Brazil wanted more protections for its endangered national tree. Then France called Just three months ago, Brazil seemed close to winning the highest level of international trade protections for the country’s symbol and namesake, the Brazilwood tree (Paubrasilia echinata). On Nov. 26...

Alleged last-minute political maneuvers prevented Brazil from securing the highest protections from international commercial trade of Brazilwood at the 2025 meeting of CITES.

✍️ @nandawenzel.bsky.social, Spoorthy Raman, Emmanuelle Picaud on @mongabay.com

news.mongabay.com/2026/02/braz...

Brazil wanted more protections for its endangered national tree. Then France called Just three months ago, Brazil seemed close to winning the highest level of international trade protections for the country’s symbol and namesake, the Brazilwood tree (Paubrasilia echinata). On Nov. 26...

My latest for @mongabay.com
Brazil sought the highest global protection for its endangered national tree, pau-brasil. But negotiations shifted after diplomatic pressure from France. @spoorthyraman.bsky.social Emmanuelle Picaud, Andrew Lehman, Elisângela Mendonça.

news.mongabay.com/2026/02/braz...

Stricter rules adopted to protect sloths from pet trade and selfie tourism Known for their peaceful appearance and the impression that they’re always smiling, sloths now have extra protection to prevent their exploitation by a cruel and illegal pet trade. CITES, the global w...

Extra-protection for sloths! More than 180 countries approved stricter rules for the trade of sloth species targeted by criminal organizations. The poor animals are often displayed as tourist attractions and sold as “exotic pets”, as we showed in @mongabay.com

news.mongabay.com/2025/12/stri...

Sloth selfies are feeding a booming wildlife trafficking trade It’s not easy to find a sloth in the middle of the forest. They spend most of their time in the tree canopy and are masters of camouflage, thanks to their slow movements and the algae attached to thei...

Do you know that sloths are known as the Miss Congeniality of the Amazon? However, their peaceful appearance and their apparent smile have turned them into one of the primary targets of animal trafficking organizations. More on that in my latest to @mongabay.com

news.mongabay.com/2025/11/slot...

On the frontline of the Amazon land war TERRA NOSSA, Brazil — In 2024, Mongabay investigative reporter Fernanda Wenzel traveled to one of the most dangerous spots in the Brazilian Amazon — a region where a silent land war is destroying the ...

Last year, a group of landless people risked their lives in a conflict with land grabbers in one of the most dangerous parts of the Amazon, in the hope of securing a piece of land. This story is now revealed in a short documentary by @mongabay.com

news.mongabay.com/video/2025/1...

EU appetite for EVs drives new wave of deforestation in tropical forests Brazil, which accounts for large reserves of nickel, graphite, rare earths, lithium and niobium, would be one of the most affected countries.

Ótima matéria da @nandawenzel.bsky.social na @mongabay.com. Contribuí com uma entrevista: EU appetite for EVs drives new wave of deforestation in tropical forests news.mongabay.com/2025/06/eu-a...

Paralisação da reforma agrária fomenta nova onda de invasões e violência na Amazônia NOVO PROGRESSO, Pará — Julia e a filha de dois anos estavam dormindo no chão sob uma barraca de lona, em um acampamento cercado por uma dúzia de homens armados. Ainda assim, a jovem de 26 anos achava ...

Ao todo, há 145 mil famílias acampadas à espera de um pedaço de terra no Brasil, a maioria na Amazônia. Saiba mais na reportagem do @mongabay.com.

brasil.mongabay.com/2025/06/para...

Esses fazendeiros são acusados de grilar vastas áreas dentro do assentamento PDS Terra Nossa, onde cinco pessoas foram mortas em disputas por terras. Decisões judiciais determinaram que eles deixem a área, mas até agora nada aconteceu.

No ano passado, visitamos um desses acampamentos em Novo Progresso, no Pará, uma das regiões mais violentas da Amazônia. Encontramos um grupo cercado por homens armados contratados por fazendeiros.

A demora do governo Lula em retomar a reforma agrária está levando a uma nova onda de ocupações de terras na Amazônia, em situações que muitas vezes terminam em conflito.

Unnoticed oil & gas threat looms for Indigenous people near Amazon blocks While oil prospects in the Amazon north shore attract international attention, the offer of exploration blocks around Indigenous territories goes unnoticed in Mato Grosso state.

While the world is focused on the threat of oil exploration in the Amazon River Mouth, the auction of oil wells near Indigenous lands goes unnoticed in another part of the Amazon. @mongabay.com @alexdesanti.bsky.social

news.mongabay.com/2025/06/unno...

My last contribution to @mongabay.com European efforts to become net zero may trigger carbon emissions in Brazil and Indonesia.

Six months from COP30, Brazil is about to approve what experts call the worst environmental setback in four decades.

