By Luiz Arnaldo Campos, Laís Campos da Costa Nunes & João Pedro Galvão Ramalho

Whoever walked through the streets of Puyo, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, in recent days, even without knowing it, walked alongside those who are on the front lines of the struggle for the future of the planet. Among them, the Kichwa women of Sarayaku introduced the concept of the Living Forest (Selva Viviente) to more than 2,500 participants from 31 countries, while Waorani warriors, dressed in their traditional attire, marched for an end to oil extraction in their territories, under the slogan “One Amazon, One Territory.”

It is no coincidence that this was the slogan chosen by the 12th edition of the Pan-Amazonian Social Forum to guide the collective construction of a path that embraces and values the region’s different realities, in favor of action plans inspired by the concrete struggles already taking place in the territories.

A historic milestone — The XII FOSPA was hosted by the seven Indigenous nationalities of the Pastaza region. In other words, it was not an event centered around organizations or universities, but rather Indigenous peoples welcoming other peoples and social movements from across the Amazon, with delegations from the eight countries of the region, as well as French Guiana. 

From August 18 to 21, the Forum brought together Indigenous peoples, quilombola communities, fishers, women, and young people, from civil society organizations to academia, to align strategies through four Thematic Houses.

"One Amazon, one territory" was the motto that united representatives from various organizations and movements across the Pan-Amazon region during the 12th Fospa in Puyo, Ecuador. Credit: Pororoka Collective

At House 1, on Territories Free from Exploitation for an Amazon with Rights, more than 50 action proposals were developed, including the creation of Exclusion Zones in the Amazon to ban activities such as mining and fossil fuel extraction. It is worth noting that 20% of all new oil wells discovered worldwide are located in the region, where both legal and illegal mining are among the main drivers of river contamination, invasions of Indigenous lands, and the growth of organized crime.

Seeking recognition and enforcement of rights through the courts was also a key action in this plan. The proposal is to bring a case before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights seeking recognition of the Rights of Nature of the Amazon River and its tributaries, preventing violations of the integrity and functioning of these ecosystems. This initiative is also fundamental to protecting the peoples of the region.

At House 2, on Sovereignty and the Free Determination of Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities, Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant communities, and small farmers placed territorial autonomy and the power of communities to make decisions over their own territories at the center of the proposals. Actions include making free, prior and informed consent legally binding, guaranteeing the explicit right to say “no” to projects that affect their territories; expanding direct funding to communities, without intermediaries; strengthening Indigenous and quilombola guards; and creating Pan-Amazonian networks for protection, early warning, and legal support.

At House 3, on Economies for Life and Climate Justice, the proposals emerged in opposition to the so-called “false solutions” that turn nature into a commodity. The plan proposes, for example, recognizing Indigenous peoples’ Life Plans (Plan de Vida) as climate action instruments and strengthening Indigenous, peasant, and Afro-descendant economies based on agroecology, agroforestry systems, community markets, and other practices that already sustain life in the region.

The thematic houses were spaces for fostering dialogue and collective policies in defense of the Amazon and its territories. Credit: Pororoka Collective

At House 4, on Women’s and Diversities’ Resistance, participants identified as priorities confronting violence against bodies and territories, ensuring women’s political participation on equal terms, and valuing care work. Among the agreed actions is the strengthening of a permanent Pan-Amazonian network of women. The plan also includes a campaign against sexual violence against girls, adolescents, and young women, as well as the creation of community mental health spaces and intergenerational exchanges to strengthen ancestral care practices such as midwifery and traditional medicine.

The diverse voices of the Pan-Amazonian region led the debates on territoriality and resistance. Credit: Pororoka Collective

International Rights of Nature Tribunal — The legal concept of the Rights of Nature has already been incorporated into the legislation of several Pan-Amazonian countries, particularly Ecuador. In Brazil, however, its application remains limited. For this reason, one of the groundbreaking aspects of this FOSPA could also help reignite the debate around the issue in the country: the trial of complaints concerning oil exploitation at the mouth of the Amazon River before the International Rights of Nature Tribunal. 

The case was brought before the Tribunal by Indigenous leaders from Oiapoque, in Amapá, fishers from Marajó Island, in Pará, and environmental activists. The complainants argued that even the licensing process for just one of the blocks, Block 59, has already generated impacts, such as the abrupt expansion of Oiapoque’s urban area, increasing pressure on Indigenous Lands and Conservation Units.

Representatives of fishing communities from Marajó denounced the impacts of expanding oil exploration in the Amazon River estuary region during the 3rd Regional Hearing on the Rights of Nature. Credit: JB Alfaro - GARN

In addition, the spill of 18,000 liters of oil that occurred in January this year illustrates the ecosystem risks in one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth.

“Our rivers are sacred, our forests are sacred, our lakes are sacred, and that is where we get our livelihood and where we currently live. That is why we are here today, sent by our organizations and our people, to defend our territory until death”, explained Guisel dos Santos, of the Galibi Marwono people and vice-coordinator of the Council of Chiefs of the Indigenous Peoples of Oiapoque (CCPIO).

Connected struggles — This is just one example of how struggles that may initially appear isolated can connect and strengthen one another in spaces such as FOSPA. In addition to bringing the case forward, the Karipuna, Palikur, Galibi Marwono, and Galibi Kali’na peoples of Oiapoque were also able to engage in dialogue and learn from the Kichwa people of Sarayaku, who became a global reference after expelling an oil company from their territory in 2003.

Various groups representing indigenous peoples marched through the streets of Puyo to protest against oil exploration in their territories. Credit: Pororoka Collective

Contesting politics in the territories — In addition to the Action Plans and the Tribunal, the XII FOSPA approved the Puyuk Political Declaration — Puyuk being the original name of Puyo. Its first point states:

“Today, in the Pan-Amazonian region, in the Amazonian countries and throughout Latin America, an aggressive wave of the far right, authoritarianism, and geopolitical economic powers is underway, driven by U.S. imperialism, threatening and overwhelming the countries of the region with all kinds of aggression against peoples and nature.”

The Declaration also expressed solidarity with peoples fighting against colonial domination, such as those in French Guiana, demanding that the UN recognize the need to decolonize the territory, as well as denouncing the genocide of Palestinians by Israeli Zionism.

In addition to the main declaration, the Final Plenary endorsed a series of documents presented by different peoples, movements, and organizations, including a call for Solidarity with Brazil, presented by the FOSPA International Committee itself. After speaking out against the rise of the right wing in the region, the committee expressed its hope for a victory by Brazil’s progressive forces in the upcoming presidential elections.

The penultimate point of the Puyuk Political Declaration further states: 

“We proclaim peace with sovereignty, peace with justice, and peace with nature, our Mother Earth.” 

In times of despair, when convergence around confronting the climate crisis has been replaced by more wars and disputes over strategic resources, and when the United Nations and COPs have been flooded by lobbyists and sidelined by states, FOSPA, by creating a space for dialogue among those who truly know and already practice living well with the planet, succeeded in building plans based on real solutions — solutions that humanity genuinely needs today if we are to continue calling this planet our Home.

An effervescent process of construction — The development of FOSPA’s plans did not take place solely behind closed doors. With great warmth and diversity, the Forum featured marches, cultural exhibitions, film screenings, dances, and concluded with the Rizoma Music Festival, bringing together artists from across Latin America in celebration of life and nature.

In 2028, the XIII FOSPA will be held in Mocoa, in the Putumayo region of Colombia.