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Steven Grattan

@sjgrattan.bsky.social

Associated Press' Amazon rainforest/ deforestation reporter | Previously Reuters in Brazil | N. Ireland is home | Bogota-based | 📧: sgrattan@ap.org 🏳️‍🌈

46 Posts75 Follower16 Folgt
Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · yesterday

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...

Suriname’s Saamaka tribe turns to mapping and documenting in effort to protect the Amazon rainforest

The Saamaka people in Suriname are using modern technology to map their ancestral lands. They hope to get government recognition and protection against illegal logging and mining.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 7d ago

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...

Human rights commission urges oversight of technology used in Latin American environmental crime

A human rights commission is calling for stronger oversight of technologies used by criminal groups in Latin America.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 3w ago

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...

Interpol crackdown on illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking leads to 233 arrests

Interpol has announced a major crackdown on environmental crime in Latin America and the Caribbean, leading to 233 arrests.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · last mo.

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...

Peru faces human rights court over protections for isolated Indigenous peoples in Amazon

Peru faces a regional human rights court over allegations it failed to protect isolated Indigenous peoples in the Amazon from logging and other activities.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · last mo.

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...

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 2mo ago

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...

Peru court hands lengthy prison terms in killing of Indigenous Amazon defender

A Peruvian court has convicted four men of murder-for-hire and sentenced them to between 15 and 35 years in prison for the 2023 killing of an Indigenous Kichwa leader and rainforest defender.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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...

Colombia's new president signals energy policy shift, backs oil and gas

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella is pledging to revive the country's oil and gas sector and restore state-owned energy company Ecopetrol.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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...

Colombia's deforestation rises slightly as Amazon forest loss holds steady

Colombia’s government has reported a slight increase in deforestation in 2025, but it still surpassed its four-year reduction target under President Gustavo Petro.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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...

After Venezuela's quakes, experts say environmental and health risks have just begun

More than a month after Venezuela's devastating earthquakes, public health experts tell The Associated Press the coming weeks are critical to prevent secondary crises from contaminants.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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...

South American trade bloc's top court takes up unprecedented Peru illegal mining case

The Andean Court of Justice has admitted an unprecedented case against Peru over its handling of illegal mining, marking the first time the regional court will examine whether a member state failed to...

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 3mo ago

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...

Latin American governments prepare for El Nino as drought, floods and heat loom

Governments across Latin America are stepping up preparations as El Nino strengthens across the Pacific, raising concerns about drought, extreme heat, flooding and wildfire risk.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 4mo ago

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...

Colombia's vote may reshape the Amazon's future as political winds shift across Latin America

Abelardo de la Espriella, set to be Colombia’s president, has intensified debate over the future of the Amazon.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 6mo ago

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...

Countries end Colombia fossil fuel summit with focus on next steps and financing

Countries have wrapped up a first-of-its-kind summit in Colombia on phasing out fossil fuels with no binding commitments but a growing momentum to shift from pledges to action.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 6mo ago

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...

Colombia climate conference highlights lack of financing for shift from fossil fuels

A lack of financing is emerging as a major barrier to moving away from fossil fuels, officials and experts said at a global conference in Colombia.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 6mo ago

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...

Countries to gather in Colombia for summit aimed at breaking fossil fuel reliance

Governments from nearly 50 countries will meet in Colombia’s Caribbean city of Santa Marta to discuss how to move beyond fossil fuels, amid frustration that U.N. climate talks have failed to directly ...

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 6mo ago

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...

Colombia's environment minister says Middle East crisis should speed energy transition

Colombia’s environment minister said global crises, including conflict in the Middle East, should accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels, even as geopolitical tensions complicate the energy trans...

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 8mo ago

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...

Indigenous women tour Ecuador oil field as warning against Amazon drilling expansion

About 30 Indigenous women from seven Amazon nationalities have traveled to Ecuador’s northern oil region to witness the environmental impacts of decades of oil and gas extraction.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 8mo ago

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...

Illegal gold mining surges into new parts of Peru’s Amazon, threatening rivers and lives

Illegal gold mining is spreading into new parts of Peru’s Amazon, and experts say it is driving a growing environmental and health crisis.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 9mo ago

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...

Why Chile’s wildfires are spreading faster and burning hotter

Chile is facing a severe wildfire emergency marked by unusually large and fast-moving fires that have killed people, destroyed homes and forced tens of thousands to flee.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 9mo ago

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...

Interpol-backed police make nearly 200 arrests in Amazon region gold mining sweep

Police from Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname have arrested nearly 200 people in their first-ever joint cross-border operation targeting illegal gold mining in the Amazon.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 9mo ago

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...

Five face trial in Peru in rare prosecution over the killing of an Amazon defender

Five men are set to stand trial in Peru over the 2023 killing of an Indigenous Amazon defender. The rare case, which is due to start on Tuesday, could test the legal accountability for violence linked...

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 10mo ago

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...

Why boosting production of Venezuela's 'very dense, very sloppy' oil could harm the environment

Environmental experts warn that U.S. plans under President Donald Trump to restart and control Venezuelan oil exports could intensify pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and ecological damage in a cou...

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 11mo ago

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...

Threats, armed men and bodyguards are facts of life for activists in Colombia's Amazon

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.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 12mo ago

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...

Mercury treaty summit criticized for inaction on gold mining crisis

A global mercury summit in Geneva has faced criticism from environmental and Indigenous groups for failing to act on mercury use in small-scale gold mining, the world’s top source of mercury pollution...

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 12mo ago

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...

Interpol announces a new global fight against illegal deforestation

Interpol and partners have launched a global law enforcement effort to fight illegal deforestation in tropical areas.

apnews.com

Steven Grattan@sjgrattan.bsky.social · 12mo ago

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...

A decade after Brazil’s deadly dam collapse, Indigenous peoples demand justice on the eve of COP30

Ten years after Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, the Indigenous Krenak people are still mourning what they call “the death of the river.”

apnews.com