) - Indigenous communities in Peru must clear 27 bureaucratic hurdles to obtain official recognition and formal land titles, a costly process that can take more than a decade, while concessionaires face between three and seven bureaucratic steps, depending on whether they seek permits for logging or mining, and can obtain their paperwork in less than a year, according to a new study released today at an event in Paris.
- [Why a Paris Climate Treaty Needs To Protect the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1203-why-a-paris-climate-treaty-needs-to-protect-the-amazon) - As negotiators butt heads in Paris over the fine print of a new United Nations climate treaty, one issue they will need to address urgently is the fate of the Amazon.
- [10 Reasons Why Climate Initiatives Should Not Include Large Hydropower Projects](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1202-10-reasons-why-climate-initiatives-should-not-include-large-hydropower-projects) - Support from climate initiatives is one of the reasons why more than 3,700 hydropower dams are currently under construction and in the pipeline. Yet large hydropower projects are a false solution to climate change.
- [Historic Kayak Action demands Indigenous Peoples Rights in Paris Climate Accord](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1206-historic-kayak-action-demands-indigenous-peoples-rights-in-paris-climate-accord) - Paris, France – An all-Indigenous flotilla of kayaks took to the waters of Paris today, followed by a press conference featuring Indigenous leaders from the Americas delivering strong messages: warnings of the worst consequences of climate change, and holistic solutions to protect Mother Earth. This event, proposed by the Kichwa community of the Sarayaku, served as a platform to reject false climate solutions, and to deliver three key documents designed as a means to address climate change.
- [Indigenous Flotilla of Kayaks and Press Conference Demanding True Climate Solutions at COP21](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1205-indigenous-flotilla-of-kayaks-and-press-conference-demanding-true-climate-solutions-at-cop21) - Paris, France – During the COP21 climate talks, Indigenous Peoples from the Arctic to the Amazon and their allies will gather to demand real climate solutions, including bottom-up initiatives originating in Indigenous knowledge, culture, and spirituality.
- [Global Coalition Says Mega-dams Should Be Kept Out of Climate Initiatives](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1204-global-coalition-says-mega-dams-should-be-kept-out-of-climate-initiatives) - A coalition of more than three hundred civil society organisations from 53 countries has launched a manifesto calling on government leaders and financiers at the Paris climate talks to keep large hydropower projects out of climate initiatives.
- [“Humanity – Together – Is in Danger of Extinction. Are We Really Understanding This?”](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1204-humanity-together-is-in-danger-of-extinction-are-we-really-understanding-this) - "Now is the time to stop these destructive ideas in our ancestral territories and around the world! We as indigenous peoples have the opportunity to bring our vision – and a clear proposal – that could call on a transformation for all of humanity."
- [Brazilian Indigenous Movement Receives Prominent UN Environmental Prize at COP21 in Paris](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1207-brazilian-indigenous-movement-receives-prominent-un-environmental-prize-at-cop-21-in-paris) - Paris, France – Indigenous leaders Maria Leusa Kaba Munduruku and Rozeninho Saw Munduruku will receive today the prestigious UNDP Equator Prize at an awards ceremony at COP 21, in recognition of the Munduruku people's courageous efforts to protect their territories in the Brazilian Amazon from threats posed by planned hydroelectric dams, as well as illegal logging and mining.
- ["Kindy Challwa" Canoe of Life of the Kichwa First People of Sarayaku](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1208-kindy-challwa-canoe-of-life-of-the-kichwa-first-people-of-sarayaku) - After a long adventure of over a year – after the idea was born, after selecting the tree, after building the canoe, after being transported to the city, after having to respond to the demands of the Ministry of Environment and a review by the Ecuadorian police – on the 7th of December, the Canoe of Life arrived in Paris, France.
- [Sunrise Ceremony for Arrival of Canoe of Life from the Ecuadorian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1208-sunrise-ceremony-for-arrival-of-canoe-of-life-from-the-ecuadorian-amazon) - Paris, France – Join us for a ceremonial welcoming of the Canoe of Life, specially built for the COP21 by the Kichwa community of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
- [Amazonian "Canoe of Life" Brings Indigenous Rights Message to COP21](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1208-amazonian-canoe-of-life-brings-indigenous-rights-message-to-cop21) - Paris, France – At a sunrise ceremony on the Canal de la Villette, representatives of the Kichwa community of Sarayaku from the rainforests of Ecuador announced the arrival of a hand-carved 30-foot long traditional Amazonian canoe. The 10,000 km journey, three months in the making, marks the first time an Amazonian canoe of this kind has arrived to France.
- [Sarayaku's "Canoe of Life" Has a Valiant Spirit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1208-sarayakus-canoe-of-life-has-a-valiant-spirit) - For months Sarayaku - with our help - has been planning the canoe's journey to Paris. In the end, the canoe had its own plans. And, I'm realizing, the canoe's ultimate trajectory might well have been more wise than what we had laid out. The Canoe of Life's spirit continues to reveal itself.
- [Climate Agreement Reached, but Fails to Recognize Indigenous Rights and Climate Justice](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1212-climate-agreement-reached-but-fails-to-recognize-indigenous-rights-and-climate-justice) - Paris, France – Over the last two weeks, Amazon Watch stood in solidarity with indigenous peoples and front line communities as they forcefully advocated for their rights and promoted true climate solutions at the COP21 climate summit. As the details of the Paris Accord are being revealed, we continue to support their rights, solutions and their denunciations of the agreement as inadequate and a potential death sentence for vulnerable communities everywhere.
- [Communities from Latin America Among Those Honoured with Equator Prize 2015](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1211-communities-from-latin-america-among-those-honoured-with-equator-prize-2015) - "Our struggle is large and dangerous, but we know we shall win. I've been to Belo Monte so I know what these dams represent: if they are built on the Tapajós they will flood our lands, and destroy our fish and hunting. We've come to put an end to this madness," Munduruku Chief Suberanino Saw told Amazon Watch in 2104.
- [Ecuador Condemned at the New Tribunal for the Rights of Nature in Paris](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1210-ecuador-condemned-at-the-new-tribunal-for-the-rights-of-nature-in-paris) - Last weekend, while the official COP21 negotiations were going on north of Paris at a site called Le Bourget, leaders of indigenous nations in North and South America were in Paris calling for justice for what they say are ongoing violations of the rights of the earth itself.
- [Brazilian Public Prosecutors Denounce Ethnocide and Call for Judicial Intervention in Belo Monte](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1214-brazilian-public-prosecutors-denounce-ethnocide-and-call-for-judicial-intervention) - The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office today initiated legal proceedings in a federal court in Altamira seeking recognition that the implementation of the Belo Monte dam project constitutes an act of ethnocide by the Brazilian government and dam concessionaire Norte Energia, citing abundant evidence of "the destruction of the social organization, customs, languages and traditions of affected indigenous groups".
- [What the Paris Climate Agreement Means for Indigenous Rights and Hydroelectric Dams](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1215-what-the-paris-climate-agreement-means-for-indigenous-rights-and-hydroelectric-dams) - The final agreement from the Paris climate talks has been the subject of much controversy regarding the language in the document pertaining to indigenous rights. Any semblance of a legally binding measure pertaining to these rights was omitted from the final agreement that was signed by the governments of 190 countries. The agreement concluded a two-week long process that brought together some of the world's largest corporations, and environmental and human rights organizations, to agree on international energy standards, goals and applications.
