Indigenous Leaders Are Fighting Big Oil

Indigenous Leaders Are Taking On Big Oil – And We’re With Them

At Cool Earth, we believe the best way to protect rainforests is by backing the Indigenous communities who have cared for them for generations, recognising their deep knowledge and stewardship. Right now however, in the Peruvian Amazon, Indigenous leaders are raising urgent concerns about oil and gas projects that threaten their homes and way of life.

A Toxic Takeover

Right now, 75% of the Peruvian Amazon – home to 21 Indigenous groups – is covered by oil and gas concessions. That means vast areas of rainforest are at risk of pollution, deforestation, and land grabs, despite laws that are supposed to protect Indigenous rights. Communities are dealing with oil spills, poisoned rivers, and lost food sources while the government continues to auction off their land to fossil fuel companies.

At a recent hearing with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Indigenous leaders called out the Peruvian government for ignoring these issues. “The contamination of our rivers and territories continues,” said Julio Cusurichi Palacios, a leader from AIDESEP, a national Indigenous organisation. “And oil and gas projects are expanding with fewer environmental safeguards.”

Deforestation from an oil mine in the Amazon – credit Amazon Watch

The Cost of Ignoring Indigenous Rights

It’s not just about pollution – uncontacted Indigenous tribes are in serious danger. The Mashco-Piro people, one of at least 20 uncontacted groups in Peru, have been forced out of the forest due to logging and industrial activity, leading to deadly encounters with outsiders. These are some of the most vulnerable people on Earth, and their way of life is being erased.

Despite the evidence, the Peruvian government denies wrongdoing and keeps pushing for more extraction. But Indigenous leaders aren’t backing down – they’re taking their fight to the international stage, demanding justice and an end to oil and gas expansion in the Amazon.

This Fight Matters to Everyone

Rainforests aren’t just trees – they’re home, medicine, culture, and survival for millions of people. They also keep our planet cool by storing carbon and protecting biodiversity.

If we want a future where rainforests thrive, we have to stand with the people fighting to protect them. Indigenous communities need support, not more pollution. Let’s back their fight and continue to support them through organisations like Cool Earth.