Inside COP: Protests at COP30 - and the reality of Indigenous representation

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Nov 13, 2025

Helena Gualinga, an Indigenous climate advocate from Sarayaku, Ecuador, dives into the struggles for representation at COP30. She highlights the protests that breached the Blue Zone, exposing the disconnect between visibility and real influence for Indigenous voices. Helena discusses challenges like restricted access to negotiations and fears of tokenism while advocating for land rights and proper consultation practices. Additionally, she emphasizes the necessity of Indigenous leadership in climate discussions to ensure effective stewardship of the planet.

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INSIGHT

Promise Versus Experience At COP30

COP30 promised to center Indigenous voices but many feel excluded or under-consulted.
Protests and a breach of the Blue Zone exposed a gap between rhetoric and Indigenous experience.

ANECDOTE

200-Boat Flotilla In Guajará Bay

A flotilla of 200 boats occupied Guajará Bay as a historic act for the Amazon and climate justice.
Chief Rauni Metuk-Tire proclaimed, 'the forest lives because we are here.'

INSIGHT

TFFF's Dedicated Indigenous Allocation

The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) commits a minimum 20% allocation to Indigenous and local communities.
TFFF co-designed this allocation with a global steering committee to increase direct access and decision-making.

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At a COP meant to centre the Amazon, some Indigenous voices have found themselves on the outside.

On Tuesday night, what began as a vibrant street march ended in a dramatic breach of the Blue Zone, as Indigenous protesters passed through the barriers of the official venue. What does this moment tell us about who gets to shape the ‘Amazon COP’? From finance to flotillas, and from protest to participation, this episode traces how Indigenous leadership is being expressed - and tested - in Belém.

Manuella Cantalice, Focal Point for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities at the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), shares how Indigenous and local communities are co-designing a global financial mechanism - reflecting the novel ways in which Indigenous leadership is being built into the architecture of climate finance at COP30.

Indigenous communicator Levi Tapuia, who arrived in at the COP after a 31-day flotilla, describes a voyage retracing the routes of colonisation - and contrasts the sense of unity on the river with the divisions he’s witnessed on the ground in Belém.

And Helena Gualinga, Indigenous and climate advocate, reflects on the frustration felt by many participants at COP30, and on the ongoing challenge of turning symbolic inclusion into meaningful influence.

Where are the tensions between visibility and voice, inclusion and influence - and what it will take for Indigenous leadership to shape not just the storytelling of COP30, but its outcomes?

Learn more:

📣 Find out more about the protests at the COP30 venue

🌳 Read all about the Tropical Forest Forever Facility

🌍 Check out the official COP30 website for background and announcements

🎤 What do you want to hear on Inside COP? Ask us on SpeakPipe or on our socials where you can also see more behind the scenes moments and to watch our videos:

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Or via this form.

Lead Producer: Ben Weaver-Hincks

Planning Producer: Caitlin Hanrahan

Guest Producer: Juanita Silva

Translations by: Camilo Ramos

Edited by: Miles Martignoni

Exec Producer: Ellie Clifford

With thanks to Groundswell and Global Optimism.

This is a Persephonica production for Global Optimism and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

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