- ["Where Our Government Kills, We Cultivate Life"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1214-where-our-government-destroys-we-cultivate-life) - At the closure of this year's critical COP21 summit in Paris, the most inspirational stories do not stem from official negotiations. They emanate from the heroic efforts of global indigenous movements, bringing a message of resilience and defiance from the front lines of climate change.
- [Our Generation Is the World's Voice for Climate Action](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1218-our-generation-is-the-worlds-voice-for-climate-action) - I was among the Indigenous People from the Amazon Rainforest who made it to the COP21 climate summit in Paris. I felt it was my duty to be the voice of those who could not attend.
- [The Human Side of the Climate Change Equation](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1215-the-human-side-of-the-climate-change-equation) - While government officials inside COP21 conference rooms just outside Paris were reviewing the cost-benefit analyses of cutting down on emissions or debating the numerical semantics of the warming of the earth, the human side of climate change and environmental destruction took center stage just a few kilometers south at the Maison des Metallos on the weekend of December 5-6th.
- [Hope Amidst the Good, Bad, and Ugly at the Climate Summit](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1230-hope-amidst-the-good-bad-and-ugly-at-the-climate-summit) - On Dec. 12th, 195 nations signed the Paris Climate Accord, an agreement to limit CO2 emissions for the first time. In the days following, a debate has raged over whether the accord is a historic, unprecedented deal or whether it's the product of a pro-business climate circus that sold out basic science and principles of justice.
- [Five Reasons To Be Hopeful for the Future of the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1229-five-reasons-to-be-hopeful-for-the-future-of-the-amazon) - The Amazon rainforest can seem unimaginably vast. Similarly, the fight to defend it from the onslaught of industrial-scale threats like oil drilling, logging, and huge dams can appear overwhelming. But across the region, local indigenous peoples and our work to support them is making the difference and protecting the lands they have known for centuries. In 2015, these five snapshots of success gave us hope that the Amazon has a chance to avoid ecosystem collapse, but only if we support its indigenous guardians.
- [Solstice Reflections of Our Work at COP21 and Beyond](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/1222-solstice-reflections-of-our-work-at-cop21-and-beyond) - As I reflect on our recent work at COP21 in Paris on the Winter Solstice, I am very proud of what we achieved and filled with great hope for our work ahead. The Amazon Watch team did an incredible job of accompanying and supporting a twelve-person delegation of indigenous leaders, women and youth from the Kichwa community of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon and two Munduruku leaders from the Tapajós River Basin in the Brazilian Amazon to ensure the voices, concerns and solutions from indigenous peoples from the Amazon were heard by global leaders and media, and they were!
- [In 2016, Chevron Faces Potential "Litigation Catastrophe" Over Ecuador Pollution Liability](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0104-in-2016-chevron-faces-potential-litigation-catastrophe-over-ecuador-pollution-liability) - New York, NY – In 2016, Chevron faces a potential litigation catastrophe over its $10 billion "Amazon Chernobyl" pollution liability as rainforest villagers step up efforts to force company assets into receivership to pay for a court-ordered clean-up of what experts consider to be one of the worst oil-related environmental disasters in history.
- [IACHR Opens Case Against Brazil for Human Rights Violations Related to Belo Monte Dam](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0111-iachr-opens-case-against-brazil-for-human-rights-violations-related-to-belo-monte-dam) - Washington, DC – As the first reservoirs of the Belo Monte Dam are being filled, the Brazilian government is coming under fire from international organizations. On December 21, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights opened a case against Brazil, which was challenged by affected communities represented by the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), Justiça Global and the Sociedade Paraense de Defesa de Direitos Humanos (SDDH).
- [In Brazil, 2016 Announces New Conflicts and Challenges for the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0107-in-brazil-2016-announces-new-conflicts-and-challenges-for-the-amazon) - 2015 could only be defined as a bad year for Brazil. Economic meltdown, political crisis, social adversity, and environmental destruction defined the last twelve months. Yet rather than striking out in new directions as 2015 drew to a close, the Brazilian government was doubled down on its failing socio-economic model, ushering in a new wave of conflict and calamity in the Amazon.
- [Brazil Court Suspends Amazon Hydrodam Licence on Native Demands](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0115-brazil-court-suspends-amazon-hydrodam-licence-on-native-demands) - A Brazilian court has suspended the operating licence for the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, one of the world's largest, just weeks before its owner, Norte Energia, planned to start electricity generation.
- [Jiyukam Presente! Homage to a Peaceful Warrior](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0114-jiyukam-presente-homage-to-a-peaceful-warrior) - A wave of sadness has surged forth from the Amazon rainforest, washing over many who have supported indigenous rights in Peru. Yesterday we learned that the long-time Achuar leader Jiyukam Lucas Irar Miik had drown in the Pastaza River, as he returned to his home community of Puerto Rubina. As reported by his son, his boat hit a log and capsized as it traveled up-river deep in the night. Lucas was last seen sleeping on the journey.
- [Hydropower Dams Threaten One-Third of the World’s Freshwater Fish](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0111-hydropower-dams-threaten-one-third-of-the-worlds-freshwater-fish) - Brazil's massive Belo Monte dam, which is due to be completed this year, "may set a record for biodiversity loss" owing to its siting at a location with an exceptional number of endemic species.
- [Belo Monte Dam Operations Delayed by Brazil Court Ruling on Indigenous People](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0116-belo-monte-dam-operations-delayed-by-brazil-court-ruling-on-indigenous-people) - "This case sets an important precedent for the defence of indigenous rights in the Amazon at a time when the government is set to repeat the Belo Monte disaster by building dozens of dams on the Tapajós River."
- [Braving Death Threats, Ecuadorian Villagers Ask U.N. to Block Chevron From Attacking Human Rights Defenders Who Obtained Historic Judgment](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0121-ecuadorian-villagers-ask-un-to-block-chevron-from-attacking-human-rights-defenders) - Geneva, Switzerland – Ecuadorian indigenous villagers who braved death threats in their battle with Chevron have teamed up with a leading international organization to demand that the United Nations block the oil giant from continuing an intimidation campaign targeting the human rights advocates who obtained a legally-binding $10 billion environmental pollution judgment against the company.
- [Ecuador to Sign Contracts for Two Controversial Amazonian Oil Blocks](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0120-ecuador-to-sign-contracts-for-two-controversial-amazonian-oil-blocks) - Quito, Ecuador – The Ecuadorian government has announced imminent plans to sign contracts for two controversial Amazonian oil blocks which are facing adamant opposition from local indigenous people residing within the roughly half-a-million acre concessions and beyond.
- [Honoring the Legacy of Terry Turner](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0121-honoring-the-legacy-of-terry-turner) - Terry's incisive ethnographic work with the Kayapo people, and his longstanding advocacy on behalf of their culture, forests, and rivers, earned him unique respect and admiration from Kayapo leadership, who called him 'Wakampu'.
- [Deforestation Is Decreasing – Or Is It?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0201-deforestation-is-decreasing-or-is-it) - Experts say that recognizing the rights of local people and indigenous groups to their traditional forests could be one of the easiest, cheapest and most effective ways to protect standing forests from razing. Many indigenous groups still lack legal tenure to their traditional lands in tropical countries, but where they have secured their rights research often shows that forests are well protected.
