"Bolsonaro's dream is to exterminate us. It is our nightmare – a nightmare that we won't allow to come true."

– Sônia Guajajara

When President Jair Bolsonaro took office in January 2019, he plunged Brazil, the Amazon, and its indigenous peoples immediately into the worst crisis in a generation. We have seen the horrific results: millions of hectares of the Amazon deforested and burned, indigenous forest guardians murdered, and an onslaught of attacks on indigenous rights.

We at Amazon Watch are doing everything we can to counter this reckless assault and stand with our indigenous allies in resistance. Around the world, millions have spoken out and taken action, but the Bolsonaro regime is doubling down on repression.

Our work in Brazil is growing and our alliances are expanding. As you read this, our team is helping to lead a historic delegation of progressive Brazilian lawmakers to the U.S. Congress, including Brazil's first indigenous Congresswoman Joênia Wapichana. An opposition leader to Bolsonaro's regime, Joênia is in Washington to discuss Brazil's escalating human rights and environmental crisis, bring global attention to the threats faced by indigneous peoples, and build alliances with progressive leaders in the U.S.

Your support provides the means for us to stand with Joênia and leaders like Sônia Guajajara, helping to amplify their struggle to counter Bolsonaro's racist rhetoric and uphold the constitutional rights of Brazil's indigenous peoples. Your backing helps us to maintain the Amazon rainforest and its peoples at the forefront of the climate justice movement, provide legal and direct support to forest guardians at risk, and target the financial backers of Bolsonaro's disastrous agenda.

Defending indigenous peoples also defends the future of the Amazon. If we are to prevent future catastrophic fires like the ones we saw last summer, we need to take action now. We must make a long-term commitment as allies to counter these threats and continue to promote solutions that respect indigenous rights and protect the forest.

We can't put a price on a future with a healthy Amazon and thriving indigenous communities, but we can promise to put your contributions to good use and move us all towards that goal. Please stand with us by becoming a monthly sustainer today.

For the Amazon and our collective future,

Leila Salazar-López
Executive Director