The Amazon rainforest, often referred to as the “lungs of the Earth,” has become the center of an intense and often contentious struggle involving Indigenous communities, national governments, and powerful corporations. The Amazon basin reaches nine Latin American countries, spreading for more than half in Brazil, followed by Peru and Colombia. However, globalization has led numerous powerful corporations to take over the land and transform it into extensive agricultural land, particularly for animal pastures like soybeans, and to control its natural resources, such as gold, iron, and fossil fuel.
Deforestation, illegal mining, logging, and agriculture, mostly with the authorization of local governments, have contributed to the loss of over 20% of the Amazon rainforest, responsible as a consequence of the displacement of indigenous people, and contributing to climate change, and climate-induced natural disasters.
The Amazon is indeed home to millions of Indigenous people whose cultures, identities, and livelihoods are deeply intertwined with the forest: these communities possess deep ecological knowledge and have proven to be the most effective protectors of the rainforest. But the rights of these Indigenous groups to their ancestral lands have been under constant threat by the continuous land-grabbing of multinationals. An anti-deforestation movement led by Indigenous communities started already back in the 70s and it is still strong today: the battle for their land rights is not only about environmental protection but also about the survival of their cultures and the defense of their ancestral sovereignty over the territory.
Amazonian nations, particularly Brazil, Peru, and Colombia, play a significant role in determining the fate of the rainforest. While some governments have implemented policies to curb deforestation and protect Indigenous lands, others have actively weakened environmental protections in favor of economic growth. In particular Brazil, under the legislation of President Bolsonaro, has contributed to favor agribusiness and land speculators through a series of policies that effectively encouraged land grab, while weakening Indigenous organizations that tried to contrast him. Also, with the excuse of focusing on the economic development of the country, many governments have pushed for infrastructure projects, such as roads and hydroelectric dams, while disregarding the concerns of Indigenous populations, who are rarely consulted before their lands are impacted.
Latin America’s countries have also started selling the land to big corporations, attracted by profiting through agriculture, logging, and mining, exploiting the Amazon territory and causing short-term and long-term consequences to the rainforest sustainability and to Indigenous people. The expansion of cattle ranching and soybean farming, for example, has led to massive deforestation, legalized by national policies that focus online on increasing their revenue.
Nevertheless, major political steps have been made in Latin America towards environmental protection: in 2021, 12 countries have ratified the Escazù Agreement, the first legally binding instrument in the world to include provisions on environmental human rights defenders, adding environmental rights as fundamental to their Constitutions. Colombia ratified the agreement in 2024, showing a major step forward in the efforts to save the Amazon forest, while Brazil and Peru have not yet joined.
The human activities led by greed are destroying the Amazon forests, almost on the verge of the critical point of non-return, from which the forest cannot be saved anymore. At stake are not only the preservation of one of the world’s most vital ecosystems but also the rights of Indigenous peoples and the economic interests of multinational industries. Governments must prioritize long-term ecological health over short-term financial gains, and corporations should be held accountable for their environmental impact and offer ecological reparation. As such, they should respect the self-determination of Indigenous communities and their ancestral rights, allowing them to restore and protect the forest.
By The European Institute for International Relations
