By Julieta Pelcastre/Dilogo
March 25, 2022
Select Language
The U.S. and Spanish governments support Colombia’s efforts in curbing deforestation and environmental crimes caused by narcotrafficking, organized crime, and other criminal activities.
According to a Spanish government statement, the Spanish Interior Ministry of Spain and the Colombian Ministry of Defense have agreed to strengthen their cooperation against these crimes.
According to Spanish newspaper, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the Spanish Interior Minister, visited Colombia and promised to support the Colombian Police. He also pledged to combat the destruction caused illegal coca leaf crops and the ensuing chemical processes for cocaine production. El Pas.
Spanish elements of Civil Guards Nature Protection Service will coordinate the support. El Pas added.
We are strengthening our relationships with Spain […]Colombian Minister Diego Molano shared his experiences in the fight against transnational criminality, as well as training, education, and support for the Public Force.
Ecocide
Narcotrafficking causes environmental destruction in Colombia. It pollutes rivers and destroys forests to make space for coca plants.
According to the organization, deforestation is the most visible form of environmental crime in Colombia’s Amazon. Insight Crime reported that Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia dissidents have been paying locals to clear their land for coca crops.
Doubling your efforts
According to the Colombian Ministry of the Environment cooperation with countries like the United States is proving fruitful. Deforestation occurred on 64,000 hectares of land between January 2020 and June 2020. However, the same period in 2021 saw less forest destruction with 42,600 ha.
The United States of America and Colombia are collaborating on projects to stop logging, preserve biodiversity, increase environmental security, and improve the Amazon’s environment. The Colombian Foreign Ministry stated that the United States pledged $50 million in October 2021 to support Colombia’s efforts against these crimes.
Amazon is home to 10% of the world’s biodiversity, 20% fresh water and 60% of the world’s tropical forest. The Amazon has lost 17 percent of its indigenous forests in the last 50 years, according to a Colombian newspaper La Repblica reported.
The U.S. Agency for International Development, (USAID) has been supporting the Colombian government through the Amazon Alive Project to improve the prevention and prosecutions of environmental crimes. This will help reduce deforestation and boost forest conservation.
Amazon Alive was launched in July 2021 in the departments Caquet, Guaviare and Meta. It will continue until June 2026, USAID states on its website. The initiative aims at increasing arrests of environmental criminals; to mobilize $13million in programs to improve the capabilities of 95 Colombian institutions to combat environmental crime, the loss of biodiversity and climate change; as well as to train 10,000 people on sustainable natural resource management.
On February 15, the Colombian Ministry of the Environment made a significant step forward by activating the first Unified Environmental Command Post. This will coordinate the efforts of the Ministry of Defense (the Public Force) and the Office of the Attorney General. It will monitor illegal logging activities and help to achieve zero deforestation in 2030.