Indigenous groups held protests on Friday in Belém, blocking the main entrance to the restricted area at the UN Climate Summit (COP30) to demand that the Brazilian government halt extractive projects that jeopardize their cultures and livelihoods.
The protesters mostly belonged to the Munduruku Indigenous people who live in the Amazon rainforest, mainly in the states of Amazonas and Pará. They blocked access to the COP30’s main entrance, which required the army to intervene to reinforce security. Protesters’ demands included increased representation of Indigenous peoples in COP30 and the UN climate process, as well as an end to extractive activities that threaten Munduruku territories in the Tapajós and Xingu River basins, highlighting that decisions made at a global level have direct impacts on their livelihoods.
Other Indigenous youth participants expressed their support for the protests and described them as a demonstration of the urgency of Indigenous people’s demands. According to Amanda Pankará, from the Pankará people in Pernambuco, COP30 provides a platform where Indigenous people’s rights can “gain greater visibility.” Pankará called for more inclusion of indigenous peoples in climate discussions.
Another Chilean Indigenous youth representing the Mapuche people, Emiliano Medina, asserted that Friday’s protests were a response to the growing challenges faced by Indigenous populations from mining and industrial activities, including land grabs, and forced displacements.
Brazilian Environment Ministry official Ana Toni, executive director of COP30, affirmed that Brazil’s government is attentive to the concerns raised by the protesters. She emphasized that COP30 has seen an increase of 600 Indigenous participants compared to the previous year’s conference in Azerbaijan. Toni stressed that selecting Belém as the venue for COP30 was intended to facilitate participation by Indigenous peoples, and amplify their voices in the climate dialogue. She also stated that the Brazilian government permits diverse forms of protest and anticipates additional demonstrations during the conference.
The central themes of COP30 include strategies to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5°C, the submission of updated national action plans, and the evaluation of progress regarding financial commitments established at COP29, which climate activists have deemed insufficient. Nevertheless, for this year’s conference, the primary concern of international human rights organizations centered on ensuring the effective participation of climate activists and Indigenous peoples.
In March, Transparency International urged the UN climate change agency to take measures to restore trust in the COP process and prevent fossil fuel lobbyists from hindering negotiations. In October, rights organizations called on Brazilian authorities to implement safeguards to ensure the protection of the rights of civil society members at the COP30, including Indigenous people, who face life-threatening environmental risks due to mining operations in their lands. Environmental activists are increasingly targeted with repressive measures worldwide, which the UN has described as a threat to both climate action and human rights.
