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.
Indigenous Rights
Defending the Amazon Against Illegal Economies
The Wampís Nation’s fight to defend their territory against an invasion of illegal mining
The Wampís’ fight is not just local, it’s global. Defending the Amazon means defending the planet.
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.”
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."
The Rainforest Spoke. Amazonian Legislators Listened.
The Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Amazon call for a moratorium on new oil and mining projects – starting with Indigenous territories.
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.
Amazon Watch is building on more than 28 years of radical and effective solidarity with Indigenous peoples across the Amazon Basin.
Defending Mocoa in Southern Colombia
Art, culture, and children’s resistance against Giant Copper mining threat
“Mocoa is the most conserved territory, where the mountains hold the winds of the ancestors, which descend to embrace the Amazon.”
Indigenous Caravan Departs from Sinop to Belém to Protest Against Ferrogrão
Folha de S.Paulo | “We will not allow the interests of large corporations, such as Cargill and Bunge, to destroy our rivers and forests."
Ferrogrão Is a Shortcut to Collapse
The railway is being sold as a logistical solution, but in practice it means more deforestation, land invasions, and poison
O Globo | Ferrogrão is the backbone of a corridor that transforms the Amazon into a commodity export route and condemns Brazil to a subservient role.
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.
Global Outcry and Indigenous Opposition Challenge Ecuador’s 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.”
Ecuador’s Amazon Oil Plans Face Indigenous and Global Opposition
Seven Indigenous nations denounce oil auctions amid state of emergency, as Amazon Watch warns of oil expansion plans and human rights risks during Climate Week in New York
“Indigenous resistance, civil society mobilization, and growing international pressure will continue to expose these projects as illegitimate, unlawful, and unfinanceable.”
Indigenous Groups Criticize Ecuador’s $47 Billion Oil Expansion Plan in Amazon
Associated Press | “The Amazon is not for sale. We will defend our territories because we have not been consulted – this is our home."
“Mining Mafia” Scandal Threatens Brazil’s COP30 Credibility as Police Uncover Massive Fraud
On the eve of the COP30 climate summit, a corruption scandal in Brazil exposes how mining operates outside the law, putting communities and the climate at risk
"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
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 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.
Interview With Chief Raoni: “Congressmen Only Think About Destruction, Not About Future Generations”
Indigenous leader says he is skeptical about the practical effects of COP30 and laments that, under the Lula administration, projects such as Marco Temporal and the Destruction Bill are moving forward
O Globo | 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
"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,”
Defending the Defenders: Indigenous Peoples vs. Organized Crime in the Amazon
Organized crime is not just a threat to public safety. It is now one of the main drivers of Amazon deforestation and Indigenous displacement.
California Lawmakers Seek to Curb Oil Imports from Amazon
Associated Press | “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.”
Security at the Amazon’s Breaking Point: Tri-Border Report Spurs Concrete Actions After ATCO Summit
“The tri-border must be the test case: protect defenders, dismantle illicit economies, and pair enforcement with peacebuilding and restoration.”
Indigenous Groups Demand Action from South American Leaders at Amazon Summit
Associated Press | “There is no solution to any of the threats the Amazon is facing without its communities.”
New Report Released: In the Shadows of the State
Illicit Economies and Armed Control in the Triple Border Region of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
"Peace and security in the Amazon are impossible without Indigenous peoples at the heart of the solution."
An Important People-Powered Win in Brazil, but the Fight Isn’t Over
A partial veto protects key environmental safeguards, but dangerous loopholes still put the Amazon at risk
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.
Brazil’s Partial Veto of “Devastation Bill” Stops Some Setbacks, but Critical Loopholes Remain
Amazon Watch warns that preserved provisions still threaten Indigenous land rights and environmental protections ahead of COP30
“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."
Indigenous Women March Against Ferrogrão Railway and “Devastation Bill” in Brazil
Over 5,000 women march in Brazil’s capital to defend their territories and the Amazon ahead of COP30
“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
Associated Press | “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
Indigenous nations reject Boluarte’s announcement on binational oil pipeline between Petroperú and Petroecuador
“Without our consent, this project has no legitimacy. Investors must be warned: any deal built on rights violations is built on quicksand.”
Lula, the World Is Watching: Veto the Devastation Bill Now!
International pressure grows in support of Brazil's civil society's call
“Our future will be condemned if President Lula doesn’t veto the Devastation Bill.”
From Climate Talks To Climate Backlash: Global Citizen NOW Becomes Platform To Oppose Brazil’s Anti-Environment Bill
Indigenous and environmental leaders call on President Lula to veto Bill 2.159/2021 during international event at COP30 host city
"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."
