Armed groups hinder Colombia deforestation efforts, report finds

BOGOTA, Colombia — 

Armed groups operating successful Colombia's Amazon are tightening their grip connected the portion and that's stalling authorities efforts to tackle deforestation, according to a deliberation vessel study Thursday.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) dissidents, known arsenic EMC, person the quality to dilatory oregon accelerate deforestation astatine will, said the study by The International Crisis Group.

Some of the erstwhile FARC members ne'er signed and disagree with the 2016 FARC-Colombia bid deal. Others signed it but took up arms again, portion others are caller to the dissident ranks either arsenic volunteers oregon forced fighters, said Rodrigo Botero, manager of The Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development (FCDS).

EMC is presently Colombia's 3rd largest equipped group, with astir 3,500 members.

"This radical is the astir straight liable for deforestation successful the past 5 years," Botero said. "More than fractional a cardinal hectares person been mislaid successful their power zones."

"Over the past year," helium said, "the EMC has fixed orders to the colonisation to suspend deforestation, but this twelvemonth they person accrued it again."

More than 40% of Colombia is successful the Amazon — an country astir the size of Spain. The state has the world's largest vertebrate biodiversity. Fifteen percent of the Colombian Amazon has already been deforested, according to FCDS.

Colombia's archetypal leftist medication nether Gustavo Petro stakes overmuch of its legitimacy connected its biology and bid agenda, Crisis Group researcher and study coauthor Bram Ebus told The Associated Press.

"However, arsenic Colombia's earthy situation continues to endure from the terrible impacts of struggle dynamics and economical activities that substance violence, his governmental bequest is astatine risk," Ebus said.

Colombia's situation ministry said successful a connection Thursday that redeeming the Amazon rainforest has been 1 of Petro's main priorities and it has achieved a historical simplification of deforestation by 61% successful the past 2 years.

While acknowledging "the difficulties with the dynamics of bid successful the territory and the equipped actors," the ministry said it wants to physique a wood improvement exemplary that benefits Amazon communities, recovers the wood and stops amerciable deforestation.

Previous administrations opted for punitive measures against Amazon communities complicit successful deforestation, portion Petro offers incentives, proposing fiscal assistance to enactment wood conservation and beforehand sustainable livelihoods, Ebus said.

"Nevertheless, the deficiency of territorial power hampers the implementation of these projects, arsenic equipped groups predominate the region, often preventing communities from benefiting from state-funded initiatives," helium said.

The EMC is capable to enforce power implicit the forests done equipped coercion, said Elizabeth Dickinson, Crisis Group elder expert and study coauthor. She added that successful precocious 2022 and March 2023 section commanders gave strict orders to communities to cease deforesting.

"Anyone who did would beryllium taxable to fines, forced assemblage labour and adjacent expulsion from the community," Dickinson said.

But aboriginal this year, the EMC lifted restrictions, truthful it could accelerate its gross streams from deforestation, she said, adding that the radical would unit those deforesting to wage an extortion interest to operate.

"One of the things that was precise alarming successful researching this portion was the grade to which authorities authorities are not allowed to entree areas that are nether their (EMC) jurisdiction," she said. "So this includes nationalist parks, protected areas."

Dialogue with the EMC is an uphill battle, Ebus said, noting the radical has repeatedly violated antecedently agreed rules during ceasefires and blocked authorities agencies from entering territories nether its control.

"If the Petro medication genuinely wants to support the Amazon, it indispensable archetypal regain entree to these areas, arsenic equipped groups presently are calling the shots," helium said.