Sister Jane Dwyer of Notre Dame de Namur, who was born in the U.S, holds a picture of Sister Dorothy Stang, an American nun and environmental activist, who was assassinated in 2005 in retribution for her work with landless farmers, after an interview with Reuters at her house in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 2, 2019. The phrase written on the picture of Dorothy reads "The death of the rainforest is the end of our life." Fourteen years ago, on a dirt road near a remote settlement in northern Brazil, a gunman paid by local cattle ranchers executed a U.S. nun who had spent much of her life fighting to save the Amazon rainforest and advocating for the rural poor.

The 2005 killing of 73-year-old Dorothy Stang, who was shot six times in the chest, back and head, shocked the world.

Her former colleagues, who still live near the town of Anapu in the state of Para where she worked, say the area remains as lawless and as dangerous as ever.

"The people here are eager to plant trees, to preserve the forest, to keep it standing and defend it, even with their lives," said Sister Jane Dwyer, as she held a photo of her murdered colleague. "Because there are people here who have fled from gunmen and from threats." Their situation highlights the problem of policing the vast Amazon, where this year loggers, cattle ranchers, and farmers have been accused of triggering a sharp rise in fires and deforestation. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

A plate placed on a tree near the site where Sister Dorothy Stang was killed, reads "In memory to the martyrs who were killed in the fight for the preservation of the rainforest and the agrarian reform in the Amazon" at Esperanca PDS, a sustainable settlement project in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 3, 2019. The holes in the plate are from bullets shot by loggers and stockbreeders, according the residents. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Vinicius Dos Santos, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, sits next to his family as he talks to Reuters TV at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. The Amazon fires have created a major crisis for far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who reacted with fury to global accusations that he was not doing enough to protect one of the world's key bulwarks against climate change.

Critics said his election victory emboldened his gun-toting supporters to ignore environmental regulations. He has denied that, but he took office in January vowing to bring progress to the Amazon, and has long criticized indigenous reservations and environmental fines as a brake on development.

Bolsonaro is also a long-time skeptic of non-governmental organizations, including the Roman Catholic church, that work in the Amazon, arguing that they are seeking to curtail Brazil's sovereignty. When the news of the blazes first broke, he even accused NGOs of starting the fires, without providing evidence.

His approach has caused tensions with global leaders, including Pope Francis. The first Latin American pontiff said this month that rapid deforestation should not be treated as a local issue since it threatened the future of the planet.

Next month, the Vatican will host a synod with bishops and other representatives, including indigenous peoples from across South America. The issue of protecting the Amazon will likely loom large. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Children pose on logs that were illegally cut from the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. Deep in the rainforest and far away from the corridors of power, protecting the Amazon is a lonely, challenging and increasingly dangerous task, say those at the frontline.

In Anapu, the federal government terminated a contract last month with a local security firm that was designed to provide protection for residents and the surrounding forest from invaders, residents said. The contract was not renewed due to a lack of funding, residents said they were told. INCRA, the government agency involved, did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The security contractor referred questions to INCRA. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

A man cuts acai berry from an acai palm tree at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Ieda, 57, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, works with acai berry inside her house at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Tunica, 67, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, embraces her granddaughter as her grandson smiles inside her house at Esperanca PDS, a Sustainable Settlement Project, in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

A girl sits on a water well at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

A rag doll hangs in the house of the family of Vinicius Dos Santos, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Vultures are pictured on a tree at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Vinicius Dos Santos, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, shows his son an acai palm tree to reforest their house at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

The son of Vinicius Dos Santos, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, plays at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Vinicius Dos Santos, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, bathes at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

The wife of Vinicius Dos Santos, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, waters foodstuff at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Tunica, 67, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, waters the plants next to her grandson at Esperanca PDS, a sustainable settlement project in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Children play on a soccer field at Esperanca PDS, a sustainable settlement project in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

A family ride a motorbike past a security post at the entrance of Esperanca PDS, a sustainable settlement project, in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

An aerial view shows cattle walking on a tract of the Amazon rainforest that has been cleared by loggers and farmers near the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

A cross stands at the site where Sister Dorothy Stang, a U.S.-born nun and environmental activist, was assassinated in 2005 in retribution for her work with landless farmers at Esperanca PDS, a sustainable settlement project in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

A girl is pictured next to logs that were illegally cut from the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

An aerial view shows cattle walking on a tract of the Amazon rainforest that has been cleared by loggers and farmers near the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Residents play snooker at a bar in the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Pupils play in the first school built at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 4, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Cattle walk on a tract of the Amazon rainforest that has been cleared by loggers and farmers near the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Jose Pereira, 56, who is threatened by loggers and stockbreeders, works with cacao beans at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

A man works in the field at the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Children play next to logs that were illegally cut from the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project (PDS) in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 5, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

An aerial view shows logs that were illegally cut from the Amazon rainforest in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 2, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

An aerial view shows illegal deforestation at Esperanca PDS, a Sustainable Settlement Project, in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 6, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

An aerial view shows illegal deforestation at Esperanca PDS, a Sustainable Settlement Project, in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 6, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

A man and his wife walk on dirt road at Esperanca PDS, a Sustainable Settlement Project, in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 6, 2019. REUTERS/Nacho Doce 

Cows are pictured inside a farm near Esperanca PDS, a Sustainable Settlement Project, in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, September 6, 2019. PDS is a jungle reserve set aside for sustainable agriculture by small farmers. REUTERS/Nacho Doce