When leaders of Amazon nations convene at the upcoming summit in Belem, it won’t just be about preserving the rainforest; their focus is on a new threat – narco-deforestation.
Narco-deforestation, as dubbed by a recent UN report, has emerged as a grave concern in the fight to protect the Amazon. Criminal groups are now engaging in both drug trafficking and deforestation activities with alarming ease, blurring the lines between different criminal enterprises.
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), comprising eight member countries, will gather to address this pressing issue at the summit. Their goal is clear: to collaborate effectively in combatting crimes like narco-deforestation that pose a significant risk to the Amazon rainforest.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his deep concern about the situation, stating that organized crime and illegal activities find fertile ground in the Amazon region. The rise in drug trafficking through the Amazon has been fueled by high demand for cocaine in Europe and abundant coca harvests in the Andean region.
Criminal organizations are not only smuggling drugs but also laundering money through illicit land deals, mining operations, and logging activities. This convergence of illegal activities poses a serious threat to the environment and indigenous communities living in remote areas of the rainforest.
“The interconnectedness of criminal activities like drug trafficking and environmental crimes is alarming,”
remarked Charles Nascimento, a seasoned Federal Police officer with experience combating drug-related offenses in the Amazon. He highlighted how criminal networks exploit established drug routes to traffic illegally sourced gold and timber.
The tragic murders of indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips shed light on the dangerous nexus between poaching rings and organized crime operating within remote regions. These incidents prompted President Lula to ramp up law enforcement efforts to curb environmental crimes across vulnerable areas.
President Lula’s administration has taken decisive steps to tackle environmental degradation by establishing specialized police units focused on combating crimes specific to the Amazon region. Additionally, plans for an international police cooperation center in Manaus are underway, aiming to enhance coordination among countries affected by illegal trade practices originating from within the rainforest.
In a bid to strengthen global collaboration against narco-deforestation, Brazil plans to share advanced laboratory technologies capable of tracing illegally harvested goods back to their origins. By analyzing molecular signatures present in seized wood and gold samples from various locations across the Amazon basin, law enforcement agencies can pinpoint illicit sources such as Indigenous reserves where mining is prohibited.
Despite previous attempts at fostering cooperation through agreements like 2019’s Leticia Declaration, limited progress has been made due to hesitance among national police forces within South American countries sharing portions of the vast rainforest. However, with political shifts towards more progressive leadership under figures like Gustavo Petro in Colombia alongside President Lula’s return signaling potential alliances may lead to improved cooperation according Robert Muggah who authored part of U.N.’s report chapter on organized crime within Amazon regions.
“Criminal activity poses one of gravest threats facing our efforts toward safeguarding standing forests,”
emphasized Muggah while underscoring concerns surrounding protection measures for preserving critical ecosystems like those found within expansive territories shared by multiple South American nations.
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