They Killed the Forests Guardian And Kept Digging

Francisco Marupa was an Indigenous land defender killed while protecting his ancestral forest. His life represents the courage and sacrifice of those who stand for the Amazon.

Last month, an Indigenous guardian was found dead in the Bolivian Amazon.

Locals say the miners wanted him gone.

His only crime? Trying to protect the forest.

You probably didn’t hear about it. Most people didn’t. That’s the problem.

Standing quietly among the towering trees of the Amazon rainforest. His presence reflects the deep ancestral bond between Indigenous peoples and the forest — protectors of one of the most vital ecosystems on Earth.

The Quietest War on Earth

Daily, as you sip your coffee, step out for a walk, or go about your work, countless things happen in the world that you’ll never know about. Most of these lie beyond our control, as we well know, but as humans, we’ll always feel that curiosity to learn, understand, or make sense of things.

Sometimes, the reality of the world is so painful that many choose to ignore it. Ignorance can be comfortable, but what happens when we ignore? Injustices, abuses, and negligence continue unchecked. Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it vanish. Sometimes, the best we can do is acknowledge what’s happening and, if possible, create a small or grand plan of action to drive change. With that said, today I’d like to share with you a real, silent crisis that unfolds daily, yet rarely features in news headlines or social media feeds.

A Living Wonder, Under Attack

We all know of the Amazon rainforest, right? As the world’s largest tropical forest, spanning at least nine countries—Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana—this magnificent territory boasts one of the planet’s greatest biodiversities and is listed among the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. It shelters millions of flora and fauna species and holds undeniable climatic importance. Acting as a carbon sink, it stores between 150,000 to 200,000 million tonnes of carbon in its vegetation and soils, though deforestation and degradation have turned some areas into net CO₂ emitters.

A wide turquoise-coloured river winds through the Amazon rainforest, illuminated by dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. The scene captures the untouched beauty and serenity of one of the world’s most vital ecosystems.

But here’s the kicker:

Its being eaten alive from the inside.

Not Just Chainsaws Gold

I think most of us have read or heard about how logging or wildfires have devastated parts of the Amazon. But there are other, less visible violations plaguing this ancestral land: industrial-scale cattle ranching, industrial agriculture, illegal logging, mega-projects, and—our focus today—illegal mining.

Illegal mining doesn’t just destroy ecosystems; it spawns a vast web of problems, from displacing Indigenous communities to fuelling extreme or armed conflict—issues we’ll delve into to help you grasp one of the world’s most severe yet overlooked crises. I’ve taken the time to research this so you, too, can learn.

A Pulitzer Center map showing areas of the Amazon affected by mining in 2023. While the patches may seem small compared to the vast rainforest, they cover over 13,100 km² — an area roughly equivalent to one third the size of Ireland — highlighting the scale of environmental disruption

So What’s Supposed to Happen?

In theory, mining legally means:

1- Research and exploration to confirm mineral deposits, involving geological studies (soil sampling, map analysis) and applying for exploration licences from mining authorities. This phase can take 2–10 years.

2- Feasibility assessment to determine if the project is viable and profitable, estimating mineral reserves and extraction methods. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is conducted, evaluating ecological risks and mitigation plans.

3- Licensing: The environmental licence must be approved by relevant authorities, alongside social permits requiring prior consultation with Indigenous or local communities. Permits for water, electricity, and infrastructure are also mandatory.

The remaining steps involve construction and infrastructure: building roads and camps, installing equipment, waste management, environmental compliance monitoring (pollution limits), adhering to regulations, and crucially, the mine closure plan (mandatory in most countries). This focuses on reforestation, soil stabilisation, and dismantling infrastructure—a process estimated to take over 20 years to ensure the area’s stability.

Given this framework, it’s easy to imagine how often these rules are broken in a land as rich as the Amazon. This happens day after day, with little to no action taken. Weak governance in Amazonian nations, land seizures by extremist or militant groups, and the illegal mining operations themselves make it clear: the land is being exploited and destroyed with zero commitment to restoration.

Needless to say, militant groups have no intention of abandoning these areas or rehabilitating them—let alone addressing the consequences of their actions, such as displacing Indigenous peoples and locals who rely on rivers and forests for survival, not to mention the pollution scarring the Amazon.

Aerial shot of a mining site in Brazil showing deforestation and water contamination, highlighting the ecological consequences of such activities.

According to García (2025), gold exploitation in Venezuela’s mining states has unleashed endless problems for Indigenous communities, fuelling a crisis ignored by those outside the Amazon. Similarly, Poliszuk, Ramírez, and Segovia (2022) reported around 3,718 illegal mining sites, alongside clandestine airstrips allegedly used to transport gold and drugs. Satellite imagery in their investigation reveals these airstrips strategically placed near mineral extraction zones.

