Colombian Amazon: Armed groups control deforestation, hindering conservation

In Colombias Amazon region armed groups specially the EMC (a FARC dissident faction) are tightening their grip on the area. This control is making it hard for the government to stop deforestation according to a recent report by The International Crisis Group

The EMC‚ Colombias third-largest armed group with about 3‚500 members has been the main cause of deforestation in the past five years. Rodrigo Botero director of The Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (FCDS) stated‚ “More than half a million hectares have been lost in their control zones“ He also mentioned that the EMC has been changing its stance on deforestation: stopping it last year but increasing it again this year

Colombia‚ which has the worlds biggest bird diversity has already lost 15% of its Amazon rainforest. The countrys first leftist administration under Gustavo Petro is trying to save the environment and make peace‚ but its facing big problems

The environment ministry says its made a big cut in deforestation (61%) in the last couple of years. It wants to make a forest model that helps Amazon communities stops illegal tree cutting and brings the forest back. But armed groups are making this hard

Bram Ebus a researcher who helped write the report said that the government cant get into areas that the EMC controls. This makes it tough to do projects that could help save the forest. Elizabeth Dickenson another person who wrote the report said that the EMC uses force to control the forests. They sometimes tell people to stop cutting trees‚ but other times they let it happen so they can make money from it

The government is trying to talk with the EMC‚ but its not easy. The group keeps breaking rules during ceasefires and wont let state agencies into areas they control. If Petro really wants to save the Amazon‚ he needs to get into these areas first