Organized Crime Threatens Amazon Rainforest
Analysis based on 6 articles · First reported May 13, 2026 · Last updated May 13, 2026
The report by the International Crisis Group highlights the severe environmental degradation in the Amazon rainforest due to organized crime, which could impact industries reliant on raw materials from the region if supply chains are found to be tainted. The increased violence and instability in countries like Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela could deter foreign investment and disrupt economic activities.
A report by the International Crisis Group, published on May 12, reveals that organized crime poses a significant and growing threat to the Amazon rainforest. Criminal groups, including Brazilian factions like Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital, are expanding their reach into protected areas in search of new drug trafficking routes and illegal mining areas. This expansion fuels violence, particularly in communities under their control, and severely hinders environmental preservation efforts. The report indicates that these gangs operate in at least 67 percent of Amazon municipalities across Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, sometimes crossing borders into neighboring countries like Colombia. The International Crisis Group urged governments to collaborate with Indigenous communities and appealed to international suppliers to ensure their raw material supply chains are free from criminal origins.
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