Passando a boiada: degazettement and downsizing threaten protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon

• Biodiversity conservation requires the protection and maintenance of protected areas • Protected areas store carbon and regulate ecosystem processes • Protected areas prevent deforestation and conserve ecosystems and biodiversity This article addresses the reduction and elimination of protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon. This impacts Brazil's conservation efforts, ecosystem processes, and climate change mitigation. The phrase “ Passando a boiada ” (Passing the herd through) originated from a statement by Brazil's then-Minister of the Environment, Ricardo Salles in a 2020 ministerial meeting and reflects the 2019–2022 Jair Bolsonaro presidential administration`s dismantling of environmental policies. Despite the current President's efforts to restore environmental protections, the Ruralist Front's control of the National Congress continues to threaten protected areas. Cristalino II State Park, located in the southern Amazon in Mato Grosso state, is facing elimination due to fraudulent land claims. Reducing protected areas undermines biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. Maintaining these areas is crucial for Brazil to fulfill its COP 15 commitment to achieve zero deforestation by 2030. The situation demands urgent global attention to uphold conservation commitments and to prevent further ecosystem degradation.