Amazon Rainforest Defenders Confront Violence, Encroachment and Politics | Retro Report

In the 1980s, the assassination of the Brazilian environmental activist Chico Mendes fueled an international movement to save the rainforest from unchecked development. The movement eventually slowed deforestation and prompted the creation of over 200 land demarcations to protect Indigenous peoples and others who depend on the rainforest for their livelihoods.

As new economic and political troubles shake Brazil, the rainforest may be approaching a tipping point. In 2022, despite some protection from the demarcations, the rate of deforestation reached the highest level in 15 years, driven largely by cattle ranching. Nonetheless, the fight to save the rainforest continues. Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has promised that his government is aiming for “zero deforestation” by 2030. 

This video has closed captions and transcripts in both English and Spanish.