Latest news with #Amazonas
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Award-winning Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado dies at age 81, his institute says
SAO PAULO — Brazilian photographer and environmentalist Sebastião Salgado, known for his award-winning images of nature and humanity, has died at age 81. Instituto Terra, which was founded by him and his wife, confirmed the information Friday, but did not provide more details on the circumstances of Salgado's death or where it took place. 'Sebastião was more than one of the best photographers of our time,' Instituto Terra said in a statement. 'His lense revealed the world and its contradictions; his life, (brought) the power of transformative action.' Salgado's life and work were portrayed in the documentary film 'The Salt of the Earth' (2014), co-directed by Wim Wenders and his son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. Salgado lived in Paris for many years and started to fully dedicate his time to photography in 1973, years after his economy degree. His style is marked by black-and-white imagery, rich tonality, and emotionally-charged scenarios. Impoverished communities were among his main interests. Among his main works are the recent series 'Amazonia;' 'Workers' which shows manual labor around the world; and 'Exodus' (also known as 'Migrations' or 'Sahel') which documents people in transit, including refugees and slum residents. Salgado and his wife, Lélia Wanick Salgado, founded Amazonas Images, an agency that exclusively handles his work.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- The Guardian
Spanish tourists robbed by armed ‘river pirates' in Peruvian Amazon
A Spanish tourist has recounted how an armed gang calling themselves 'river pirates' robbed her and her family aboard a boat travelling down the Amazon River in Peru. In a video on TikTok, one of the tourists, Elisabet de la Almudena, said she experienced the 'worst day of her life' on 14 May, when four armed assailants holding pistols and one machine gun boarded the boat she was travelling on with her parents and six-year-old daughter. She said the gunmen forced them to open banking apps on their phones and empty their accounts. 'We contracted a family tour, a sightseeing tour,' she said, adding that they were taken further into the jungle after being robbed and were left stranded there for an hour. 'The hardest part was when these people boarded the boat. Through mobile phone applications, they asked us to take the money out of our accounts and transfer it to one of their accounts, otherwise they would not leave,' she added. De la Almudena said there were about 14 Spanish tourists on the boat, including children and elderly people, who were all released shaken but unharmed after the ordeal. She said that a local family found them stranded and helped them get back to Iquitos, where they arrived in the early hours of the morning. She also alleged that the tour company, Canopy Tours Iquitos, did not have an emergency protocol or a GPS unit on the boat. In a statement on Tuesday, the tour operator Canopy Tours Iquitos said the incident was beyond its control and 'was reported immediately to authorities'. 'From the beginning, we activated our emergency protocols, offered our assistance to the affected group and have been actively cooperating with the investigation,' the statement said. The company also said it was improving its security measures in response to the incident, including GPS monitoring, and was working more closely with the River Police. The company and Spanish embassy in Peru could not be immediately contacted by the Guardian. The risk of armed robbery is low in Peru, however, the US state department has warned its citizens to 'exercise increased caution due to crime, civil unrest, and the risk of kidnapping' in certain parts of the country.
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Associated Press
Colombia lost huge area to deforestation in 6 months, public watchdog report warns
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia lost nearly 88,900 hectares (340 square miles) of forest — an area larger than New York City — in just six months, driven by the rapid spread of illegal roads, coca cultivation, and unregulated mining, according to a report by Colombia's procurator's office. The independent watchdog warned of accelerating environmental destruction in some of the country's most ecologically critical regions. The report, released Monday, covers the period between October 2024 and March 2025 and focuses on seven high-risk areas including Caqueta, Guaviare, Putumayo, and Meta — southern departments that form part of the Amazon basin and are vital to Colombia's biodiversity and freshwater systems. Investigators documented more than 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) of illegal road construction, much of it cutting into national parks like Chiribiquete, Nukak, and Farallones de Cali. These roads often enable the transport of illegal goods and open new fronts for forest clearance. 'The construction of these routes would consolidate a terrestrial corridor that would significantly facilitate the development and consolidation of illicit economies and environmental damage in the region,' the report says. While coca crops remain the primary driver of deforestation — particularly in Meta, Putumayo, and the Naya River region — the report also highlights illegal gold mining as a growing threat. In Buenaventura's rural zone near the Naya River, investigators found heavy machinery operating near Indigenous reserves and inside protected areas, with roadwork connecting the region to trafficking routes toward the Pacific Ocean. Caqueta experienced the greatest forest loss, with nearly 30,000 hectares (115 square miles) deforested, followed by Guaviare and Putumayo. Much of the damage occurred near Indigenous territories and vital ecological corridors crucial for wildlife. The report also highlighted land grabbing and speculative vegetation removal — done to claim land or boost its value without immediate use — as growing threats to the region. Authorities are urged to investigate the legality of new roads and issue immediate closure orders where appropriate. Last year, Colombia's government reported that deforestation fell 36% in 2023 versus the previous year, marking the lowest level since records began. However, 2024 saw a 35% surge, fueled by an uptick in the Amazon region. Colombia's environment ministry had not responded to a request for comment on the report by the time of publication. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
