Hundreds of people joined an Indigenous-led protest during the second day of the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, drawing attention to growing tensions over the Brazilian government’s claim that Indigenous voices are central to the event. The protest escalated when dozens of Indigenous activists forced their way into the conference venue after a large march approached the site.
The demonstrators expressed frustration that discussions at the summit focus heavily on climate finance while Indigenous land rights and environmental protection receive insufficient attention. One Indigenous leader, Gilmar of the Tupinamba community, said their communities want protection from agribusiness, oil exploration, illegal mining, and logging. The UN confirmed that the breach caused minor injuries to two security personnel and minor damage to the venue.
The protest unfolded as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva continued promoting Indigenous knowledge as essential to global climate solutions. Lula had urged world leaders to draw inspiration from Indigenous communities’ sustainable ways of life. However, Indigenous groups at the summit argued that his government and the international community are not acting quickly or effectively enough to protect their territories.
Ahead of COP30, Indigenous organisations from the Amazon Basin and across Brazil released a joint statement highlighting the urgent need to defend Indigenous lands. They described the Amazon as a crucial carbon sink absorbing hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, making the protection of the rainforest one of the world’s most effective climate mitigation strategies. They also demanded that Indigenous territories be fully excluded from mining and other extractive activities, not only in the Amazon but also in regions such as the Congo and Southeast Asia.
Activists like Leo Cerda, who helped organize the Yaku Mama flotilla that traveled 3,000km down the Amazon River to reach COP30, stressed that Indigenous peoples safeguard nature not only for themselves but for humanity. Cerda criticized governments for seeking Indigenous resources while refusing to guarantee Indigenous rights. Their arrival coincided with news that Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned oil company, had received a license for offshore oil exploration near the Amazon River’s mouth.
Cerda also emphasized the need for Indigenous presence at climate negotiations, noting that fossil fuel interests have been represented at COP conferences for decades. Reports indicate that more than 5,000 fossil fuel lobbyists have participated in UN climate summits over the past four years. This year’s summit includes delegates from 195 countries, though the United States is absent as President Donald Trump continues to oppose climate action and recently disrupted negotiations on reducing emissions from the shipping industry.
The 2025 summit is also the first held since the International Court of Justice ruled that countries have a legal obligation to meet their climate commitments and that failure to do so may constitute a violation of international law.