- [Controversial Ecuador Oil Deal Lets China Stake an $80-Million Claim to Pristine Amazon Rainforest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0201-controversial-ecuador-oil-deal-lets-china-stake-an-80-million-claim-to-amazon-rainforest) - They tried talks. They tried letters. They tried protests. But nothing could stop the deal. Ecuador's government sold oil exploration rights in a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest to a consortium of Chinese state-owned oil companies this week, despite dogged resistance from indigenous groups in the South American country who fear they could lose everything.
- [Recognizing the Rights of Nature and the Living Forest](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0205-recognizing-the-rights-of-nature-and-the-living-forest) - Civil society, non-governmental and community organizations representing hundreds of thousands of people from diverse social movements and international networks gathered during the Paris climate negotiations for major actions on the streets, hundreds of events, assemblies, concerts and educational workshops focused on just, community driven climate solutions.
- [Oil Extraction Threatens To Expand Further into Ecuadorean Rainforest under New 20-Year Contract](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0203-il-extraction-threatens-to-expand-further-into-ecuadorean-rainforest-under-new-20-year-contract) - Indigenous leaders from across Ecuador have been coming together in recent years, as oil exploration has ramped up in the Amazon region where many of them live. Last week, they united once again to oppose yet another oil deal that, they say, threatens the existence of the ancestral communities living in the province of Pastaza, located in the easternmost Amazon region of Ecuador, about 300 kilometers southeast of Quito.
- [Small Tribe with a Big Voice Vows To Stop Chinese Oil Drilling in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0202-small-tribe-with-a-big-voice-vows-to-stop-chinese-oil-drilling-in-the-amazon) - “We don’t want oil drilling in our lands,” said Manari Ushigua, one of the most well-known leaders of Ecuador’s tiny Zapara tribe. “Our culture is at risk of disappearing; so is our language and our way of relating to the rainforest.”
- [The World’s Forests Will Collapse If We Don’t Learn To Say "No"](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0206-the-worlds-forests-will-collapse-if-we-dont-learn-to-say-no) - An alarming new study has shown that the world's forests are not only disappearing rapidly, but that areas of "core forest" – remote interior areas critical for disturbance-sensitive wildlife and ecological processes – are vanishing even faster.
- [Belo Monte: Burning Legal Timber Stokes the Fires of Brazil's Illegal Lumber Market](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0205-belo-monte-burning-legal-timber-stokes-the-fires-of-brazils-illegal-lumber-market) - The burning of trees and animal deaths is only the first stage of a vicious cycle that marks the relationship between Belo Monte and the surrounding forest. Authorized to devastate thousands of hectares, the plant should use the timber for its own purpose or donate it for external use. The entry of large volumes of timber into the local market would help reduce the pressure on the forest. This was the plan, and one of the conditions, for the project's approval. In practice, things turned out very differently.
- [The High Price of Belo Monte and Modernization in the Life of the Muratu Indigenous Community](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0209-the-high-price-of-belo-monte-and-modernization-in-the-life-of-the-muratu-indigenous-community) - The most drastic change in Bel's life was the obliteration of her ancestral identity and the imposition of a new identity when she was compelled to transform from a fisherwoman into a farmer.
- [The Solution To Climate Change That Has Nothing To Do With Cars or Coal](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0211-the-solution-to-climate-change-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-cars-or-coal) - Tropical forests store the most carbon of all, and no tropical forest on Earth is bigger than the Amazon. It accounts for about half of all the carbon these forests store. But the Brazilian Amazon has lost nearly a fifth of its forest cover already – and the forest left behind also suffers because it is more fragmented and less continuous.
- [Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon and International Allies Reject New Oil Concessions, Stand for Rights of the Earth and Communities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0210-women-of-the-ecuadorian-amazon-and-international-allies-reject-new-oil-concessions) - The Sápara people and the Kichwa of Sarayaku have denounced the new contracts as a violation of their fundamental rights, and have made clear their intentions to keep resisting extraction and protecting their rainforest.
- [In Santarém More Than 500 People Debate Dams, but the Brazilian Government Doesn't Send a Representative](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0216-in-santarem-more-than-500-people-debate-dams-but-the-brazilian-government-doesnt) - So many people attended the hearing that in the beginning one group that couldn't manage to enter the public auditorium provoked a bit of a ruckus in response to the attempt to cancel or change the location of the hearing.
- [Oil Spill Causes a Disaster in the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0219-oil-spill-causes-a-disaster-in-the-amazon) - Fish, vegetation and rivers are covered with black spots. According to estimates by Petroperu, about 3,000 barrels spilled into two sectors of Loreto and Amazonas. The spill has reached the Chiriaco River, a tributary of the Maranon, and the people of nearby communities are afraid to consume those waters.
- [Peru Amazon Oil Disaster Relief Fund To Support Affected Communities](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0224-peru-amazon-oil-disaster-relief-fund-to-support-affected-communities) - Indigenous peoples of Peru's Amazon are responding to the recent spate of oil spills along the Northwestern Peru Pipeline. Primarily, they are pressing the Peruvian government – which runs Petroperu oil company responsible for the pipeline – to urgently attend to the affected communities, to remediate the contaminated rainforest, and to halt use of the pipeline until long-delayed upgrades are carried out.
- [AIDESEP Presents an Effective Action Plan to Petroperu for the Amazon Oil Spills](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0229-aidesep-presents-an-effective-action-plan-to-petroperu-for-the-amazon-oil-spills) - The Inter-Ethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Amazon (AIDESEP) will meet today with representatives of Petroperu to demand from the company an immediate solution through an effective action plan to the environmental disaster resulting from the most recent spills in Chiriaco and Morona, caused by lack of maintenance of the Northern Peruvian Pipeline.
- [Bathing in Crude: Villages Sick After Oil Spill](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0225-bathing-in-crude-villages-sick-after-oil-spill) - Children and adults, including some nursing women, immersed themselves in oily water with no protective gear. Before long, many were complaining of headaches, dizziness, blurred vision or nausea. Some still have skin lesions. And although they'd hoped to earn money for school supplies, as classes are due to start in early March, many say they received only the equivalent of a dollar or two for the oil they collected.
- [Which Chinese Corporations Have Their Eyes on the Amazon?](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0224-which-chinese-corporations-have-their-eyes-on-the-amazon) - The implosion of Brazilian businesses with the Lava Jato corruption operation, the devaluing of the Real currency, and the rise in credit rates in Brazil have created an opportunity for Chinese businesses to establish greater participation in the country. Taking advantage of this situation, the China Three Gorges enterprise is preparing to make an offer on the licensing of the São Luiz do Tapajós dam project.
- [Stand with Amazonian Women!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0307-stand-with-amazonian-women) - Tomorrow on #InternationalWomensDay hundreds of indigenous women from the Ecuadorian Amazon will march to protect nearly a million acres of their rainforest territory from an oil deal that Ecuador recently signed with Chinese state-owned oil company Andes Petroleum.
- [Women of the Amazon Defend Their Homeland Against New Oil Contract on International Women's Day](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0308-women-of-the-amazon-defend-their-homeland-against-new-oil-contract-on-international-womens-day) - "Women are the main victims [of oil extraction] – their ability to feed their families becomes impaired. There is deterioration of family health and they suffer the division of their communities and other forms of violence," women representatives of the Sapara and Shiwiar Nationalities and the Kichwa Kawsak Sacha and Sarayaku Peoples explained in a collective statement.
- [Report from the Amazon: Altamira, a City Transformed by the Belo Monte Dam](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0309-report-from-the-amazon-altamira-a-city-transformed-by-the-belo-monte-dam) - The scale of this change, mind-boggling as it is, is not unusual in this part of the world. Over the last half century, Brazil’s economic frontier reached the region, bringing a huge influx of workers – waves of loggers, gold-panners, cattlemen, miners, road and dam builders.
