this week took a leading position in Latin America for Indigenous rights and forest protection by formalizing Indigenous local governments across swaths of the Amazon, raising hopes that other countries in the region will follow its lead.
Activists say Monday's decision gives Indigenous communities not just land titles, but actual self-governing authority 鈥� complete with public budgets and administrative power. The process, underway since 2018, now has a legal framework enabling Indigenous councils to function as official local governments.
鈥淭his puts Colombia in the lead when it comes to recognizing Indigenous rights 鈥� not just to land, but to identity, autonomy, and decision-making over their own development,鈥� said Mayu Velasco Anderson, head of the Peru and Colombia program at nongovernmental organization Rainforest Foundation Norway.
Patricia Su谩rez, Indigenous leader and adviser to the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon, called the presidential decree 鈥渉istoric.鈥�
鈥淲e have been seeking recognition of our autonomy and self-determination as Indigenous Territorial Entities for over 30 years,鈥� Su谩rez said. 鈥淭his progress is a milestone in the consolidation of the rights of Indigenous Peoples as autonomous governments.鈥�
In contrast, other Latin American countries typically only grant land titles. Brazil, for example, has that frequently intersect multiple municipalities, forcing communities to navigate conflicting public systems and undermining their self-governance.
鈥淚n Brazil, even demarcated and regularized Indigenous lands fall under the administrative boundaries of states and municipalities, and communities depend on these governments to access public policies,鈥� said In茅s Luna Maira, head of institutional partnerships at Rainforest Foundation Norway. 鈥淭hey have to deal with a patchwork of public systems and elected officials that don鈥檛 reflect Indigenous governance.鈥�
Suriname, home to some of the most intact forests and Indigenous and Maroon communities, lags furthest behind other nations in the region on this issue.
Colombia's new framework gives Indigenous groups direct authority over their territories, streamlining governance and boosting protections for forests that are critical to combating .
Julia Urrunaga, director of Peru Programs at the nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency welcomed the move and expressed hope that her country would follow Colombia鈥檚 example.
鈥淲e celebrate this victory for the Indigenous Peoples of Colombia,鈥� she said. 鈥淪adly, the Peruvian government has been walking in the opposite direction 鈥� passing laws that affect Indigenous rights without prior consultation, which goes against Peru鈥檚 own constitution.鈥�
Urrunaga pointed to what environmental activists have dubbed which activists say legalizes illegal deforestation in Indigenous territories, and to the government鈥檚 promotion of palm oil plantations over Amazonian forest.
鈥淧eru鈥檚 Indigenous Peoples are still struggling to receive recognition of their ancestral territories,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd even when they obtain it, they don鈥檛 get the support they deserve from the state to protect their land and forests for the benefit of all humanity.鈥�
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Steven Grattan, The Associated Press
