Dozens of Indigenous protesters, including members of the Munduruku tribe, blocked the main gate to COP30 in Belém, delaying hundreds of delegates. COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago negotiated with the demonstrators at the locked entrance to allow talks to proceed. The Munduruku demand a meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and seek stronger protections against corporate activities and the repeal of the national waterways plan, which they say would cause dredging, damage sacred sites and expand private ports.
Munduruku Protesters Block COP30 Entrance in Belém — Demand Meeting with President Lula Over Waterways Plan
Dozens of Indigenous protesters, including members of the Munduruku tribe, blocked the main gate to COP30 in Belém, delaying hundreds of delegates. COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago negotiated with the demonstrators at the locked entrance to allow talks to proceed. The Munduruku demand a meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and seek stronger protections against corporate activities and the repeal of the national waterways plan, which they say would cause dredging, damage sacred sites and expand private ports.
04:07 AM, 11/15/2025Environment
Indigenous protesters halt COP30 access in Belém
Dozens of Indigenous people, led by members of the Munduruku tribe, together with other climate activists, blocked the main entrance to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém for several hours on Friday morning. The action delayed admission for hundreds of delegates, journalists and observers who were forced to wait in a dense crowd outside the venue.
Armed, partially masked police officers in protective gear stood guard at the gate of the conference's tent city. COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago approached the locked entrance, spoke with protesters and persuaded them to step aside so discussions could begin.
The Munduruku are demanding a meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. They are calling for stronger protections for their settlements against harmful corporate activities and for the repeal of Brazil’s national waterways plan. Protesters say the plan would trigger new dredging works, damage sacred rocks, and enable the expansion of private ports — with long-term ecological and social consequences for the region.
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday evening, dozens of Indigenous demonstrators forced their way into the conference's secured tent city, breaking down doors and scuffling with security forces. Thousands of Indigenous activists are present at COP30, campaigning against the destruction of ancestral lands, including widespread rainforest clearing.
Why it matters
The protest underscores the tensions between national development plans and Indigenous rights and environmental protection. With COP30 intended to be a forum for global climate action, demonstrators say their demands must be heard to ensure that development projects do not irreversibly harm local ecosystems and communities.