Indigenous activists staged a dramatic protest at the UN COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, calling for stronger protection of their lands and urgent global climate action.
On the second day of COP30, dozens of Indigenous protesters forced their way into the summit venue after a large march, demanding attention to the escalating threats from agribusiness, illegal mining, and oil exploration in the Amazon.
“We can’t eat money,” said Gilmar, a Tupinamba leader, emphasizing that climate finance discussions often overlook Indigenous survival and land rights. The protest caused minor injuries to two security staff and small damage to the venue, according to a UN spokesperson.
Lula highlights indigenous stewardship
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has repeatedly praised Indigenous communities as central to COP30, noting that sustainability is integral to their way of life. “Participants will be inspired by Indigenous peoples and traditional communities,” Lula said at a leaders summit last week.
However, activists argue that declarations are not enough. They continue to push for concrete protections against exploitation and encroachment on their territories.
Protecting the amazon: Global and local demands
Ahead of COP30, Indigenous groups from across the Amazon Basin and Brazil emphasized the vital role of their lands in climate mitigation. With the Amazon acting as a carbon sink for approximately 340 million tons of CO₂, the groups called for the exclusion of Indigenous territories from mining, deforestation, and fossil fuel extraction.
Leo Cerda, organizer of the Yaku Mama flotilla, which sailed 3,000 km down the Amazon to attend COP30, said, “Most states want our resources, but they don’t want to guarantee the rights of Indigenous peoples. We are here to secure nature for all humanity.”
Industry pressures continue
While activists protested, Brazil’s state-run oil company, Petrobras, received approval to explore offshore drilling near the Amazon’s mouth, highlighting the ongoing conflict between economic interests and environmental protection. Over the past four years, more than 5,350 fossil fuel lobbyists have attended UN climate summits, according to The Guardian.
The summit sees participation from 195 countries, though the United States remains absent, with past administrations blocking key climate initiatives, particularly regarding emissions from the shipping industry.