- [Over Five Hundred Indigenous Women of the Amazon and Allies March for Climate Justice, Indigenous Rights on International Women's Day](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0309-over-500-indigenous-women-of-the-amazon-and-allies-march-for-climate-justice-indigenous-rights) - Puyo, Ecuador – In recognition of International Women's Day, Indigenous Amazonian women leaders of seven nationalities including: Andoa, Achuar, Kichwa, Shuar, Shiwiar, Sapara and Waorani nationalities and their international allies took action in Puyo, Ecuador, in a forum and march in defense of the Amazon, Mother Earth and for climate justice. Specifically, they came together to denounce a newly signed oil contract between the Ecuadorian government and Chinese oil corporation Andes Petroleum.
- [Honoring River Defenders: Brazil’s Munduruku People](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0314-honoring-river-defenders-brazils-munduruku-people) - In light of last week's damning evidence directly implicating Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor Lula da Silva in a kickback scheme, a driving force behind Brazil's dam-building boom has been laid bare: corruption.
- [Happy 20th Birthday, Amazon Watch!](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0311-happy-20th-birthday-amazon-watch) - Twenty years ago today, our founder Atossa Soltani stood face to face with Fernando Cardoso, then the president of Brazil. Atossa knew then that while indigenous peoples represent only four percent of the world's population, they are the guardians and stewards of 80 percent of the world's biodiversity. That's why she founded Amazon Watch on March 11th, 1996, to both protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples.
- [Amazon Watch: Protecting the Amazon by Advancing Indigenous Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0310-amazon-watch-protecting-the-amazon-by-advancing-indigenous-rights) - Amazon Watch works to protect the rainforest by advancing the rights of indigenous peoples. We work closely with indigenous leaders to help amplify the calls to keep the oil in the ground and stop mega-dams in the Amazon to avoid climate chaos. Defending indigenous rights, territories, living forests and flowing rivers are demonstrably effective solutions to climate change. Together, we are growing the movement to leave all fossil fuels in the ground and promote a just transition to 100% renewable energy.
- [Belo Monte a Symbol of Obscene Destruction and Corruption in Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0317-belo-monte-a-symbol-of-obscene-destruction-and-corruption-in-brazil) - Amazon Watch and our allies have long argued that the Belo Monte mega-dam project made no sense in terms of energy production or economics – especially taking into account the enormous environmental and social destruction it was certain to cause. The dam was constructed despite the steadfast resistance of the affected Kayapo and riverine peoples and in defiance of both national and worldwide condemnation. Time and again Brazil's courts halted its construction and operation only to be ignored or overruled as the Dilma administration pressed on in its relentless efforts to make the Belo Monte monstrosity a symbol of her administration. Ironically, it has now become a symbol of her administration's corruption.
- [Amazon Watch School Curriculum](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0316-amazon-watch-school-curriculum) - As an organization that works to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin, we were thrilled when Kimberly Todd and Valerie Robert, two talented and socially conscious teachers, reached out to us with their curricula and resources for parents and students to take action. They created these unit plans with the goal of providing teachers with resources that meet both the English Common Core Standards and raise awareness about the threats facing the Amazon rainforest and the Indigenous populations living in the Amazon Basin.
- [Protecting Their Sacred Zizuma](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0323-protecting-their-sacred-zizuma) - Taking direct action to defend their territory is a deadly serious proposition for Colombia's indigenous peoples. As such, the current mobilization of the U'wa Indigenous Guard to stop tourists from entering the sacred snow-capped mountain peak of El Cocuy has grabbed national and international attention.
- [Indigenous Women Unite to Defend the Amazon, Mother Earth and Climate Justice](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0324-indigenous-women-unite-to-defend-the-amazon-mother-earth-and-climate-justice) - I am filled with hope by the alliance of indigenous Amazonian women who came together in a historic march in defense of the Amazon, Mother Earth and Climate Justice on International Women's Day. It was the first time ever that indigenous Amazonian women from seven nationalities joined forces and marched together in defense of their rights, rainforests and future generations.
- [Chiriaco: First Solidarity Assistance Arrives in the Indigenous Community of Nazareth](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0322-chiriaco-first-solidarity-assistance-arrives-in-the-indigenous-community-of-nazareth) - Around 82 families from the community of Nazareth benefited from the arrival of emergency supplies of essential food and water. The assistance was delivered by ORPIAN President Edwin Montenegro, thanks to the help of everyone who joined the Everyone For the Amazon (#TodosxLaAmazonía) campaign. This initial delivery was also carried out on the Morona River, another area damaged by the oil spills.
- [U'wa Update: Serious Threats Against Peaceful Mobilization](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0328-uwa-update-serious-threats-against-peaceful-mobilization) - There is no legitimate rationale for using violence against the U'wa. They are extreme pacifists by culture (considering the mere presence of weapons in their territory as violence) and have always been transparent about their actions. In this case, they are protecting an ecologically fragile and spiritually significant part of their own territory from damage.
- [Ecuador Drills for Oil on Edge of Pristine Rainforest in Yasuní](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0404-ecuador-drills-for-oil-on-edge-of-pristine-rainforest-in-yasuni) - "By drilling Yasuní-ITT, the Ecuadorian government is threatening to destroy one of the most biodiverse and culturally fragile treasures on the planet for what amounts to about a week of global oil supply," said Amazon Watch's director, Leila Salazar-Lopez.
- [Drilling Towards Disaster: Ecuador's Aggressive Amazonian Oil Push](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0406-drilling-towards-disaster-ecuadors-aggressive-amazonian-oil-push) - Last week, the Ecuadorian government announced that it had begun constructing the first of a planned 276 wells, ten drilling platforms, and multiple related pipelines and production facilities in the ITT oil field, known as Block 43, which overlaps Yasuní National Park in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest.
- [Brazil Amazon Dam Project Suspended Over Concerns for Indigenous People](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0425-brazil-amazon-dam-project-suspended-over-concerns-for-indigenous-people) - While the recession may have forced a pause in the development of the region, Brazil’s political crisis, which looks set to see President Dilma Rousseff removed from office next month, could change that dynamic. “We are living in a moment of great instability. Potentially, a new Ibama president could reverse the decision.”
- [Peruvian Government’s Response to Amazon Oil Spills: Promise High, Deliver Low](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0420-peruvian-governments-response-to-amazon-oil-spills-promise-high-deliver-low) - Across Peru, headlines have been dominated by the presidential elections. Deep in the Amazon, however, the ongoing trauma caused by oil pipeline spills seeps on. Almost three months following a 2,000-barrel spill in Chiriaco followed by another just days later near Mayuriaga, indigenous communities continue to confront the daily reality of poisoned water, fish and crops.
- [Insider Claims Rousseff Coalition Took Funds from Belo Monte Mega-Dam](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0408-insider-claims-rousseff-coalition-took-funds-from-belo-monte-mega-dam) - "It further confirms what we've suspected since the project was rammed forward, in violation of Brazil's legislation and constitution," said Christian Poirier, program director of Amazon Watch. "Today's news sheds further light on the rampant corruption that underpins the construction of Belo Monte. Aside from its looming ethical implications this scandal also reignites the debate as to whether the mega-dam should ever have been built, while revealing what forces lie behind Brazil's dam building boom."
