In a rare display of unity and urgency, the presidents of Brazil, Colombia, and Bolivia, together with Ecuador’s Vice President María José Pinto and an array of Indigenous leaders, convened in Bogota, Colombia, on Friday, August 22, 2025. Their mission: to finalize a unified strategy aimed at safeguarding the Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest tropical forest and a linchpin in the fight against global climate change, according to reports from The Associated Press and other major outlets.
The gathering, which drew top officials from across South America’s Amazon nations, culminated in the signing of the ‘Declaration of Bogota’—a sweeping political roadmap that seeks to strengthen regional cooperation for the protection of the Amazon basin. This vast region sprawls over more than 6.7 million square kilometers (or roughly 2.5 million square miles), stretching across national borders and housing an astonishing array of biodiversity, much of it found nowhere else on Earth.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, never one to mince words, delivered a powerful message to his fellow leaders. “There is no individual exit from the climate crisis. We need a new global governance with the authority to make countries keep their promises,” Lula declared, as quoted by The Associated Press. His call underscored a growing recognition among Amazon nations that only collective action—both regionally and globally—can address the mounting threats facing the rainforest.
Echoing Lula’s plea for unity, Ecuador’s Vice President María José Pinto urged her counterparts to move beyond “good intentions” and commit to “concrete actions” to protect the Amazon. “In Ecuador, we believe solutions are not built from the capitals, but from the territories, listening to and working alongside our people. We must keep the Amazon at the center of the global conversation,” Pinto said, emphasizing the need to respect ancestral knowledge and involve Indigenous communities in decision-making.
Friday’s summit built on the momentum of the Belem Declaration, signed in Brazil in 2023, which first committed Amazon nations to closer coordination on environmental policies. But this year’s gathering in Bogota marked a crucial next step: the formal adoption of a common vision for deeper cooperation, not just among governments but also with the Indigenous peoples who have long been the rainforest’s stewards.
On the eve of the summit, foreign ministers from the eight members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO)—a decades-old but often overlooked intergovernmental body—approved 20 new resolutions. These ranged from the creation of a regional Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism to initiatives on food security, climate risk, and institutional strengthening. Notably, each ACTO country will now appoint two government delegates and two Indigenous delegates to this new body, which will meet annually and require unanimous decision-making for major actions.
For many observers, the inclusion of Indigenous voices is not just symbolic—it’s essential. Oswaldo Muca, representing Colombia’s Indigenous Amazon communities, told The Associated Press that his people are “committed to safeguarding our territory and the Amazon, protecting it and caring for it.” He voiced strong opposition to mining and oil exploration, warning, “It destroys our territory, destroys humanity and destroys life.” Muca welcomed the ministers’ approval of a direct financing mechanism for Indigenous peoples, calling it “the only way to avoid reaching the point of no return.” Still, he cautioned that “our words must be more than political speeches ... they must be real, concrete actions.”
Peruvian Indigenous leader Julio Cusurichi, present at the event, echoed the call for immediate, tangible steps. “We are asking countries to take immediate action because deforestation and pollution are advancing, and the impacts of climate change are severe,” Cusurichi said, highlighting the sense of urgency among those living closest to the forest’s front lines.
Scientists have long warned that the Amazon’s fate is intimately linked to that of the planet as a whole. As a massive carbon sink, the rainforest absorbs more carbon dioxide than it releases, helping to regulate global climate and rainfall patterns far beyond South America’s borders. Its loss, experts say, could accelerate global warming, disrupt agriculture as far away as the U.S. Midwest and parts of Europe, and threaten the survival of thousands of species.
ACTO Secretary-General Martín von Hildebrand, speaking at the summit, stressed that political will and unity among member countries are vital for protecting the basin’s forests, rivers, and biodiversity. These natural resources, he noted, store vast amounts of carbon and play a crucial role in regulating the planet’s climate.
Despite the strong words and ambitious declarations, the road ahead is fraught with challenges. Deforestation rates in the Amazon remain alarmingly high, driven by illegal logging, mining, and agricultural expansion. According to the agreements reached in Bogota, each country is now tasked with appointing delegates who will meet annually to assess progress and coordinate new initiatives. The unanimous decision-making requirement ensures that all voices—governmental and Indigenous alike—must be heard before any major policy shifts.
The summit also saw the approval of a direct financing mechanism for Indigenous communities, a move widely hailed as a breakthrough by Indigenous leaders. This mechanism is designed to channel resources directly to those on the ground, bypassing bureaucratic hurdles and empowering local communities to lead conservation efforts. As Oswaldo Muca put it, this is “the only way to avoid reaching the point of no return.”
But as Indigenous and government leaders alike acknowledged, declarations and blueprints are only the beginning. The real test will be translating these commitments into action—on the ground, in the forests, and in the lives of the millions who depend on the Amazon for their survival and identity.
The Declaration of Bogota represents a significant step forward in the ongoing quest to protect the Amazon. By bringing together presidents, vice presidents, ministers, and Indigenous leaders, the summit signaled a new era of collaboration and shared responsibility. Yet, as Ecuador’s María José Pinto reminded her colleagues, “what happens here determines the future of everyone.” The world will be watching to see if these words—spoken in the halls of Bogota—can spark the real, concrete actions needed to safeguard the Amazon for generations to come.
With the ink barely dry on the Declaration of Bogota, the leaders of the Amazon basin now face the daunting task of turning promises into progress. Their success—or failure—will shape not only the destiny of the world’s largest rainforest but also the planet’s climate future.
