IRI Colombia advanced its mission of advocating for forest protection and the rights of indigenous peoples in the lead-up to Colombia’s regional elections on October 23. IRI Colombia conducted a comprehensive advocacy campaign, holding debates with gubernatorial candidates in Caquetá, Guaviare, and Putumayo departments. The three debates served as a platform for candidates to present their environmental proposals and encouraged them to commit, through a programmatic agreement, to promoting policies and programs for the restoration and preservation of the Amazon ecosystem once elected. The debates were broadcast on regional television and radio stations and reached nearly 36,000 people, both in-person and through social networks and media. Candidates publicly pledged their support for Amazon protection, committing to prioritize it ethically and politically, integrate conservation strategies into departmental development plans, and ensure the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples and Amazon communities.
