After journeying for weeks from a glacier in the Andes to Brazil’s tropical coast, a boat carrying dozens of Indigenous leaders landed in Belem a day ahead of the start of the United Nations’ COP30 climate summit.

Their main goal was demanding a greater say in how their territories are managed, as climate change escalates and industries including mining, oil drilling and logging press deeper into the forests.

"We want to achieve more than just guaranteeing money or financing," said Lucia Ixchiu, an Indigenous K’iche from Guatemala who was among the 60 or so passengers. “We want to reach a consensus where Indigenous territories are no longer sacrificed.”

"It’s a dream and a goal, but we know there are many interests at play," she told Reuters from aboard the boat as it was midway through

See Full Page