Good morning! Today, we break down a new report by Human Rights Watch on how tree loggers and armed militias are literally operating ‘under the radar’ in the Amazon. Petrobras to hold fuel prices, despite international hikes. And a Chinese mega-dam was announced in Minas Gerais. (This newsletter is for platinum and gold subscribers only. Become one now!)
When urban militias and loggers unite
NGO Human Rights Watch publishes a report today on how criminal networks operate in the Amazon region. The so-called Ipê Mafia (the Ipê is a tree that has become a symbol of Brazilian flora) has groups that provide logging machines, and are backed by paramilitary squads that threaten—and often kill—indigenous people, producers, and state agents who try to report illegal activities.
Why it matters. The document offers a glimpse into how the rainforest is being devastated, as the federal government has no data on land-related crimes. Small-scale illegal logging already accounts for half of Amazon deforestation, says the report, making it a billion-dollar industry. A single ipê trunk is valued at up to BRL 6,000.
Here are the report’s main findings:
Organized crime. Deforestation is perpetrated by criminal networks which are able to pay for machinery...