Amazon Rising: Indigenous Fury 🔥 🚀 📈

World News

Hundreds of Indigenous people staged a forceful protest on the second day of the UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, dramatically highlighting a growing rift with the Brazilian government’s claims of inclusivity. Following a march to the venue, a large group of protesters successfully gained entry to the 30th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference on Tuesday evening, voicing frustration with the summit’s emphasis on climate finance. As leader Gilmar explained, “We can’t eat money,” and their demands were clear: they sought the protection of their ancestral lands from encroachment by agribusiness, oil exploration, illegal mining, and illegal logging. Security at the conference was breached as protesters forced their way in, resulting in minor injuries to two security personnel and some damage to the venue. This situation occurred amidst Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s public championing of Indigenous communities as key negotiators, stating that participants should be “inspired by Indigenous peoples and traditional communities – for whom sustainability has always been synonymous with their way of life.” However, Indigenous participants felt that more needed to be done, both by Lula’s government at home and by the international community. A joint statement emphasized the critical role of protecting Indigenous territories, particularly the Amazon rainforest – a vast “carbon sink” capable of absorbing 340 million tons of carbon dioxide – and specifically called for these territories to be shielded from mining and other activities, particularly in the Amazon, Congo, Borneo-Mekong, and Southeast Asia. Organiser Leo Cerda, leading the “Yaku Mama” protest flotilla which sailed 3,000km down the Amazon, explained that Indigenous peoples are fighting not just for their own survival, but for the future of humanity, noting that while many states sought to exploit Indigenous resources, they weren’t guaranteeing Indigenous rights. Notably, as the protest unfolded, Brazil’s state-run oil company, Petrobras, received permission to begin offshore oil drilling near the Amazon River, a situation underscored by the presence of numerous fossil fuel lobbyists at the summit. The ongoing resistance to addressing climate change continues to solidify the United States’ position as the world’s largest historical emitter of fossil fuels. Recent examples, such as the Trump administration’s stalling of negotiations aimed at reducing emissions from the shipping industry, highlight this continued challenge. This year’s meeting is particularly significant as it marks the first since the International Court of Justice ruled that countries have a legal obligation to fulfill their climate commitments. Judge Yuji Iwasawa emphasized that greenhouse gas emissions are undeniably caused by human activities. The urgency of the situation is starkly illustrated by stories from around the globe, including the desperate efforts of communities in Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation, facing threatened existence due to rising sea levels, and the Brazilian community of Vila do Pesqueiro, grappling with the devastating effects of coastal erosion and surging tides, forcing families to confront the loss of their ancestral homes. Globally, the consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent; the UNHCR reports that weather-related disasters have already displaced a quarter of a billion people over the past decade, and the situation is only expected to worsen.