- [Indigenous Representatives Call on GE to Save Their Amazon Home](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0427-indigenous-representatives-call-on-ge-to-save-their-amazon-home) - Jacksonville, FL – Earlier today, Munduruku Indigenous leaders from the Amazon participated in General Electric's Annual General Meeting, where they asked the company not to take part in a controversial mega dam project in the heart of the Amazon.
- [Bold Moves Block Tapajós Mega-dam and Uphold Indigenous Rights, for Now](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0426-bold-moves-block-tapajos-mega-dam-and-uphold-indigenous-rights-for-now) - In the shadow of last week's contentious vote to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's indigenous agency FUNAI and environmental agency IBAMA made unexpected, decisive rulings in defense of indigenous rights and ecological protection in the Amazon.
- [Amazon Mega-dam Suspended, Providing Hope for Indigenous People and Biodiversity](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0425-amazon-mega-dam-suspended-providing-hope-for-indigenous-people-and-biodiversity) - This Wednesday, IBAMA, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Resources suspended the São Luiz do Tapajós dam’s license, citing its threat to the Indigenous lands of the Munduruku Indians, a land claim just recently recognized by FUNAI, Brazil’s National Indian Foundation. The decision could still be reversed by the Brazilian government – as has happened with other Amazon dams.
- [Gold Mining in Peru: Forests Razed, Millions Lost, Virgins Auctioned](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0504-gold-mining-in-peru-forests-razed-millions-lost-virgins-auctioned) - 70,000 indigenous Awajúns and Wampís are at risk from such mining operations because of the impacts on the forests, biodiversity and rivers, which they depend on for their lives and livelihoods.
- [They Say the Land Is Dead, But It Lives Yet](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0505-the-guardians-of-mother-earth-part-2) - "These are very serious accusations providing a political rationale for a violent paramilitary repression against the U'wa," said Andrew Miller, Advocacy Director at Amazon Watch. "The notion that the U'wa are associated with an armed group is absurd. They are actually radical pacifists by culture."
- [The Guardians of Mother Earth](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0503-the-guardians-of-mother-earth-part-1) - The U’wa, who call themselves the people who know how to think and speak, consider themselves the Guardians of Mother Nature, and large tracts of land inside their territory have become biological reserves for jaguars, spectacled bears, as well as a kaleidoscopic array of endemic plant and bird life that do not appear anywhere else on the planet.
- [Brazil's Political Meltdown Could Spell Disaster for the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0510-brazils-political-meltdown-could-spell-disaster-for-the-amazon) - Under the cover of political mayhem, lawmakers have discreetly moved this polemic proposal toward a plenary vote, threatening to erase Brazil's environmental legislation in one fell swoop.
- [Brazil's Congress Moves Ahead to End Nation's Environmental Safeguards](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0509-brazils-congress-moves-ahead-to-end-nations-environmental-safeguards) - A Commission in the Brazilian Senate has quietly approved a constitutional amendment that would shred the environmental safeguards currently required for public works. If ratified, the amendment could give a green light and fast track approval to major infrastructure projects nationwide including the controversial Sao Luiz do Tapajós hydroelectric project. Such a move could devastate the country's wildlife and natural environment, and do significant harm to indigenous groups.
- [Belo Monte and How NOT to Produce Energy in the 21st Century](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0506-belo-monte-and-how-not-to-produce-energy-in-the-21st-century) - The most important project of President Dilma Rousseff's energy program is also a monumental example of how energy should not be produced in the 21st century. In addition to its high price tag, the dam is associated with corruption and massive human rights violations due to its social and environmental impacts.
- [Brazil Prepares to Roll Back Green Laws](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0512-brazil-prepares-to-roll-back-green-laws) - Taking advantage of Brazil's present political turbulence, as the battle to impeach President Dilma Rousseff reaches its climax, reactionary politicians are quietly rolling back environmental and indigenous protection laws in defiance of the country's commitments under the Paris Agreement.
- [The Legacy of Berito Cobaria](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0511-the-legacy-of-berito-cobaria) - "Berito taught Colombia's indigenous people and the world the importance of the globalization of resistance, how to defend the beloved Earth and how to fight against climate change."
- [Brazil's New Government May Be Less Likely To Protect the Amazon, Critics Say](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0522-brazils-new-government-may-be-less-likely-to-protect-the-amazon-critics-say) - "Those who have taken power are backing an explicitly regressive, anti-environmental agenda," said Christian Poirier, of U.S.-based Amazon Watch.
- [Chevron CEO Faces Pressure Cooker Over Ecuador, Climate Change at Shareholder Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0520-chevron-ceo-faces-pressure-cooker-over-ecuador-climate-change) - Chevron's unprecedented $11 billion pollution liability in Ecuador and its refusal to address climate change are set to dominate the company's annual meeting as CEO John Watson faces increasing pressure from his own shareholders, court rulings, and environmental groups who are accusing the company of trying to intimidate critics and evade its legacy contamination problems.
- [Indigenous Diplomacy](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0519-indigenous-diplomacy-colombias-uwa-before-the-united-nations) - "Today, I’m here sharing this with you but my people are once again mobilized. We are on Zizuma, the sacred mountain where many sources of water originate – lakes and rivers which bathe our territory and serve as an important source of water for Colombia."
- [Affected Peoples from Ecuador and Richmond To Confront Chevron Management at Annual Shareholder Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0524-affected-peoples-from-ecuador-and-richmond-to-confront-chevron-management-at-agm) - A growing coalition of communities affected by Chevron's operations and environmental organizations will announce plans to return to Chevron's Annual Shareholders Meeting to denounce the company's pattern of human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and attacks on democracy. Hundreds of thousands of signatures will be delivered to Chevron's doorstep at the Wednesday meeting demanding change in the company's policies and practices around world.
- [Chevron Draws Protest on Climate and Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0526-chevron-draws-protest-on-climate-and-ecuador) - "Mr. Watson, stop your racism against us," said Secoya leader Humberto Piaguaje. "We are neither manipulated nor will we ever be manipulated by lawyers or anyone else, as you continually repeat. We are intelligent enough to think and act for ourselves and to seek justice."
- [Chevron CEO and Board Confronted for Lying To Shareholders, SEC and Public at Annual Shareholder Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0525-chevron-ceo-and-board-confronted-for-lying-to-shareholders-sec-and-public-at-agm) - After six years as Chevron CEO and Chair of the Board John Watson has been unable to resolve major shareholder unrest over his leadership. In one of its strongest rebukes to date, thirty percent of Chevron shareholders representing $57.6 billion of assets under management sent a clear message to Watson and his team on the Ecuador issue: your leadership has failed.
- [Investors and Activists Hold Chevron's Feet to the Fire at Annual Shareholder Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0524-investors-and-activists-hold-chevrons-feet-to-the-fire-at-annual-shareholder-meeting) - A coalition of local, national and international environmental and human rights rights organizations once again demand that Chevron Corp be held to account over its environmental and human rights abuses in the Amazon rainforest, at its Richmond refinery, and everywhere the corporation operates.
- [Chevron CEO To His Board: Our Ecuador Problem Just Won’t Go Away](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0524-chevron-ceo-to-his-board-our-ecuador-problem-just-wont-go-away) - We don't have access to Chevron's internal communications, but if we did, this "memo" is what we imagine we might see.
- [In "Epic Fight for Justice," Activists Descend on Chevron Meeting](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0526-in-epic-fight-for-justice-activists-descend-on-chevron-meeting) - "This is an epic fight for justice and Chevron management is living in denial if it thinks we will ever go away until justice is served," said Paul Paz y Miño of Amazon Watch.
