International cooperation as an instrument in the fight against oil exploration in the Amazon region
International Cooperation. Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO). Fossil fuels. Amazon.
as one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, the Amazon biome is the focus of numerous discussions related to climate change mitigation. At the regional level, the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) houses the countries encompassing the biome, particularly addressing environmental issues. The ACTO has gained more prominence recently with the resumption of meetings among national leaders and the convening of the Amazon Summit. Nevertheless, an extremely relevant issue remains absent from the agenda in these spaces: the exploration of fossil fuels in the Amazon region. Recent cases in Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and other countries in the region highlight the contradiction between environmental discourse and practices favoring oil exploration in environmentally protected areas, traditional communities, and areas of fundamental importance in the fight against the climate crisis. This study aims to investigate the limits of international cooperation as a tool to combat oil exploration in the Amazon, using the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) as a case study.