Bogotá, August 18, 2025 (@OCTAnews) – On Monday, with a spiritual ceremony led by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin, the Summit of Amazonian Countries began, a meeting where strategies for the protection of the Amazon’s indigenous peoples and, consequently, the largest tropical rainforest on the planet, will be discussed throughout the week.
During the dialogue, held at the National University Hemeroteca, discussions focused on the protection of biodiversity, forests, water, and the indigenous peoples who inhabit them, as a pathway to ensuring global climate security and building a more sustainable and equitable future.
“We cannot address the Amazon in parts. It is necessary to have a comprehensive vision that allows us to find environmental, ecological, and security solutions. For this, it is essential to involve civil society. Protecting the Amazon is protecting indigenous peoples and, therefore, life itself. We must seize the commitment of governments to continue progressing toward the 5th Summit of Amazonian Presidents”, stated Martín van Hildebrand, Secretary-General of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO).
Likewise, the importance of implementing urgent actions to avoid the Amazon rainforest reaching a point of no return was emphasized, prioritizing the sustainable use of biodiversity and the development of programs involving indigenous communities, reiterating the commitments established in the Belém Declaration, signed in 2023.
“The cultural wealth of indigenous peoples is linked to the biodiversity of the territory. It is impossible to think about environmental protection without taking into account the communities that inhabit it. That is why we speak of a plural and complementary vision that helps strengthen ACTO and, in the process, gives a stronger voice to the Amazon region”, stated Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, Acting Foreign Minister of Colombia.
From Monday through next Friday, summit participants will share their knowledge, experiences, and proposals to structure public policies focused on Amazon protection, taking into consideration the ancestral knowledge of those who have inhabited and safeguarded the forest for centuries.
“To continue talking about biodiversity, we need knowledge in favor of life. Protecting the Amazon is no longer solely the responsibility of indigenous peoples, but of society as a whole and of the governments in the basin. We must understand that we are saving life on the entire planet, and therefore, real, fair, and equitable actions are essential”, said Oswaldo Muca, President of the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC).
This collective effort will culminate next Friday, August 22, when, at the Plaza de Armas of the Palacio de Nariño, Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, will welcome his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and other authorities from Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Suriname, and Guyana to hear proposals from indigenous, environmental, and social leaders.
Following this, the 5th Meeting of Presidents of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) will take place, where it is expected that the leaders will adopt the Bogotá Declaration.
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