Amazon indigenous communities declare emergency over ecological threats

Indigenous communities across the Amazon have declared a state of emergency to address the critical ecological decline of the rainforest. During the XII Pan-Amazonian Social Forum in Ecuador, leaders called for an immediate halt to oil concessions and criticized the lack of government protection against drug trafficking, unregulated extractivism, and large-scale infrastructure projects.

Reports indicate that organized crime is active in at least 67% of Amazonian municipalities, and nearly 9.4% of the region's surface is affected by hydrocarbon concessions. The systemic crisis threatens to cause a total ecological collapse in up to 25% of the region. Furthermore, environmental defenders face significant risks, with over 40% of attacks on leaders occurring in Colombia and Brazil.

In response, indigenous groups are integrating ancestral knowledge with scientific methods to defend their territories. In Ecuador, the Waorani people have collaborated on water purity reports to combat extractivism. In Peru, efforts are underway to accelerate the legal titling of indigenous lands, while in Chile, traditional stone weir fishing methods are being recognized for their role in maintaining ecosystem balance despite threats from the salmon industry.