This paper highlights the link between ongoing conflicts among armed groups and the deforestation of the Amazon, a problem that has been exacerbated by the failures of domestic and international institutions. What is not discussed as much is the fact that these on-going conflicts intensify the most urgent environmental problem in Colombia-deforestation-and undermine international efforts to protect the Amazon, a crucial safeguard against climate change.

Experts have already warned that Colombia’s delayed implementation of the accord, especially in rural areas, may close the window for achieving lasting peace in the country. However, the demobilization of FARC led to a power vacuum in the jungle territory of Colombia, accompanied by the rise of FARC splinter groups, right-wing paramilitary groups, and criminal organizations. The historic peace deal, which received international praise and earned then-president Juan Manuel Santos the Nobel Peace Prize, was expected to end the decades-long guerilla war that had killed more than 220,000 people in the country. The 2016 peace accord between the Colombian government and the largest rebel group in the country, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, marked the beginning of new era for the country. The killing of environmentalists has been closely linked to the country’s delayed peace. These figures paint a picture of Colombia as one of the most dangerous countries for environmental activists. Global Witness also ranked Colombia second after Brazil in the number of land and environmental defenders killed in 2021.

In 2020 alone, 65 out of a recorded 227 land and environmental activists killed worldwide were from Colombia. According to a 2021 Global Witness report, Colombia was the country with the highest number of documented killings of environmental activists in 20. Despite the much-applauded pledge and commitment, Colombia has been failing to protect environmental activists in the country.

Then-president Iván Duque also signed the Declaration on Forest and Land Use in which signatories committed to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. At the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) in November 2021, Colombia pledged to be a carbon-neutral state by 2050 and was hailed for having the most ambitious plan in Latin America.

Armed conflict in colombia infograph