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Operations to ruin prohibited roadways in Colombia's Amazon struck grinding halt, sources state

Government determines to damage prohibited roadways around Colombia's Amazon rainforest are stalled, 8 sources told , with one operation suspended completely over concerns it might set back peace talks in between rebels and President Gustavo Petro's administration.

The construction of roadways through jungles in Colombia by rural communities, livestock ranchers and illegal armed groups is a. major contributor to logging, ecological specialists and. scientists state. That is particularly critical in the Amazon, which. absorbs substantial quantities of carbon that contributes to climate. modification and is already a focus of concern.

There are at least 12 unlawful roadways in and around. Chiribiquete national park - a UNESCO world heritage website in. Colombia's Amazon. But there are no known operations underway to. damage them, ecological procurator Gustavo Guerrero informed. , regardless of Petro's promises to protect the environment.

spoke with the sources on condition of anonymity,. who detailed how one federal government operation to destroy a roadway. cutting into Chiribiquete was halted and a number of other planned. operations not started. The stalled and suspended plans have not. been previously reported.

Petro has actually made the environment a focus of his speeches. both in the house and abroad, and his federal government celebrated a 29%. reduction in deforestation throughout 2022.

The hold-ups might prompt disciplinary action versus. authorities for failing to secure the environment, the. procurator's workplace, an independent public guard dog, stated.

Neither Petro, his workplace nor any nationwide authorities has. hindered the destruction of the Yari Yaguara road, the office. stated in a statement, referring to among the roads flagged by. the sources.

Neither has actually the road been discussed at peace talks with the. EMC, the statement stated, including that the procedure to destroy the. roadway is advancing in line with legal requirements.

In comments to , Environment Minister Susana Muhamad. stressed that operations to damage roads become part of a. comprehensive strategy that consists of peace efforts, human rights. and the fight versus deforestation.

The operations and their planning continue in the fight. versus deforestation and environmental criminal offenses, Muhamad said in. a text.

The defense ministry did not react to an ask for. comment.

6 individuals familiar with the matter said the operation to. destroy a road bisecting Chiribiquete was ready last December. The operation didn't proceed after the military expressed. issues over prospective clashes with locals and wider. federal government concerns about setting back already-fraught peace. talks with the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) rebels, who operate in. the area, sources said.

The EMC rebels have actually combined control in parts of the. nation, causing what some call a pseudo-state where. Colombia's federal government has little impact. A ceasefire has. currently been canceled in some provinces.

Two sources said an operation to destroy the roadway was also. planned for January, while another stated plans were as soon as in place. to handle all unlawful roadways.

It is unclear whether Petro or the defense ministry blocked. the operation.

It's like an illness that keeps spreading, said one of the. sources, referring to the absence of action on prohibited roads and. the ecological damage they trigger by increasing access to once. unreachable forest.

' APPARENT FAILURE'

The procurator's workplace in 2015 demanded that the. environment ministry destroy another unlawful road near to. Chiribiquete, without results.

We're not aware of any operation to close or disable any. prohibited roadways in the Amazon, Guerrero said in an interview. There is an apparent failure in the execution of preventive and. precautionary measures for those roads.

The police plan to damage the road highlighted by the. procurator's workplace however have not taken action, among the. sources said. Guerrero said his office has actually started a disciplinary. examination into the federal government's basic absence of development. The procurator's office has the power to sanction authorities up. to federal government ministers and remove them from their posts.

The government anticipates to report another drop in. deforestation for 2023, however minister Muhamad in April alerted. destruction was increasing in 2024 in the middle of a prolonged drought.

Even if Petro's federal government has excellent factor for calling off. operations, the absence of action on illegal roadways contradicts his. promises to attend to deforestation, among the sources stated.

In the end, they aren't doing something about it. Something needs to be. done..

(source: Reuters)