A growing threat in the heart of the green world
The Amazon rainforest, known as the “lungs of the Earth” and the world’s largest tropical rainforest, faces a new existential threat that goes beyond traditional forest fires and deforestation. According to a recent report by the International Crisis Group, organized crime gangs have become the primary drivers of environmental destruction and violence in the region, transforming an environmental crisis into a complex security and political issue with global dimensions.
Historical context: From logging to transnational crime networks
Historically, the degradation of the Amazon rainforest has been linked to activities such as illegal logging and agricultural expansion for cattle ranching and soybean cultivation. But in recent decades, the region has undergone a radical transformation. Its vast expanses and dense forests, with little government oversight, have become an ideal haven for organized crime networks. These gangs exploit the region to establish new drug trafficking routes, particularly for cocaine from Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, as well as to expand their illegal mining activities for gold and other minerals. These activities not only directly destroy the environment but also create a criminal infrastructure, including clandestine airstrips and illicit roads, further entrenching their presence deep within the forest.
Dimensions of the current crisis and its devastating impact
A report by the International Crisis Group highlights how the encroachment of these criminal groups fuels violence and directly hinders environmental conservation efforts. The report quotes Bram Ebosse, an expert with the organization, as saying, “Organized crime has become one of the biggest obstacles to efforts to halt environmental degradation in the Amazon.” He added that what was once primarily an environmental challenge “has become a political and security crisis.”.
Based on data from the Amazon Underworld project, the report revealed that these gangs operate in at least 67% of the Amazon region, spanning countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Their activities range from drug trafficking and illegal mining to land grabbing and the trafficking of rare timber and wildlife.
Local, regional and international impact
At the local level, Indigenous communities are the primary victims, as their lands are invaded and plundered, and their members are subjected to violence and forced displacement, threatening their culture and way of life, which have been passed down for centuries. Regionally, the activities of these transnational networks destabilize the entire Amazon basin, exacerbate border tensions, and fuel corruption within government institutions. Internationally, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest represents a global climate catastrophe, as the forest plays a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide and regulating the global climate. Its accelerated loss threatens to worsen global warming and cause irreplaceable biodiversity loss. Therefore, the organization has urged governments to collaborate with Indigenous communities to combat crime and has appealed to international suppliers to ensure their supply chains are free of products of criminal origin from the Amazon.
