Steven Grattan

Deep in Suriname’s rainforest, we joined Saamaka communities patrolling their ancestral lands for signs of illegal logging and mining, and took to the skies in a helicopter. A powerful visual story, with stunning video and photos from my AP colleagues. apnews.com/article/saam...

Criminal groups across Latin America are exploiting satellite internet, drones and online platforms to support illegal mining and other environmental crimes. A regional human rights office is calling for stronger oversight. apnews.com/article/tech...

233 arrests and 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest identified — an area 10 times the size of Manhattan. My latest for @apnews.com on an Interpol crackdown targeting illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking — and the financial networks behind them. apnews.com/article/inte...

A landmark case over the rights of Indigenous peoples living in isolation in Peru’s Amazon has reached the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The ruling could set an important precedent over their ancestral lands. My latest for @AP: apnews.com/article/indi...

At least 124 land and environmental defenders were killed worldwide in 2025, according to Global Witness — and 85% of those deaths were in Latin America. Colombia remained the deadliest country for a fourth straight year, while killings in Brazil more than doubled from 2024. apnews/.com/article...

Nearly three years after Indigenous Amazon defender Quinto Inuma was killed in Peru, four men were convicted of murder-for-hire and sentenced to up to 35 years. “This sets a precedent for Indigenous peoples, a precedent for environmental defenders,” his son told me. apnews.com/article/peru...

Colombia's new President Abelardo de la Espriella used his inaugural speech to formally set out an energy agenda that marks a sharp shift from the Petro years, backing oil, gas and fracking while pledging to continue the energy transition. apnews.com/article/colo...

Police from five Amazon countries arrested hundreds of people and seized illegally harvested timber, minerals and trafficked wildlife during a major multinational operation targeting environmental crime. apnews.com/article/amaz...

Colombia's latest deforestation figures show nationwide forest loss rose 5% in 2025, while deforestation in the Amazon remained largely unchanged from the previous year. Despite the increase, overall forest loss remained well below 2021 levels. apnews.com/article/amaz...

Weeks after Venezuela’s earthquakes, attention has turned to the environmental & public health risks left behind. Safely managing millions of tons of rubble will be critical to limiting hazardous dust, contaminated debris and disease risks during recovery. apnews.com/article/vene...

A landmark case before the Andean Court of Justice could set a precedent for tackling illegal gold mining across the Amazon. AP: apnews.com/article/peru...

Govs across Latin America have ramped up preparations as El Niño strengthens. Brazil has deployed more than 4,600 wildfire personnel, while Colombia is monitoring water basins, promoting rainwater use & preparing for increased fire risk. Experts warn preparedness is key. apnews.com/article/el-n...

Political shifts in Colombia, Peru & potentially Brazil are raising questions about the future of the Amazon, Indigenous rights and environmental protections across the region. I spoke with analysts, environmental advocates and Indigenous leaders about what may lie ahead. apnews.com/article/amaz...

Ahead of Colombia’s presidential runoff, I look at what the two candidates could mean for the Amazon, fossil fuels and Indigenous rights. apnews.com/article/amaz...

Conference on moving away from fossil fuels wraps in Santa Marta 🇨🇴 56 countries, no binding deals — but a clear shift: from debating if to phase out fossil fuels → to how to do it Finance, debt & transition plans now front and center My AP takeaways 👇 apnews.com/article/clim...

I’m in Santa Marta covering the international conference on moving away from fossil fuels, where the high-level segment has now begun. apnews.com/article/colo...

In Santa Marta covering a global conference on moving away from fossil fuels. This story looks at the core tension: countries agree on the need to move away from oil, gas and coal, but there’s still a major gap over who pays — especially for developing nations. apnews.com/article/clim...

I’ll be in Santa Marta covering a major conference on moving away from fossil fuels — reach out if you’re around. Planned before the war in Iran, but the timing now highlights how vulnerable economies remain to fossil fuel shocks. apnews.com/article/conf...

I spoke with Colombia’s environment minister Irene Vélez Torres ahead of a key summit on moving beyond fossil fuels. She says the war in Iran should accelerate — not delay — the shift to renewables. apnews.com/article/colo...

I traveled to Ecuador’s Amazon with Indigenous women from seven different nationalities who fear new oil exploration could reach their territories. They visited long-exploited oil fields in the northern Amazon to see firsthand the environmental damage. apnews.com/article/clim...

Illegal gold mining is spreading deeper into Peru’s Amazon, contaminating rivers with mercury and exposing Indigenous communities to serious health risks — even as authorities struggle to contain it. apnews.com/article/peru...

Chile’s wildfires are burning hotter and spreading faster this summer, with deadly consequences. This piece explains why: prolonged drought, extreme heat, strong winds, and landscapes reshaped by large pine and eucalyptus plantations — alongside human-caused ignitions. 🔗 apnews.com/article/chil...

Police in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname, backed by Interpol, carried out the first coordinated cross-border crackdown on illegal gold mining in the Amazon region. Nearly 200 arrests. Gold, mercury, cash and weapons seized. My latest for @apnews.com: apnews.com/article/ille...

A rare criminal trial has begun in Peru over the killing of Indigenous Amazon defender Quinto Inuma Alvarado. Advocates say the case could signal whether long-standing impunity for attacks on environmental defenders is finally being challenged. My story for AP: apnews.com/article/peru...

