Bogotá, Aug 22 (EFE) – Presidents and delegations from eight countries closed the Fifth Summit of Presidents of Amazonian Countries on Friday with the approval of the Bogotá Declaration, which includes regional commitments to “protect” the Amazon region.
During the session, which lasted just over an hour, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolivian President Luis Arce, and Ecuadorian Vice President María José Pinto presented the agreement.
They stated that they had reached a consensus on issues such as the climate crisis, fighting deforestation and organized crime, and strengthening the role of indigenous peoples in protecting the rainforest.
Petro, the host, assured that the summit was of “strategic importance” in convincing the international community to focus global policy on the climate crisis.
He also stressed the need for a united front at COP30 in Belém do Pará, Brazil, in November and asked the world to “decide if it prefers famine and war or saving life and human culture.”
Regional police cooperation
Meanwhile, Lula said the summit revitalized regional cooperation with a model that prioritizes sustainable development. He emphasized the agreements to strengthen forestry, water, and health service management.
Additionally, the Brazilian president highlighted the creation of the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center, which will open on Sept. 9 to intensify the fight against organized crime and illicit markets.
He explained that this mechanism will coordinate the efforts of security forces and establish a “common fleet” capable of responding to intensifying threats against the forest. This initiative will be coordinated with the Ministries of Defense and intelligence agencies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“The Amazon is worth more standing than being cut down,” Lula added, referring to the responsibility of the regional countries to care for the populations living in their territories.
President Arce considered the meeting quite productive and said that although there are still tasks to be completed, the eight countries are moving towards a unified proposal that amplifies the voices of society and indigenous peoples.
The vice president of Ecuador recalled that the Amazon is not only an environmental issue but also a matter of communities, water, and respect for interculturality.
Pinto stressed that solutions “are not built from capital, but from the territories” and announced that Ecuador will host the VI Summit of Amazonian Countries in 2027.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to launch the Tropical Forest Fund (TFFF) at COP30, an initiative of 73 developing countries that seeks resources to combat deforestation and prevent the Amazon from reaching the point of no return.
The Amazon bloc, formed in 1978 and comprising eight countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela), reached a consensus on shared positions to present at COP30. COP30 will take place from November 10 to 21 in Belém do Pará. EFE
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