The report also notes the seizure of Indigenous territories and Amazonian land by extremist groups, who exert total control to pursue illicit activities and continue the rainforest’s destruction. In this Amazon region of southern Venezuela, gold mining stands as one of the primary drivers of deforestation and a key source of biodiversity loss, constituting a major criminal economy sustained by corruption and violence (Jones, Lizcano, & Ramírez, 2022). Similarly, in regions of Guyana, miners use mercury to extract gold, causing environmental harm that extends far beyond deforestation.

When Greed Outguns Guardians

Ruvenal (2025) also highlights how Bolivia’s Amazon regions are gripped by an “exorbitant, blinding gold rush”. Recently, as I mentioned, an Indigenous environmental defender, Francisco Marupa, was found dead, with his community blaming mining groups seeking access to protected areas. Locals say they’ve lost free access to their lands due to mining encroachment, facing threats in the process.

Meanwhile, companies pressure the government for more extraction sites—even mining with or without permits in Madidi National Park, home to the continent’s highest amphibian diversity. Arriaza (2023) emphasises that within the park’s 1.9 million hectares, Indigenous communities and just over 20 guardians tasked with protecting this ancestral land endure constant threats from illegal miners, drug traffickers, and poachers.

These guardians claim it’s become nearly impossible to safeguard the area due to scant government support. Imagine being responsible for preserving one of your country’s most vital places while battling jungle hardships, wild animals, and zero institutional backing. In Arriaza’s report, the guardians call illegal mining their top concern, receiving death threats if they block miners from entering with machinery to extract gold.

Violence, Poison, Silence

Back in 2020, Crespo Garay noted that Amazon deforestation had reached historic levels, rising by 30% between 2018–2019. One can only assume this figure has worsened, especially now that a highway project has been approved in Brazil, cutting through tens of thousands of hectares of protected rainforest. Critics argue the project will fragment ecosystems, disrupt wildlife movement, and shrink habitats vital for reproduction.

Morán's report (2024) points to the highway as unnecessary, mentioning alternatives like Manaus’s existing transport links. Meanwhile, Brazil’s president, Lula da Silva, positions himself as an environmental protector while advocating for oil exploration in the Amazon River and backing the controversial highway.

Also, a 2024 study by Ferreira et al. reveals that 77% of Brazil’s industrial mining sites in 2022 showed irregularities or clear signs of illegality, many operating on Indigenous land. In Colombia, Insight Crime (2021) ties illegal Amazon mining to armed groups, with most sites lacking permits and encroaching on Indigenous territories, often displacing communities. Local miners and Indigenous peoples are no match for powerful, violent groups bent on destroying one of Earth’s lungs. And governments? Their role seems almost non-existent across Amazonian countries.

This image shows an armed individual in a camouflage uniform overlooking a forested area, demonstrating the dangerous reality of illegal resource exploitation in regions like the Amazon, where armed groups often maintain control over lucrative activities.

Why This Should Rattle You?

You might be thinking: What can I do about it?

You’re right to ask. But let’s flip the question. What happens if we do nothing?

This forest holds back climate collapse. It’s home to over 30 million people. It stores carbon, regulates rainfall, and supports Earths biodiversity like nowhere else.

What Can Be Done? Start Here.

No one’s asking you to solve it all. But silence and inaction? That’s how this crisis thrives.

Here are five things you can do:

An indigenous man participates in a peaceful protest to defend native land rights and environmental protections in the Amazon.

1. Share this story. Not many people know the extent of it. You can change that.

2. Support Indigenous-led conservation. They’re the frontline defenders.

3. Be mindful of gold in jewellery, electronics, and investments. Ask where it comes from.

4. Back organisations fighting for land rights and legal protections.

5. Talk about it. With friends. At work. Around the dinner table. Social change starts with conversations.

Final Thought

I don’t know about you, but the weight of this reality feels suffocating. After reading these reports, staying calm or composed is difficult. This is one of the GREATEST injustices unfolding on our planet, yet it often seems no one is acting to change it. So, I urge reflection: human greed exists, and often it’s hard to curb.

Those driving this destruction face moral crossroads, choosing to obliterate entire forests and ecosystems for personal gain. Ultimately, it’s a choice: you can choose ignorance, or you can choose to prevent further harm—to stop destroying the home of millions of species and communities who depend on these forests and rivers to survive, a land holding a crucial chapter of humanity’s story.

You can choose to make a difference, however small, starting today. I’ve done my part by sharing this knowledge; now it’s your duty to educate others and perhaps craft a plan—big or small—to drive change. The future is yours.

They killed a guardian.

But they didn’t kill the truth.