Victory in the Amazon: Hyundai stops supply of diggers to illegal gold miners destroying Indigenous Lands

Nearly half of all diggers supplied to gold miners devastating Indigenous Lands were from one company. Here's how Greenpeace activists stopped the supply.

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Deep in the Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous Peoples face huge threats from expanding illegal gold mining. Forests are destroyed, rivers are poisoned with mercury. Miners invade in huge numbers, bringing violence and disease.

Doto Takak Ire, Indigenous leader of the Kayapó People, says, “I’ve been fighting against gold mining and for the protection of the Amazon and Indigenous Lands practically my entire life.”

The impact on Indigenous communities is severe. The Yanomami face a humanitarian crisis dating back decades, made worse by the recent Bolsonaro government. A 2020 study found 200 Munduruku tested positive for mercury contamination.

How Greenpeace pressured Hyundai to stop equipping illegal gold miners

An April 2023 Greenpeace report highlighted the fast expansion of illegal gold mining into Indigenous Lands.

One company, HD Hyundai Construction equipment (HCE), supplied 43% of the digging equipment to miners.

Greenpeace Brazil and Greenpeace East Asia launched the report at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, at which Doto Takak Ire spoke.

A forest of cameras are trained on an indigenous leader in traditional headwear giving a speech.

On the other side of the world, activists and Indigenous Leaders protested in front of a Hyundai factory in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

They demanded the company stop selling their excavators to illegal miners in the Amazon.

Indigenous activists in traditional headwear mark the side of a yellow excavator with red handprints.
An indigeous activist in traditional headwear holds up red-stained hands to the camera. In the background there's a factory building with the Hyundai logo on the front.

Later in April, HCE announced a series of measures to protect the Amazon. Hyundai said it will prevent the supply of excavators to illegal mining operations in the Amazon.

This is a huge victory for the Amazon and its Indigenous Peoples, who have long suffered the impacts of ever-expanding gold mining in their lands.

It shows that international, coordinated public pressure works. Greenpeace is proud to coordinate people power across continents, to protect the Amazon and stand with its peoples.

Other companies must now act, and work with the government for long-term solutions

Hyundai’s announcement shows that it is possible for companies to act to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon.

But the Amazon Rainforest and its Indigenous Peoples will not be safe from illegal gold mining until all companies follow suit.

Kayapó Leader Doto Takak Ire said, “The fight against mining is long and this is a first step. Now, other companies also need to act, until there are no more excavators inside our territories.”

He also urged companies to work with the new Brazilian government:

“I hope that they work together with the Brazilian government to define a long term solution to prevent gold mining from expanding in our lands.”

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