Amazon rainforest 'under attack' from organized crime: report

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Brasília: Organized crime in South America has emerged as a growing threat to the Amazon, as the encroachment of criminal rings into protected areas fuels violence and undermines environmental preservation efforts. 

A report by the International Crisis Group think tank identifies the search for illegal mining areas and new drug trafficking routes as the primary drivers of this expansion.

Experts conclude that the Amazon is currently ‘under attack,’ with organized crime becoming a principal obstacle to stopping environmental damage. What was once viewed primarily as a conservation challenge has now escalated into a significant political and security crisis. 

The report notes that gangs now operate in at least 67 percent of Amazon municipalities across Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Criminal groups, particularly Brazilian organizations such as the Red Command (Comando Vermelho) and the First Capital Command (PCC), are exploiting government weaknesses to expand their territory.

 This expansion frequently crosses international borders, leading these groups to either compete or collaborate with armed factions in neighboring states. These organizations are reportedly exercising brutal violence against the local communities under their control.

The International Crisis Group has urged regional governments to collaborate with Indigenous communities to combat the spread of these criminal networks. ‘

Additionally, the think tank appealed to international suppliers of raw materials to ensure their supply chains are not tainted by products of criminal origin. Such measures are considered vital as the rainforest plays a central role in the global fight against climate change.

Protecting the vast, remote rainforest remains a difficult task, as surveillance has never been simple across the nine nations that share the Amazon basin. 

However, without decisive action to curb the reach of organized crime, the world’s largest tropical rainforest remains at risk of further devastating environmental and social impacts