Colombia President Gustavo Petro took office in 2022 with ambitious plans to combat climate change and lead a clean energy transition — a major challenge for a country that has struggled with high rates of deforestation and an economic reliance on oil and gas exports. A little more than two years into his government, Petro has seen deforestation rates fall and then rise again, raising questions about what policies actually work to halt deforestation for the long haul. During his campaign, he promised to regulate agribusiness, optimize existing farmland and create new protected areas. But the policies with the most impact have had more to do with security than conservation. Armed groups have major sway in rural areas, controlling everything from farming practices and logging to coca cultivation. Their actions are key to the fate of Colombia’s rainforests, a new report from Crisis Group argues. “Armed groups’ tightening grip on the Colombian Amazon has further jeopardized the health of a forest that plays a crucial role in the planet’s climate,” the report states. “People living under these groups’ yoke have been left vulnerable to the whims of criminals bent on expanding their illicit businesses.” At the start of his government, Petro launched a “total peace” plan to start talks with some of the largest armed groups, including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissidents of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which agreed to a peace deal in 2016. Today, one of the biggest active FARC dissident groups…This article was originally published on Mongabay
The post In Colombia, guerrilla groups decide the fate of the Amazon first appeared on EnviroLink Network.