- [Brazil: Rules Protecting Amazon Under Threat in New Political Fight](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0606-brazil-rules-protecting-amazon-under-threat-in-new-political-fight) - Renewed attempts by top lawmakers to remove environmental licensing requirements for "strategic" development projects in Brazil have been stalled. Controversial schemes include stalled plans for the São Luiz do Tapajós hydroelectric complex – which critics warn could infringe on indigenous lands, destroy local biodiversity and trigger deforestation.
- [Pioneer Gas Project in Latin America Fails Indigenous Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0614-pioneer-gas-project-in-latin-america-fails-indigenous-peoples) - "The sorry, declining state of indigenous health and community sanitation structures in the Lower Urubamba is simply not acceptable given the wealth that Camisea has generated in all sectors of the Peruvian economy, and the hundreds of millions of dollars that have entered local and regional government's coffers over the past 10 years," the report reads.
- [Dams Threaten Future of Amazonian Biodiversity, Major New Study Warns](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0614-dams-threaten-future-of-amazonian-biodiversity-major-new-study-warns) - Amazonia's surge in hydropower development threatens numerous species with extinction and puts unique habitats at risk, warns a recent study.
- [Indigenous People Draw Territorial Boundaries in Amazon Homeland](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0615-indigenous-people-draw-territorial-boundaries-in-amazon-homeland) - Itaituba, Brazil – Today, Munduruku representatives and Greenpeace volunteers started a community-led effort to establish the boundaries of an Indigenous land in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon with the aim of protecting traditional areas. These particular lands are threatened by the controversial proposed São Luiz do Tapajós mega dam, which would permanently affect the livelihoods of Munduruku in the region, cause forest destruction, and impact globally important ecosystems.
- [Chevron's Garbage Fire Sale](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0627-chevrons-garbage-fire-sale) - Chevron sending up massive flares in Richmond is not the only sign things are getting hot for the oil giant on the run from a $11 billion verdict.
- [Unclean Hands: Corruption Plagues Ecuador's Oil Deals with China](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0621-unclean-hands-corruption-plagues-ecuadors-oil-deals-with-china) - Ecuador is desperate to drill because it owes China billions as part of loan deals between the two countries that have Ecuador handing over much of its oil to China through 2024. The oil price crash has also exacerbated the issue, forcing Ecuador to deliver twice or three times the amount of crude to pay off the debt. Sound like a bad deal? It is. But not for everyone.
- [Toxic Tour to the Ecuadorian Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0715-toxic-tour) - Accompany Nina Gualinga, an indigenous youth from the Kichwa community of Sarayaku as she tours former oil fields of Chevron and gets an up close look at one of the worst oil disasters on the planet.
- [Indigenous People Protest Against the Violation of Their Rights in Front of Brasilia Embassies](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0714-indigenous-people-protest-against-the-violation-of-their-rights-in-front-of-brasilia-embassies) - Last week's indigenous mobilization in Brasilia – detailed in the following blog from the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) – came as a response to the current, alarming and mounting assault on the rights of Brazil's indigenous peoples. The Brasilia protest articulated an appeal from indigenous leadership to national governments via their Brazilian embassies, demanding that these countries instate a moratorium on importing such commodities until these brazen attacks on indigenous rights, lands, cultures, and security are to cease.
- [Repeat Oil Spills Turning Peruvian Amazon into "Sacrifice Zone" for Big Oil](https://amazonwatch.org/news/2016/0628-repeat-oil-spills-turning-peruvian-amazon-into-sacrifice-zone-for-big-oil) - "Somehow virtually none of the profits generated by the oil industry over decades is available to ensure that Amazonian communities don't have to watch their primary sources of livelihoods – the river, the forest – become irrevocably polluted by spills," said Andrew Miller of Amazon Watch.

## Pages

- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Home](https://amazonwatch.org/) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has worked to protect the Amazon rainforest and defend the rights, lives, and territories of Indigenous peoples.
- [Staff and Board](https://amazonwatch.org/about/staff-and-board) - Amazon Watch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. We partner with Indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability, and the preservation of the Amazon's ecological systems.
- [News and Multimedia](https://amazonwatch.org/news) - Updated news on Indigenous rights, the Amazon rainforest, and our global climate crisis.
- [Economías Ilícitas, Crimen Organizado y Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas](https://amazonwatch.org/docip) - El Foro Permanente convoca a Pueblos Indígenas, comunidades, organizaciones, Estados, academia e instituciones internacionales a contribuir con sus experiencias, análisis y recomendaciones.
- [30 Years of Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/donate) - Supporting Amazon Watch is a critical way to protect the rainforest, defend Indigenous rights, and address climate change.
- [30 Years of Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/donate) - Supporting Amazon Watch is a critical way to protect the rainforest, defend Indigenous rights, and address climate change.
- [Join us for our 30th Anniversary Gala, Amplify!](https://amazonwatch.org/amplify-gala) - Join us on October 8, 2026 in Oakland, CA to celebrate this milestone and recommit to the path ahead.
- [Events](https://amazonwatch.org/get-involved/events) - Amazon Watch organizes and participates in local, national, and international events on a regular basis.
- [Subscribe to Our Newsletter](https://amazonwatch.org/subscribe) - Sign up for our email newsletter and updates. We won't inundate your inbox, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
- [The Amazon: A Global Treasure](https://amazonwatch.org/about) - The Amazon rainforest is in crisis. It has been for some time. For nearly a quarter century, Amazon Watch has sounded the alarm that the forest and its Indigenous inhabitants are at extreme risk, and thus the future of our entire planet.
- [Take Action for the Earth and Indigenous Peoples](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action) - Use your voice to protect the Amazon rainforest, defend Indigenous rights, and address the global climate crisis!
- [Contact Us](https://amazonwatch.org/about/contact) - Our main office is located at 520 3rd Street, Suite 108 in Oakland, CA. Our phone number is +1.510.281.9020.
- [Annual Reports and Financial Info](https://amazonwatch.org/about/annual-reports) - Amazon Watch annual reports and financial info are available for review here.
- [Join a Global Community United in Solidarity with Amazonian Indigenous Peoples!](https://amazonwatch.org/give-monthly) - Supporting Amazon Watch is a critical way to protect the rainforest, defend Indigenous rights, and address climate change.
- [Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service](https://amazonwatch.org/privacy-policy) - Amazon Watch is committed to preserving your privacy and safeguarding your personal information.
- [Amazon Watch Business Supporters](https://amazonwatch.org/get-involved/supporters) - Amazon Watch is grateful to the businesses and artists who support our mission to protect the rainforest and our climate in solidarity with Indigenous peoples.
- [Women Defenders Delegation to Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/delegation-donation) - Please complete this form to submit your full payment for the 2026 Women Defenders Delegation to Ecuador.
- [Join Our Team](https://amazonwatch.org/about/join-our-team) - Staff positions will be advertised here when we are hiring. Volunteer opportunities may also be available year-round, many of which can be taken on remotely.
- [Ways to Give](https://amazonwatch.org/donate/ways-to-give) - Every donation to Amazon Watch makes a difference, and there are many ways you can support this vital work.
- [End Amazon Crude](https://amazonwatch.org/work/end-amazon-crude) - Amazon Watch’s End Amazon Crude campaign works in close partnership with Indigenous peoples to stop oil extraction at the source and reduce global demand for Amazon oil.
