A new wave of oil exploration is advancing in the Amazon, with projects in Guyana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia that have raised concerns about their environmental impact.
Deforestation and water pollution are the main alarms of this process, which is happening just as the world debates reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.
The advancement of these projects endangers an essential ecosystem for global climate balance and directly affects indigenous communities that depend on their environment.
Oil auction in Brazil: Development or environmental threat?
The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) of Brazil recommended suspending the auction of 47 oil blocks at the mouth of the Amazon River, citing socio-environmental and climate risks.
The auction, scheduled for June 17, involves areas that did not spark interest in previous bids or did not receive an operating license.
According to the MPF, expanding the oil frontier in the Amazon contradicts global decarbonization efforts and Brazil’s climate commitments, as it prepares to host COP 30.
Environmental warnings and demands
The Brazilian Prosecutor’s Office set a 72-hour deadline for the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) to report on the measures taken.
Although the recommendation is not obligatory, non-compliance could lead to civil and criminal actions against those responsible.
The MPF argues that:
- In previous auctions, only 14 blocks were awarded, and none received an operating license.
- Companies have not demonstrated the ability to respond to oil spills.
- Prior consultations with indigenous and traditional communities should be carried out, a point not included in the bidding contracts.
Political controversy and support for Petrobras
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has endorsed Petrobras’ plans to explore oil reserves in deep waters at the Amazon River mouth.
The company expects to obtain a license from Ibama, Brazil’s environmental authority, to start operations in the area, considered to have high oil potential.
However, ecologist NGOs and government officials have expressed concern because the region is of extreme socio-environmental sensitivity, with:
- Indigenous peoples.
- Mangroves and coral reefs.
- Endangered species, such as the gray dolphin and the manatee.
Healthy Amazon or oil exploitation?
The initiative raises a debate about the region’s environmental future, as poorly managed oil expansion could have irreversible consequences.
With COP 30 on the horizon, Brazil faces a crucial decision between boosting the oil industry or reinforcing its leadership in environmental conservation.
