AGP Executive Report

Amazon Fires: Wildfires are surging in Brazil’s Amazon as El Niño and climate change raise the risks; authorities are investigating whether some blazes were deliberately set. Illegal Mining: Peru and Ecuador are coordinating intelligence and cross-border operations to curb illegal mining and logging, targeting criminal networks that shift across their shared border. Forest Loss: Global forest loss fell 15% in 2025, and Latin America and the Caribbean saw a 28% drop. But the region still lost about 2.54 million hectares, and Brazil’s election could put recent conservation gains at risk. Wetland Warning: Residents near Uruguay’s Laguna de Rocha say development could cost the protected area nearly a third of its land. Sargassum Response: The Dominican Republic has presented a regional declaration promoting sustainable solutions to the seaweed influx affecting Caribbean coasts.

Indigenous Lands: A new tool tracking Bolivia’s Amazon finds more than 186,500 hectares of forest lost in Indigenous territories from 2003 to 2023, with over 90% cleared illegally. Land invasions were reported in 28 of 30 territories surveyed. Brazil’s Amazon: The runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro could reshape forest protections. A recent report warns Brazil’s election could undo fragile gains as global forest loss remains far off track; authorities are also investigating suspected criminal causes of fires in Amazonas. Extreme Weather: El Niño-driven heavy rain has raised rivers in northeastern Argentina, forcing evacuations and closing Iguazú Falls’ Devil’s Throat circuit. In Mexico, research finds climate change amplified Hurricane Polo more than El Niño did, adding about 6 mph to its winds. Climate Accountability: Brazilian prosecutors are seeking $108 million from Shell over deadly 2024 floods, adding to a growing wave of climate lawsuits.

Extreme Weather: Tropical Storm Trudy threatens Mexico’s Pacific coast, while heavy rain pushed Iguazu River flows to nearly eight times normal, closing walkways and trails in Argentina and Brazil. El Niño-driven flooding has forced evacuations in Argentina and Paraguay; Colombia is preparing capital cities for the climate risks ahead. Fires and Forests: Fires are spreading across Peru’s Andes and Amazon, threatening communities. Brazil is investigating suspected criminal causes of fires in Amazonas. Global forest loss eased in 2025, but the Congo Basin saw rising losses, and analysts warn Brazil’s election could reverse fragile gains. Climate Accountability: Brazilian prosecutors are suing Shell for $108 million over its alleged role in deadly 2024 floods, putting corporate responsibility for climate damage in focus. Energy and Land: Ecuador has revived plans to expand Amazon oil production, while Argentina is seeking international intervention to halt an oil project near the Falkland Islands.

El Niño Floods: Record river flows have forced evacuations in Argentina’s Corrientes province, while Paraná River flooding has displaced residents in Paraguay. Iguazú Falls reopened after a safety shutdown linked to high water. Climate Preparedness: Colombia has presented a roadmap to prepare 32 capital cities for El Niño risks, as the country braces for impacts on water and food supplies. Amazon Fires: Brazil says human activity is driving fires in Amazonas state, which have worsened air quality around Manaus. Oil Dispute: Argentina has asked an international tribunal to halt UK oil and gas exploration near the Falkland Islands, escalating a dispute over offshore development. Land and Nature: A report in Argentina warns that valuable forested land in Chubut was marketed to foreign buyers during a brief suspension of land-purchase restrictions. Brazil has also introduced rules for payments for environmental services, while a new report says the world remains far off track on its deforestation pledge.

Brazil’s Climate Stakes: Far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro narrowly leads Lula ahead of an Oct. 25 runoff, while a rightward shift in Congress raises concerns over environmental protections. Human activity is also driving fires in Amazonas state, Brazil’s environment minister says. Forest Watch: Global deforestation fell 15% in 2025, and Latin America recorded a 33% decline, credited in part to Brazil’s Amazon action plan and enforcement. But researchers warn the gains may not last as El Niño intensifies. El Niño Emergency: Flooding along Argentina’s Paraná and Uruguay rivers has forced evacuations, while rising water temporarily closed Iguazú National Park. Oil Dispute: Argentina has asked an international tribunal to halt UK-authorized oil and gas activity near the Malvinas, citing risks to its continental shelf and marine environment. Climate Finance: Caribbean nations have mobilized $58 million for resilience as the region faces an estimated $58 billion in average annual losses from climate disasters.

