Amazon deforestation is driven by criminal networks, report finds

Criminals threaten and attack government officials, forest defenders and indigenous people, Human Rights Watch finds

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is a lucrative business largely driven by criminal networks that threaten and attack government officials, forest defenders and indigenous people who try to stop them, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.

Rainforest Mafias concludes that Brazil's failure to police these gangs threatens its abilities to meet its commitments under the Paris climate deal - such as eliminating illegal deforestation by 2030. It was published a week before the UN Climate Action Summit.