Indigenous people have found themselves at the forefront of another battle against corporate giants that exploit the Amazon without a second thought. This time an unlikely target emerged: Canada.

Ahead of the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review of Canada, Amazon Watch accompanied a coalition of Indigenous leaders, local communities, and Latin American civil society representatives to Geneva, Switzerland.

Together, we exposed the predatory practices of Canada’s extractive sectors operating in Latin America and the Caribbean, actively supported by the “economic diplomacy strategy” of the Canadian government.

These efforts are the result of meticulous work by Amazon Watch and more than 50 civil society organizations who have come together to compile three critical reports under the campaign “Unmasking Canada: Rights Violations Across Latin America.”

The Amazon rainforest is not just a local treasure; it’s a global lifeline that boasts the greatest biodiversity on Earth. Beyond its incredible flora and fauna, the Amazon plays a key role in mitigating the climate crisis, as confirmed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Protecting it is not just a regional concern but a global imperative.