At the close of San Francisco Climate Week 2025, María Isabel Torres, Program Director of Mongabay Latam, shared how local journalism is driving environmental change across Latin America.
Speaking as a Peruvian journalist based in Lima, María Isabel detailed investigations that have exposed hidden threats to both biodiversity and Indigenous communities.
One investigation revealed 67 clandestine airstrips built deep in the Peruvian Amazon to support drug trafficking.
Working with satellite analysis experts including Earth Genome, Mongabay combined AI, drone footage, and interviews with over 60 local sources to uncover the network. Their reporting, which took a year to complete, sparked national and international media coverage, caught the attention of lawmakers and authorities, and empowered Indigenous leaders with evidence to advocate for protections.
María Isabel also highlighted how Mongabay Latam documented over 8,000 oil contamination sites across four Amazonian countries—600 of which are located inside Indigenous territories or protected areas.
In the Gulf of Mexico, Mongabay’s reporting exposed that nearly 60% of oil spills in recent years, previously dismissed by companies as “natural emissions,” were in fact human-caused.
And in the open seas, Mongabay has tracked the movements of 200 Chinese fishing vessels operating just outside Latin America’s maritime borders—raising serious concerns about marine biodiversity loss near places like the Galápagos Islands.
Across all this work, María Isabel emphasized the importance of amplifying the voices of Indigenous peoples—not just as victims, but as defenders and leaders actively protecting the rainforest.
In Latin America, Mongabay Latam now partners with over 70 influential regional media outlets, maximizing the reach and impact of these investigations.
It’s a powerful reminder: Locally grounded, solutions-driven journalism can shift narratives, drive accountability, and support frontline communities.
