Protest affected the conference agenda this Friday and reinforced accusations of environmental threats in traditional territories
Indigenous people from 5 Amazonian peoples blocked this Friday (14.Nov.2025) the main entrance to the COP30 Blue Zone, in Belém (PA), to demand a meeting with the president (PT) and demand the revocation of Decree No. 12,600/2025, which created the National Waterways Plan. The act delayed meetings on the 5th day of climate negotiations.
Around 100 representatives of the Tapajós, Munduruku, Tukano, Tupinambá and Tapuia peoples also protested against large developments in indigenous territories, called for the suspension of Ferrogrão and reinforced the demand for land demarcation. There was an expectation that Lula would announce new demarcations during his presence at the event, which did not happen.
However, there is no forecast that Lula will return to Belém next week, according to the president’s provisional schedule of commitments released by Secom (Presidency’s Social Communication Secretariat).
The 1st blockade took place from 6am to 10am, followed by a meeting with the president of COP30, André Corrêa do Lago, and ministers Marina Silva (Environment) and Sônia Guajajara (Indigenous Peoples). A second group repeated the act at 11:30 am and was taken to an auditorium to meet with authorities. Leaders criticized the lack of participation in official negotiations.
The government claimed to have accredited a record number of indigenous people for the conference and promised new meetings. Guajajara said he will take the demands to the responsible ministries and that inspection in the territories will be expanded.
Munduruku leaders said they consider the dialogue an advance, but are awaiting a direct response from Lula, especially on the waterways decree. They also expressed concern about Ferrogrão, the railway that will connect Mato Grosso to Pará, and about carbon projects carried out without prior consultation with indigenous peoples.
The protest occurred on a decisive day of the negotiations, when the thematic texts are expected to begin to be released for the following week, which is when the ministerial meetings take place.
The mobilization takes place 3 days after Munduruku indigenous people protested outside the conference. On Tuesday (Nov 11), a group of 50 people, including several indigenous people, in the Blue Zone of COP30 without authorization.
The attempted invasion caused confusion between the protesters and UN (United Nations) security guards, who created a physical barrier to prevent full access to the area. Two security guards were injured. No one was arrested.
On Wednesday (Nov 12), the executive secretary for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Simon Stiell, went to the government office of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to demand that Brazilian authorities develop a plan to deal with security failures, high temperatures, flooding and other precarious conditions at COP30.
The Peoples’ Summit has scheduled a large demonstration in Belém for Saturday (Nov 15), which could once again impact the official agenda of COP30.