Extreme Rain: Argentina temporarily closed Iguazú Falls after heavy rain pushed river flows above six times the seasonal average, with El Niño linked to heightened flood risks in the region. Brazil’s Data-Center Boom: State lawmakers are weighing tougher rules on water use, environmental permits and transparency as projects multiply; eight of 16 bills introduced this year would add requirements for operators. Climate Accountability: Brazilian prosecutors are seeking $108 million from Shell over deadly 2024 floods. Amazon Crime Crackdown: An international probe linked 161 companies to forest clearing and led to 233 arrests across Latin America, highlighting the financial networks behind environmental destruction. Cleaner Mining: Latin American startup Giraffe Bio raised $6.4 million to develop lower-impact methods for recovering copper from complex ores.

El Niño Floods: Argentina temporarily closed Iguazú Falls after the river surged to more than six times its average flow; the park reopened as levels fell. Flooding has also forced evacuations along the Uruguay River. Food and Farming: Extreme rainfall may damage cocoa crops more than heat or drought, a study finds, threatening farmers in Ecuador and other tropical growing regions. Public Health: A study in Salvador, Brazil, maps how garbage, unpaved yards and other neighborhood conditions concentrate chikungunya risk. Climate Risks: More than 30 million children in Brazil face health and safety threats from El Niño and climate impacts, UNICEF warns. Amazon Protection: An Interpol probe links 161 companies to forest clearing across Latin America, with 233 arrests reported. Climate Accountability: Brazilian prosecutors are seeking $108 million from Shell over deadly 2024 floods.

Climate risks: A strengthening El Niño is bringing immediate danger: floods in Argentina’s Entre Ríos and Corrientes forced evacuations, while more than 30 million Brazilian children face climate-related health risks. Glaciers: Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier retreated 910 metres in 100 days, renewing concern over warming’s rapid effects. Climate finance: More than US$30 million earmarked for Costa Rica climate action remains unused, according to a new report. Accountability: Brazilian prosecutors are seeking US$108 million from Shell over deadly 2024 floods, a test of corporate responsibility for climate harms. Environmental crime: An Interpol-led crackdown across Latin America and the Caribbean resulted in 233 arrests; investigators flagged links to Amazon forest clearing. Amazon: Fires in Brazil’s Amazonas state are worsening air quality in Manaus. Legal protections: More than 30 experts from 14 countries have proposed a model law making severe, extensive or long-lasting environmental damage a crime, with prison terms of up to 20 years.

Extreme Weather: Hurricane Simon threatened Mexico’s Pacific coast, prompting Puerto Vallarta airport to suspend operations as authorities urged residents to shelter. Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier retreated 910 metres in 100 days, alarming researchers. River at Risk: As Brazil debates renewing Belo Monte’s environmental licence, the dam is holding back up to 70% of the Xingu River’s flow, leaving traditional fishing communities struggling with water scarcity. Climate Accountability: Brazilian prosecutors are seeking $108 million from Shell over deadly 2024 floods, alleging the company bears responsibility for the disaster. Forests and Food: Bulldozers documented clearing native forest in Argentina’s Salta province, while warnings of a powerful El Niño raise fresh concerns for farming and food security across the region.

Urban Health: A study in two disadvantaged Salvador communities found Aedes aegypti eggs in 82% of outdoor traps, compared with 55.6% indoors, pointing to mosquito breeding sites just outside homes as a key target for dengue control. Renewable Energy: IRENA has launched a regional partnership to turn Latin American and Caribbean energy-transition plans into projects and investment; renewables already generate about two-thirds of the region’s electricity. Lithium and Water: Chile’s Atacama salt flat shows the trade-off behind the green transition: lithium extraction promises battery supplies but puts pressure on scarce water and nearby Indigenous communities. Climate Accountability: Brazilian prosecutors are seeking US$108 million from Shell over deadly 2024 floods. Environmental Crime: An Interpol-led crackdown across Latin America and the Caribbean resulted in 233 arrests linked to illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking. El Niño Risks: A strengthening El Niño is raising concerns for food security, with drought threatening Central American crops and warmer waters disrupting fisheries.

