On October 28, 2026, the Amazon Parliament (PARLAMAZ) held its assembly on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), with support from the ICCF Group. Members elected Senator Víctor Manuel Noriega Reátegui of Peru as president by acclamation, returning the presidency to the country where PARLAMAZ was founded in 1989. He succeeds Senator Nelsinho Trad of Brazil, co-chair of Caucus Brazil, which the ICCF Group supports.
Illegal mining, organized crime, and the rule of law
Legislators from Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia described how illegal mining fuels wider criminal networks across the region.
Hon. Azucena Isla Rojas, representing Loreto, Peru, explained how operators sink their dredges underwater when police and military patrols approach, sometimes tracking them with drones, then resume work once the patrols leave. “The problem is not a lack of laws, but that the law does not reach the river,” she said. She reported mercury levels above the World Health Organization’s reference value in communities along the Pintuyacu River, a risk to the health of children in particular. She linked illegal mining to drug trafficking, smuggling, and human trafficking.
Her proposals included:
- Harmonizing laws across the eight Amazon countries
- Monitoring the mercury trade
- Sharing alerts and river monitoring across borders
- Supporting satellite and community surveillance of waterways
- Creating legal economic alternatives for local communities
Hon. Esperanza Rogel of Ecuador warned that criminal groups are recruiting young people under the age of 18 and called for a joint regional response. "The Amazon is not only natural resources," she said. Hon. Cecilia Isabel Zárate of Bolivia pointed to links between illegal mining, human trafficking, smuggling, and the illegal trade in timber and wildlife.
Regional cooperation and the role of parliaments
Gustavo Buttes of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the 2023 Amazon Summit in Belém brought the region’s presidents together for the first time in 14 years. Foreign ministers then adopted 29 resolutions covering water resources, health, science, and cross-border crime, among other areas. "Parliaments can and must give legitimacy, continuity, and political reach to the efforts implemented by the governments of the Amazon countries," he said.
Vanessa Grazziotin, Executive Director of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), credited Senator Trad with a role "already written into the history of this Parliament." She called for continued work to formalize a permanent link between PARLAMAZ and ACTO, which remains a priority for the new presidency.
A legacy of renewed dialogue
Under Senator Trad’s leadership, PARLAMAZ:
- Resumed its work during the pandemic in December 2020
- Established a Joint Secretariat in 2021
- Organized technical visits in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru
- In 2025, focused its agenda on forest and ecosystem restoration, sustainable bioeconomy, and integrated fire management, including a proposed parliamentary observatory on forest restoration
Senator Trad tied the Amazon’s health to water security beyond the region. Moisture released by the forest travels on the winds as "flying rivers," feeding the rains that sustain the Pantanal in his home state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
"It is not about surpassing, but about continuing to walk together", said Senator Noriega Reátegui, who asked Senator Trad to keep contributing to the body.
Keith Alger, Vice President of Global Strategy, the ICCF Group, explained that the ICCF Group’s support for PARLAMAZ began at the request of regional leaders, including Senator Trad and former Brazilian Congressman Rodrigo Agostinho. The ICCF Group facilitates dialogue among legislators of all parties without advocating any specific policy. It will continue to support the Secretariat through the leadership transition.
Regional Headquarters