- [Secure Indigenous Land Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/work/secure-indigenous-land-rights) - Amazon Watch works in direct partnership with Indigenous peoples to uphold and advance land rights as a cornerstone of climate justice.
- [Mining Out of the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/work/mining-out-of-the-amazon) - Amazon Watch stands with Indigenous peoples calling for the Amazon to be a no-go zone for mining.
- [Amazon Crime](https://amazonwatch.org/work/amazon-crime) - 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.
- [Power to the Protectors](https://amazonwatch.org/get-involved/power-to-the-protectors-fund) - Amazon Watch delivers solar energy and communications infrastructure to frontline Indigenous communities.
- [Amazon Defenders Fund](https://amazonwatch.org/get-involved/amazon-defenders-fund) - Our Amazon Defenders Fund is an activist-led solidarity fund that channels fast, flexible, and responsive funding to frontline communities defending their territories, cultures, and collective rights.
- [Women Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/get-involved/women-defenders) - Amazon Watch stands in deep solidarity, accompanying women’s leadership and supporting long-term strategies for gender, land, and climate justice.
- [A Dinner With Amazon Watch](https://amazonwatch.org/dinner-with-amazon-watch) - We're so glad you can join us. Please complete this form to make your contribution to Amazon Watch.
- [Donation Failed](https://amazonwatch.org/donation-failed) - We're sorry, your donation failed to process. Please try again or contact site support.
- [Donation Confirmation](https://amazonwatch.org/donation-confirmation)
- [Feeling Supernatural? Give today to defend the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/supernatural) - Misha Collins and Alex Calvert from Supernatural are raising funds to protect the Amazon in solidarity with Indigenous peoples!
- [The Amazon Is in Flames](https://amazonwatch.org/amazon-fires) - Fires raging across the Amazon rainforest are devastating one of the world’s most biodiverse regions and Indigenous territories, intensifying threats to global climate stability.
- [Matching Gifts - Multiply Your Impact for the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/donate/matching-gifts) - Did you know thousands of employers have matching gift programs?
- [Join Yoga for Climate Action in supporting Amazon Watch!](https://amazonwatch.org/yoga-for-climate-action) - Each quarter, the Yoga for Climate Action collective selects a climate action organization for donations. Amazon Watch has been selected as this quarter's recipient!
- [Advanced Search](https://amazonwatch.org/search)
- [Planned Giving](https://amazonwatch.org/donate/planned-giving) - Recommend a gift from your donor-advised fund here or by contacting your sponsor organization to begin the process.
- [Peer-to-Peer Fundraising](https://amazonwatch.org/donate/peer-to-peer-fundraising) - Looking to amplify the impact of your donation in solidarity with Indigenous peoples of the Amazon? We’ve compiled a list of peer-to-peer fundraising tools so that you can connect your community with our work to stop Amazon destruction, amplify Indigenous solutions, and advance climate justice.
- [Send an eCard from the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/send-an-ecard-from-the-amazon) - Share your passion for the rainforest by sending a free Amazon Watch eCard!
- [Donor Dashboard](https://amazonwatch.org/donor-dashboard)
- [Explore the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/get-involved/explore-the-amazon) - The Amazon is the world’s largest and most biodiverse tropical rainforest. There is no effective solution to climate change that does not include protecting the Amazon.
- [Donation History](https://amazonwatch.org/donation-history)
- [Get Involved](https://amazonwatch.org/get-involved) - For over 25 years, Amazon Watch has been an effective force in supporting Indigenous and environmental movements on the front lines of halting destructive development. We couldn't have done this without your support!
- [Eye on the Amazon: The Official Blog of Amazon Watch](https://amazonwatch.org/news/blog) - Eye on the Amazon
- [Short URL Forwarder](https://amazonwatch.org/fwd)
- [Eye on the Amazon: The Official Blog of Amazon Watch](https://amazonwatch.org/news/blog) - Eye on the Amazon

## Actions

- [Demand Real Solutions to Amazon Crime!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/demand-real-solutions-to-amazon-crime) - Tell decision-makers to support Indigenous-led solutions that protect people, forests, and the future.
- [Mining Company Belo Sun Out of the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/mining-company-belo-sun-out-of-the-amazon) - Sign the petition and urge Brazil's President Lula to take action to revoke Belo Sun's license, protect the Xingu, and defend the Amazon.
- [Stop New Oil Rounds in the Ecuadorian Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/stop-new-oil-rounds-in-the-ecuadorian-amazon) - Join this urgent call to halt the expansion of the oil frontier in the Ecuadorian Amazon!
- [Stop State Violence in Ecuador!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/stop-state-violence-in-ecuador) - Violence, arrests, and censorship are escalating in Ecuador as the government cracks down on Indigenous movements and weakens environmental protections.
- [Stop the Ferrogrão Mega-Railway Through the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/stop-the-ferrograo-mega-railway-through-the-amazon) - Ferrogrão would drive major deforestation, illegal land grabbing, and violence against local communities defending their lands.
- [Hold Chevron Accountable!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/chevron-accountable) - It's time to hold Chevron accountable and prevent them from doing even more harm!
- [Hold Chevron Accountable!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/hold-chevron-accountable) - It's time to hold Chevron accountable and prevent them from doing even more harm!
- [Declare Indigenous Lands in the Amazon Free from Extraction!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/declare-indigenous-lands-in-the-amazon-free-from-extraction) - Add your voice to this global call in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples from across the Amazon.
- [Back the Wampís Resistance to Illegal Mining](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/stand-with-the-wampis) - Stand with the Wampis and call on Peru’s government to work with them to end illegal mining!
- [Stand With the Kakataibo Indigenous Guards!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/demand-protection-for-the-kakataibo-indigenous-guards) - Support the Kakataibo Indigenous Guards as they continue to put their bodies on the line to protect their territories and people.
- [Tell Ecuador and Peru: Stop the Cross-Border Oil Expansion!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/tell-ecuador-and-peru-stop-the-cross-border-oil-expansion) - Call on the Presidents of Ecuador and Peru to cancel their cross-border oil deal and Governor Newsom to take meaningful action to end California’s reliance on Amazon crude.
- [Urge Lula To Veto the Devastation Bill and Protect the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/urge-lula-to-veto-the-devastation-bill) - Brazil’s Congress just passed a bill that would be catastrophic for Indigenous rights, the Amazon rainforest, and the global climate. But there’s still time to stop it.
- [Tell Citi's Credit Card Partners: Drop Dirty Citi!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/tell-citis-credit-card-partners-drop-dirty-citi) - Citibank is the world’s largest funder of fossil fuel expansion, destroying and polluting our planet and our communities.
- [Send a Message of Solidarity After Indigenous Victory Against Amazon Drilling!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/block-64-solidarity-message) - Show your solidarity with Indigenous Achuar, Wampís, and Chapra nations after their major victory against Petroperú!
- [Demand Freedom for Native American Activist Leonard Peltier!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/demand-freedom-for-native-american-activist-leonard-peltier) - Sign a letter to President Biden demanding that he free activist Leonard Peltier, who has been serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison for over 49 years.
- [Defend the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/defend-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples-in-voluntary-isolation) - Sign the petition in solidarity with Indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation across the Amazon!
- [Defend Women Earth Defenders of the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/defend-women-earth-defenders-with-scottie-thompson) - Send your message of solidarity to the Indigenous Women Defenders of the Amazon!
