Amazonas confronts El Niño climate risks and police staffing shortages at Tabatinga border

Federal deputy Amom Mandel (Republicanos‑AM) filed a representation with the Amazonas State Public Prosecutor urging an investigation into the existence and implementation of a state plan to prevent and confront the impacts of the El Niño 2026/27 phenomenon. He highlighted the intensifying climate pattern, with a 97% chance of persisting into early 2027 and an 81% chance of a very strong event later in 2026, warning of reduced rains, higher temperatures, river level drops, water scarcity, fires and deteriorating air quality. The deputy stressed that the impacts go beyond the environment, affecting transport, health services, agriculture, and vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, Indigenous peoples and riverine communities. The state declared a climate emergency in June, but the deputy questioned whether the required resources, teams and equipment have been deployed.

Separately, the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) asked a federal court to urgently reinforce the Federal Police delegation in Tabatinga, a town on the Brazil‑Colombia‑Peru triple border. The MPF noted that staffing fell from five delegates in 2023 to two in 2026, causing a surge in workload—from 95 investigations in 2024 to 141 by March 2026—and threatening the continuity of critical cases, including an inquiry into the disappearance of Indigenous children. The petition seeks to restore a minimum of five delegates within 30 days, secure clerical support, and develop a 180‑day plan to ensure adequate staffing at this strategic border unit.