New story for @AP on the environmental risks tied to U.S. plans under President Trump to revive Venezuela’s oil industry — from aging infrastructure to some of the world’s heaviest crude. apnews.com/article/vene...

Jani Silva is a renowned environmental activist in Colombia’s Amazon, but she has been unable to live in her house for nearly a decade.

From Putumayo, I reported on one of Colombia’s most threatened environmental defenders: Jani Silva. She’s spent years protecting the Amazon despite constant threats, surveillance & security risks. Our new @apnews.com story shows what that reality looks like. apnews.com/article/colo...

At a UN mercury summit in Geneva, countries agreed to end mercury use in dental fillings by 2034 — but took no major steps to curb its use in small-scale gold mining, now the leading source of mercury pollution worldwide. apnews.com/article/merc...

Interpol, the U.N. & Norway are stepping up the global fight against forest crime. A new phase of their joint program targets illegal logging, gold mining & timber trafficking across the Amazon, SE Asia & Pacific — just ahead of COP30 in Belém. 🌿🌎 apnews.com/article/inte...

Ten years on, the scars of Brazil’s worst environmental disaster remain. The Krenak people are still fighting for justice — and for their river. My latest looks at how the Mariana dam collapse continues to haunt Minas Gerais, as Brazil prepares to host #COP30. 🔗 apnews.com/article/braz...

🇧🇷5,796 square kilometers of forest were cleared between Aug. 24 - Jul 25 — an area nearly four times the size of New York City, but still a significant drop from the previous year and the lowest level in nearly a decade #COP30 🗒️ @sjgrattan.bsky.social apnews.com/article/defo...

Brazilian police, backed by Interpol, dismantled hundreds of dredges used in illegal gold mining along the Madeira River — one of the largest crackdowns to date on environmental crime in the Amazon. The raids targeted criminal networks behind deforestation and river pollution.

🌳 Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon fell 11% over the past year, new government data shows — a rare bit of good news ahead of COP30. But fires hit record highs, underscoring how fragile the gains remain. apnews.com/article/defo...

A report says at least 196 uncontacted Indigenous groups remain worldwide and face growing threats from logging, mining, missionaries and organized crime. (AP video produced by Rosa Ramirez and Steven Grattan) apnews.com/video/what-t...

Interpol has coordinated a major operation across Latin America targeting environmental crimes — from illegal gold mining to wildlife trafficking and deforestation. The crackdown led to 225 arrests in 21 countries and the seizure of millions in assets. apnews.com/article/lati...

The Andean Community has ordered Peru to curb mercury use tied to illegal gold mining in the Amazon. 🌎⚖️ It’s the first time the regional trade bloc has intervened in a case like this, after a complaint from Indigenous communities. apnews.com/article/peru...

As gold prices hit record highs, Peru’s Amazon faces a surge in illegal mining. Bishop Miguel Ángel Cadenas warns of mercury contamination, food insecurity & human rights risks. apnews.com/article/peru...

Indigenous leaders from across the Amazon are calling on South American presidents to turn promises into action — highlighting that this may be the first time they meet directly with heads of state to demand a say in shaping the rainforest’s future. apnews.com/article/colo...

Excellent article by @sjgrattan.bsky.social @apnews.com: “We're seeing a sweeping package of regressive reforms that are rolling back environmental protections, Indigenous rights guarantees, & threatening basic civil liberties...” - Kevin Koenig of @amazonwatch.org apnews.com/article/ecua...

In Colombia’s southwest, unarmed Indigenous Guards confront guerrillas recruiting children into war. I followed their fight—and a mother’s daring mission to rescue her 13-year-old son. Read here 👉 apnews.com/article/colo...

In Cauca, Colombia, Indigenous youth are resisting armed groups — not with guns, but with ancestral knowledge and community defense. My latest for @AP: apnews.com/article/colo...

Peru’s Congress has approved a controversial reform to the country’s international cooperation law which imposes sweeping restrictions on NGOs in a move human rights groups warn could cripple efforts to defend vulnerable communities and fight corruption.

Indigenous leaders from the Peruvian Amazon who are calling for the government to stop oil and gas projects in their territory took their case to an international human rights body on Tuesday. apnews.com/article/peru...

The Wayuu are facing the dual threats of climate change-driven droughts and floods. Scientists warn that more severe, prolonged drought periods punctuated by flashes of torrential rain are only getting more common as the world warms.

Multilateralism strikes back! You'd be forgiven in this crazy news environment for having missed last night's great result from Rome... (c/o @sjgrattan.bsky.social) apnews.com/article/clim...

COP16's biodiversity talks resume in Rome.... what's it all about? Read below.

Droughts, floods and economic uncertainty: Portraits of the Wayuu people in northern Colombia.

My latest for @apnews.com “We are really worried about the offshore wind farms,” said Wayuu fisherman Aaron Laguna Ipuana, 57, during an early morning fishing trip in Cabo de la Vela with his crew. “They’re going to displace us and the sea is everything to us. It sustains us.”

Hello! First post: Amazon’s advocates fear Trump’s return means little US help to protect rainforest. With analysis from @amazonmiller.bsky.social & others “The implications of the Trump administration for the Amazon rainforest range from very concerning to horrifying.” apnews.com/article/trum...