Amazônia: garimpeiros ilegais driblam fiscalização contrabandeando ouro para a Venezuela Em 2023, a Polícia Federal notou uma movimentação incomum no pequeno aeroporto de Santarém, no estado do Pará: venezuelanos aparentemente humildes comprando passagens caras de última hora e sempre pag...

Especialistas dizem que essa nova dinâmica aproxima os garimpeiros do crime organizado e do tráfico de drogas. Saiba mais em minha última investigação para @mongabay.com

brasil.mongabay.com/2025/05/amaz...

De acordo com as autoridades brasileiras, isso significa uma inversão no fluxo de ouro pelo continente. O Brasil, uma tradicional lavanderia de ouro, agora está fornecendo o metal para ser lavado em outros países.

No entanto, com a entrada em vigor de regras mais rígidas para o comércio de ouro, Castro teve que se reinventar. Agora, @mongabay.com descobriu que ele se juntou a uma organização criminosa que contrabandeia ouro do Pará para a Venezuela.

O homem ao lado do buraco era Adriano Aguiar de Castro, que, segundo as autoridades, pulou de um esquema de lavagem de ouro para outro desde 2019.

Os garimpeiros ilegais da Amazônia são muito criativos. Anos atrás, um grupo criou uma mina subterrânea falsa para enganar as autoridades sobre a origem do ouro. Esse buraco da foto, pequeno demais para acomodar um homem adulto, foi a origem de 379,4 kg de ouro, segundo eles.

Delay in land reform fuels new wave of settlers and violence in the Amazon Grassroots organizations are settling new areas in the Brazilian Amazon amid disappointment that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been slow to jump-start the stalled land reform agenda.

There is enormous demand for land distribution in the Amazon, but many public areas are occupied by land grabbers. Learn more in @mongabay.com special report. Images by Fernando Martinho e edition by @alexdesanti.bsky.social

news.mongabay.com/2025/05/dela...

These ranchers are accused of land grabbing vast areas within the PDS Terra Nossa settlement, where five people were killed in land disputes. The courts have already ordered them to leave, but so far nothing has happened.

Last year, we visited one of these settlements in Novo Progresso, in the state of Pará, one of the Amazon's most violent regions. We found a group surrounded by armed men hired by ranchers.

The Lula government's delay in unlocking agrarian reform is leading to a new wave of land occupations in the Amazon, in situations that often end in conflict.

Restauração da Amazônia oferece redenção para créditos de carbono após escândalos em projetos REDD Em 2024, uma operação policial contra o maior produtor de créditos de carbono do Brasil marcou o ponto mais baixo da já longa crise de reputação dos projetos REDD. Grandes empresas que compraram crédi...

Depois de projetos REDD terem ido parar nas páginas policiais, iniciativas de restauração florestal surgem como a nova aposta dos créditos de carbono na Amazônia. Até a mineradora Vale e a indústria de carne Marfrig entraram na onda. Leia no @mongabay.com

brasil.mongabay.com/2025/05/rest...

Garimpo ilegal se instala a 1 km da segunda maior árvore da Amazônia Desde 2019, pesquisadores têm utilizado laser e realizado incursões na Amazônia brasileira para identificar árvores gigantes, que se elevam muito acima do dossel da floresta. Além de serem um patrimôn...

Garimpeiros estão fugindo das operações em Roraima e no Pará e procurando novas fronteiras de exploração de ouro. Uma delas é o Amapá, onde eles estão perigosamente próximos de uma das maiores árvores da Amazônia. @mongabay.com

brasil.mongabay.com/2025/05/gari...

Amazon illegal miners bypass enforcement by smuggling gold into Venezuela Mongabay followed the steps of Adriano Aguiar de Castro, who, according to authorities, jumped from one gold laundering scheme to another and now is also involved with gold smuggling into Venezuela.

Experts say these new dynamics bring illegal gold miners closer to organized crime and drug trafficking. Know more in my latest investigation to @mongabay.bsky.social. Edited by @alexdesanti.bsky.social ✍️

news.mongabay.com/2025/04/amaz...

According to Brazilian authorities, it means an inversion in the gold flow across the continent. Brazil, a traditional gold laundering machine, now is supplying gold to be laundered elsewhere.

As the Brazilian government implemented stricter rules for gold commerce, however, Castro had to reinvent himself. Now, @mongabay.bsky.social found that he joined a criminal organization smuggling gold from Pará state into Venezuela.

The man standing next to the hole was Adriano Aguiar de Castro, who, according to authorities, jumped from one gold laundering scheme to another since 2019.

Illegal miners in the Brazilian Amazon are very creative. Years ago, a group created a fake underground mine to cheat authorities about the origin of the gold. This small hole, too small to accommodate a grown man, was the origin of 379.4 kg of gold, according to them.

As the Brazilian government implemented stricter rules for gold commerce, Castro had to reinvent himself. Now, @mongabay.bsky.social found that he joined a criminal organization smuggling gold into Venezuela.