Pacific Storms: Hurricane Simon strengthened to Category 4 as it approached Mexico’s Pacific coast, with two landfalls expected over the weekend. Mexico Energy: The government is weighing “sustainable” fracking to curb energy imports, despite local opposition; an assessment argues renewables and supporting infrastructure offer a better path. Brazil Floods: Prosecutors are seeking US$108 million from Shell over deadly 2024 floods. El Niño: Colombia declared the phenomenon underway and warned of serious impacts, as drought threatens crops across Central America. Amazon Rights: Ranchers blocked a road to resist Indigenous land demarcation in Brazil, amid wider concern over threats to Indigenous protections. Environmental Crime: An international operation across Latin America and the Caribbean arrested 233 people over suspected environmental offenses. Caribbean Resilience: A new regional sustainability bond aims to fund climate resilience and growth. Guyana Tourism: Record visitor numbers are testing the country’s ability to manage litter and protect the natural assets it promotes.

Climate Liability: Brazilian prosecutors are seeking $108 million from Shell over deadly 2024 floods, arguing major polluters should help cover climate damages. Caribbean Finance: A new bond aims to raise up to $250 million for climate-resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, water and waste projects across the region. Amazon Under Pressure: Marina Silva warned that a Flávio Bolsonaro presidency could accelerate environmental rollbacks and rainforest destruction. Wildfires in Amazonas have already worsened air quality in Manaus, forcing schools to close. Wildlife Crime: An international crackdown led to 233 arrests across Latin America and the Caribbean over suspected wildlife and timber trafficking. El Niño Risks: Colombia has declared the phenomenon underway, warning of serious impacts as warming Pacific waters threaten farming communities.

Climate Accountability: Brazilian prosecutors are seeking $108 million from Shell over the deadly 2024 floods in Rio Grande do Sul, arguing the company should pay in proportion to its contribution to global warming. Amazon Fires: Smoke from wildfires pushed Manaus air pollution to unhealthy levels, closing schools and municipal offices; fire hotspots in the Brazilian Amazon are nearly 50% higher than at this point last year. Indigenous Rights: Ranchers and local politicians are blocking officials from marking the boundaries of the Paquiçamba Indigenous Land in Pará, delaying a key step toward formal recognition. Forest Protection: Paraguay met a UN deadline to update plans for the Chaco Biosphere Reserve, where farm and cattle expansion threatens forest and Indigenous Ayoreo communities. El Niño: Colombia has declared the phenomenon underway, and the WMO warns it may intensify through December, raising risks of drought and flooding across the region.

El Niño Alert: WMO says the phenomenon is likely to become one of the strongest since 1950, with central and eastern Pacific temperatures potentially reaching 3.7°C above normal. Forecasts point to heavier rain in southeastern South America and more extreme heat risks. Environmental Crime: An Interpol-led operation across Latin America and the Caribbean arrested 233 people and exposed 60,000 hectares linked to illegal mining, wildlife and timber trafficking. Galápagos Invasion: Smooth-billed anis introduced to control cattle ticks spread rapidly after heavy El Niño rains in 1982–83, raising concerns for native wildlife. Biodiversity and Politics: Regional reports warn of steep wildlife losses, while environmental groups say Brazil’s new Congress could put environmental protections at risk.

El Niño Alert: The WMO says the Pacific event could become one of the strongest since 1950 and persist into February. Shifting rainfall is already wilting Central American crops and adding pressure on food supplies and fisheries across the region. Community Resilience: In Guyana’s Smith Creek, Warao women are growing peppers and other crops in rainwater-collecting shade houses, earning income while improving access to fresh water. Environmental Crime: An Interpol operation across nine Latin American countries arrested 233 people in cases involving illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking; reports say 60,000 hectares were exposed to crime-related pressure. Brazil’s Environment: Campaigners warn the new Congress could weaken environmental protections, putting forest policy and climate action at risk.

El Niño Alert: The UN says the warming Pacific event will intensify before a December peak and could be among the strongest since 1950, raising drought and flood risks as climate change adds to the strain. Food and Farms: El Niño-driven drought is wilting Central American crops, Colombia is already feeling impacts, and severe storms have flooded Argentina’s farm belt. Wildlife: WWF reports monitored wildlife populations in South America fell by an average 95% from 1970 to 2022, the steepest regional decline in its global index. Environmental Crime: Interpol says a regional crackdown on illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking led to 233 arrests across Latin America and the Caribbean. Amazon at Stake: Environmental groups warn that gains by Brazil’s far right could weaken protections for Indigenous peoples and ecosystems.