Organized Crime Fuels Rising Violence in Brazil’s Amazon

A new report reveals criminal gangs now operate in over a third of Amazonian municipalities, exacerbating deforestation and territorial conflicts.

The murder rate in Brazil's Amazon region reached 32.3 per 100,000 people in 2023, significantly higher than the national average of 22.8, according to a study by the Brazilian Forum on Public Security (FBSP).
Organized crime groups, including the Red Command and First Capital Command, are active in 260 of the Amazon's 772 municipalities, up from 178 in 2023, with the Red Command controlling half of these areas.
The expansion of criminal organizations is linked to illegal activities such as drug trafficking, logging, mining, and land-grabbing, which have intensified conflicts over territory and resources.
The 2022 murders of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira highlighted the region's violence, with police linking their deaths to efforts to monitor illegal environmental practices.
Despite President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s efforts to combat deforestation and crime, the report indicates limited success in curbing the growing influence of organized crime in the Amazon