- [Twitter Action: No to Mining in Shuar Arutam Territory](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/twitter-action-no-to-mining-in-shuar-arutam-territory) - Join a Tweet storm to amplify the demands of the Shuar Arutam to halt mining and respect Indigenous autonomy!
- [Expose the Complicity of Financial Institutions](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/expose-the-complicity-of-financial-industries) - Now is the time to intervene in defense of the Peruvian Amazon and its affected peoples!
- [Defend Women Earth Defenders of the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/defend-women-earth-defenders-of-the-amazon) - Send your message of solidarity to the Indigenous Women Defenders of the Amazon!
- [Demand Justice for Eduardo Mendúa](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/demand-justice-for-eduardo-mendua) - A’i Cofan leader Eduardo Mendúa was shot and killed after returning from a national meeting of Indigenous representatives. Eduardo, who came from a community living with the legacy of oil pollution, was working to block the latest expansion of oil drilling in Ecuador’s Amazon and protect remaining rainforest.
- [Gratitude for Josefina Tunki's Leadership](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/gratitude-for-josefina-tunkis-leadership) - Josefina Tunki is the first woman president of the Shuar Arutam organization. During her presidency, she has fought against the increasing threats of mining while serving as an advocate and inspiration to her community.
- [Mining Out of the Amazon!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/mining-out-of-the-amazon) - Join me in demanding that mining companies & financial institutions be held accountable for their #ComplicityinDestruction of the Amazon & human rights violations. Let’s demand #MiningOut of the Amazon, NOW!
- [Tell Banks to Exit Amazon Oil and Gas NOW!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/exit-amazon-oil-and-gas-now) - The fossil fuel era is over! Join us and demand that banks immediately adopt a policy to exclude financing and investments for all oil and gas activity in the Amazon biome.
- [Pledge to End California's Consumption of Amazon Crude!](https://amazonwatch.org/take-action/end-californias-amazon-crude) - California is the largest destination for crude oil exports from the Amazon rainforest. On average, the state receives 50% of the crude oil extracted from the Amazon each year.

## Categories

- [Press Release](https://amazonwatch.org/type/press-releases) - For press inquiries or interview requests, please contact presslist@amazonwatch.org or +1.510.281.9020.
- [Blog Post](https://amazonwatch.org/type/blog)
- [Report](https://amazonwatch.org/type/reports)
- [News](https://amazonwatch.org/type/articles)
- [Campaign Update](https://amazonwatch.org/type/campaign-updates)
- [Photo Gallery](https://amazonwatch.org/type/photos)
- [Video](https://amazonwatch.org/type/videos)
- [Action](https://amazonwatch.org/type/actions)

## Tags

- [Ecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/ecuador)
- [Kichwa](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/kichwa)
- [Sarayaku](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/sarayaku)
- [Sapara](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/sapara)
- [Indigenous Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/indigenous-rights)
- [Land Rights](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/land-rights)
- [FPIC](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/fpic)
- [Dirty Energy](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/dirty-energy)
- [Oil and Gas](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/oil-and-gas)
- [Brazil](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/brazil)
- [Climate Change](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/climate-change)
- [Defend Earth Defenders](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/defend-earth-defenders) - The Amazon and its Indigenous communities face a collective threat of land invasions, extractive industries, and mega infrastructure projects that often translate into death threats and violent attacks against those who resist. In order to protect the rights, territories, and environment of Amazonian Earth Defenders, we must fight for legal recognition and enforcement of ancestral territorial rights, implementation of free, prior, and informed consent for megaprojects imposed on Indigenous lands, addressing illegal economies and corruption, among others.
- [Hydroelectric Dams](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/hydroelectric-dams)
- [Mining Out of the Amazon](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/mining) - Mining in the Amazon has terrible effects on the livelihoods and health of Indigenous peoples and frontline communities as well as the overall balance of the Amazon’s biological diversity. Yet, mining giants with well-known track records of devastation and rights violations are eyeing Indigenous and traditional communities’ lands and other protected areas in the Amazon. Despite committing to withdraw from all mining interests in Indigenous lands, multinational companies continue to bulldoze through communities and their territories to complete their mining projects. Banks and asset managers are once again behind this extractive surge by financing these company’s projects.
- [Destructive Infrastructure](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/destructive-infrastructure)
- [Peru](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/peru)
- [Shuar](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/shuar)
- [Corporate Accountability](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/corporate-accountability)
- [Shipibo](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/shipibo)
- [BlackRock](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/blackrock)
- [End Amazon Crude](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/end-amazon-crude) - Amazon Watch works in close partnership with Indigenous peoples to stop oil extraction at the source and reduce global demand for Amazon oil.
- [Belo Monte](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/belo-monte)
- [Belo Sun](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/belo-sun)
- [Amazon In Focus](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/amazon-in-focus)
- [Colombia](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/colombia)
- [Achuar](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/achuar)
- [Chevron](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/chevron)
- [GeoPark](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/geopark)
- [JPMorgan Chase](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/jpmorgan-chase)
- [China](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/china)
- [Yasuni](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/yasuni)
- [REDD](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/redd)
- [Waorani](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/waorani)
- [Occidental Petroleum](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/occidental-petroleum)
- [Talisman Energy](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/talisman-energy)
- [Uwa](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/uwa)
- [Cofan](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/cofan)
- [Xingu](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/xingu)
- [Bolivia](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/bolivia)
- [Tapajos](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/tapajos)
- [Madeira](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/madeira)
- [Solar Power](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/solar-power)
- [ConocoPhillips](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/conocophillips)
- [Rio plus 20](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/rio-plus-20)
- [Block 1AB](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/block-1ab)
- [Pluspetrol](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/pluspetrol)
- [Quechua](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/quechua)
- [Urarina](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/urarina)
- [Petroamazonas](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/petroamazonas)
- [BNDES](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/bndes)
- [Ecopetrol](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/ecopetrol)
- [Camisea](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/camisea)
- [International Financial Institutions](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/international-financial-institutions)
- [GDF Suez](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/gdf-suez)
- [Ashaninka](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/ashaninka)
- [Ivanhoe Energy](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/ivanhoe-energy)
- [Pakitsapango](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/pakitsapango)
- [Inter-American Development Bank](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/inter-american-development-bank)
- [Plan Colombia](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/plan-colombia)
- [Venezuela](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/venezuela)
- [COVID-19](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/covid-19)
- [Amazon Defenders Fund](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/amazon-defenders-fund)
- [COP26](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/cop26)
- [Wampis](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/wampis)
- [Citigroup](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/citigroup)
- [LEAF Coalition](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/leaf-coalition)
- [Offsets](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/offsets)
- [Carbon Markets](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/carbon-markets)
- [80x2025](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/80x2025)
- [Petroperú](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/petroperu)
- [Vanguard](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/vanguard)
- [Yanomami](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/yanomami)
- [Solaris Resources](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/solaris-resources)
- [Petroecuador](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/petroecuador)
- [Power to the Protectors](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/power-to-the-protectors)
- [Chapra](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/chapra)
- [Amazon Crime](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/amazon-crime) - 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.
- [Ferrogrão](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/ferrograo)
- [Kayapó](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/kayapo)
- [Shiwiar](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/shiwiar)
- [Kakataibo](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/kakataibo)
- [COP30](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/cop30)
- [Avatar](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/avatar)
- [Awajún](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/awajun)
- [Indigenous Women](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/indigenous-women)
- [30 year anniversary](https://amazonwatch.org/topic/30-year-anniversary)