The Independent
20-05-2025
- The Independent
Colombia lost huge area to deforestation in 6 months, public watchdog report warns
Colombia lost nearly 88,900 hectares (340 square miles) of forest — an area larger than New York City — in just six months, driven by the rapid spread of illegal roads, coca cultivation, and unregulated mining, according to a report by Colombia's procurator's office. The independent watchdog warned of accelerating environmental destruction in some of the country's most ecologically critical regions. The report, released Monday, covers the period between October 2024 and March 2025 and focuses on seven high-risk areas including Caqueta, Guaviare, Putumayo, and Meta — southern departments that form part of the Amazon basin and are vital to Colombia's biodiversity and freshwater systems. Investigators documented more than 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) of illegal road construction, much of it cutting into national parks like Chiribiquete, Nukak, and Farallones de Cali. These roads often enable the transport of illegal goods and open new fronts for forest clearance. 'The construction of these routes would consolidate a terrestrial corridor that would significantly facilitate the development and consolidation of illicit economies and environmental damage in the region,' the report says. While coca crops remain the primary driver of deforestation — particularly in Meta, Putumayo, and the Naya River region — the report also highlights illegal gold mining as a growing threat. In Buenaventura's rural zone near the Naya River, investigators found heavy machinery operating near Indigenous reserves and inside protected areas, with roadwork connecting the region to trafficking routes toward the Pacific Ocean. Caqueta experienced the greatest forest loss, with nearly 30,000 hectares (115 square miles) deforested, followed by Guaviare and Putumayo. Much of the damage occurred near Indigenous territories and vital ecological corridors crucial for wildlife. The report also highlighted land grabbing and speculative vegetation removal — done to claim land or boost its value without immediate use — as growing threats to the region. Authorities are urged to investigate the legality of new roads and issue immediate closure orders where appropriate. Last year, Colombia's government reported that deforestation fell 36% in 2023 versus the previous year, marking the lowest level since records began. However, 2024 saw a 35% surge, fueled by an uptick in the Amazon region. Colombia's environment ministry had not responded to a request for comment on the report by the time of publication. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Reuters
19-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil reforestation firm re.green gets fresh financing in deal with BNDES, Bradesco
SAO PAULO, May 19 (Reuters) - Brazilian reforestation startup has obtained 80 million reais ($14.13 million) in financing from state development bank BNDES, it said on Monday, in a deal that also involved lender Bradesco as a financial intermediary. The deal is similar to a 160 million real deal announced by Mombak last month, which marked the first reforestation project backed by Brazil's 10 billion real "New Climate Fund" unveiled in 2023 to finance climate-related projects. The deal comes as Brazil's nascent carbon market quickly gains ground and attracts interest from private investors and lenders such as Bradesco and Santander ( opens new tab, which acted as an intermediary for Mombak. Some restoration startups have complained of difficulty getting loans to reduce capital costs and finance operations, as many investors still see it as risky. "We have a mantra that is de-risking, which is how we will, over time, reduce uncertainty and bring more confidence to our market," Chief Executive Thiago Picolo said in an interview. "In our case, we now have the first disbursement from BNDES, also involving Bradesco for the first time. So it is a series of steps that reduce uncertainty, increase confidence, and facilitate fundraising." buys degraded land from farmers and ranchers or partners with them to replant native species in the Amazon rainforest and in Brazil's coastal Atlantic rainforest. By turning degraded land into forests, the company is working to generate "carbon credits" that companies can buy to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. The startup has a deal with Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab to restore forests and is backed by Brazilian billionaire Joao Moreira Salles and asset managers such as Dynamo and Gavea, founded by former Brazilian central bank governor Arminio Fraga. The BNDES financing "shows that we have a powerful tool to enable investments in the recovery of degraded areas in the country," said the state development bank's head, Aloizio Mercadante. "It confirms the great power of this fund made available by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for BNDES to decisively fight the effects of climate change in our country," he added. The bank's program is part of Brazil's 2015 commitment to restoring 12 million hectares (29.7 million acres) of its native forests by 2030, which Lula reaffirmed last year. ($1 = 5.6632 reais)
