Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization Holds Summit in Colombia
Representatives of ACTO countries at the Casa de Nariño in Bogota, Colombia. Aug. 22, 2025. X/ @LulaOficial
August 22, 2025 Hour: 1:12 pm
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Representatives from eight coutries join Indigenous leaders to draft a joint declaration ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
On Friday, Bogota hosts the 5th Summit of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) Amazon Countries.
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This event is attended by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, and Bolivian President Luis Arce.
The presidential summit took place at the Plaza de Armas of the Casa de Nariño, the seat of the Colombian executive branch, where the heads of state and ministers of the eight ACTO nations met with Indigenous leaders and civil society representatives.
The meeting began with a minute of silence for the 20 victims of Thursday’s attacks, which targeted a police helicopter in the town of Amalfi and the vicinity of an air base in Cali.
Afterward, Indigenous leader Paulina Romero spoke in her native language and performed a traditional song. Her address, full of symbolism, highlighted the role of Indigenous peoples as guardians of the Amazon rainforest. She is part of the Cubeo people, which inhabits the Vaupes department, near the borders with Venezuela and Brazil.
“We need to save life to give our children and grandchildren a better future,” said Oswaldo Muca, coordinator of the Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC), before presenting gifts to the regional leaders.
The purpose of the ACTO summit is to reach consensus on a joint declaration for the protection of the Amazon, to be presented at the United Nations COP30, scheduled for Nov. 10–21 in Belem do Para, Brazil.
According to the Colombian government, the goal is to “move from words to action” with measures addressing deforestation, climate change, illegal mining, regional security, and the needs of border communities.
Also attending the Bogota summit are ACTO Secretary Martin von Hildebrand and foreign ministers Elmer Schialer (Peru), Melvin Bouva (Suriname), Celinda Sosa (Bolivia), and Yvan Gil (Venezuela).
Created in 1978, the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization includes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
